Broken Hope guitarist Jeremy Wagner has vowed to treat Jeff Hanneman’s guitars with the honour they deserve.
He bought four instruments from the Slayer icon’s widow following his death from alcohol-related illness in 2013. They were sold to raise money for the Wounded Warriors Project, and although he hasn’t revealed how much he paid, they were each originally listed at $12,000.
And he’s reported that he’s finding inspiration from playing them as he writes for Broken Hope’s seventh album.
Wagner tells Guitar World: “I feel a responsibility to Jeff and to Kathryn to use these guitars in a way that honours him.
“As long as I own them I will use them and carry on Jeff’s legacy. He remains a huge influence on me – I probably wouldn’t be here as an extreme metal guitarist-lyricist without him.”
He says that he won’t use any instruments other than Hanneman’s while on the album, adding: “Riffs are just flowing out of me.”
Broken Hope plan to record the second record since their 2012 reunion early next year. Slayer released Repentless, dedicated to Hanneman, in September.
