Exodus guitarist Gary Holt says he’s ready to write material from Slayer whenever Kerry King wants him to.
Holt has been pulling double duties since the late Jeff Hanneman was sidelined by illness in 2011. And although he’s recorded some solos for Slayer’s 11th album – out this year – he didn’t contribute any songs.
King said in 2013 that asking him to write would be like “throwing somebody to the wolves.”
Now Holt tells Fuse: “Kerry wrote the whole album. I just play guitar. In the future, if we get to another album and Kerry asks me to contribute, I’ve got no shortage of riffs.”
He describes life on the road with Slayer as “easy,” adding: “In Exodus I do most of the heavy lifting. In Slayer, I just show up, have a couple of drinks, play the set then relax.
“It’s refreshing not to do all the other stuff – I don’t have to do the press and all that. I show up, go straight into my dressing room, play the show, get off and relax.”
And the only real problem he has is finding the time to play with Slayer, run Exodus and fulfil his family role.
“It’s hard,” he admits. “There are times when Exodus has to get someone to fill in for me. I can’t do it 12 months straight. I have a wife and children at home.
“I have to try and balance the three, family and two bands. It can be problematic – but there are worse problems to have.”
Slayer frontman Tom Araya last week admitted he still found it “odd and strange” to be working without Hanneman, who died in 2013. Exodus launched 10th album Blood In, Blood Out in October and Holt last month described the two bands’ approaches to recording as “night and day.”