Kerry King has revealed that he reacted with “anger” when when it was first suggested that Slayer split up.
In an exclusive interview in the brand new issue of Metal Hammer, the guitarist calls the decision to call time on the band “premature”.
Asked for his reaction when the conversation to end the band arose, King says: “Anger… what else? It was premature. The reason I say ‘premature’ is because my heroes from my childhood are still playing! I can still play, I still want to play, but that livelihood got taken away from me.
“But, anyway, on to the next chapter, I guess. We were on top of the world, and there’s nothing wrong with going out on top of the world, it’s a good way to go out. So, bravo for that. But do I miss playing? Yeah, absolutely.”
The thrash icons played their final show on November 30, 2019, in Los Angeles, four years after the release of their final album, Repentless. King adds that the farewell tour was difficult on an emotional level.
“Every one of those shows was a bummer! We were going to all these places and all these cities where we have all this history. It’s a bummer to think, ‘I’m not gonna see my friends there again.’ You’d get to that country and know you were going to see these people, and you’d see them yearly. I haven’t seen them now in three years. That sucks. And the fans, too. Slayer means a lot to our fans, and they mean a lot to us. I know I will see these people again, but no Slayer leaves a big hole for a lot of people.”
In the interview, the guitarist also hinted that his forthcoming, as-yet-unnamed solo project won’t disappoint Slayer fans. “If you know my work, you know what it’s going to sound like,” he says.
Read the full interview with Kerry King only in the new issue of Metal Hammer. Order it online now and get it delivered straight to your door.
