Kerry King Sheds Light on Slayer Reunion and What It Means

2024-05-16

Kerry King of Slayer is discussing the Slayer reunion and whether it means new music or more tour dates are on the way.

Kerry King of Slayer – Author Charles Ken, Photo via Anne Erickson

When Slayer said farewell on their 2018 and 2019 tour, fans really thought this was it for the band. Fans didn’t expect a Slayer reunion. It wasn’t like when Motley Crue or Kiss said they were retiring, but pretty much everyone knew they would be back for more shows and big paydays. But, this year, Slayer announced that they’d be reuniting for a handful of music festivals this fall. It was odd timing, since Slayer guitarist Kerry King was just starting to promote his new, debut solo album, “From Hell I Rise.”

Kerry Kings Talks Slayer Reunion

Speaking with Eddie Trunk on Sirius XM’s Trunk Nation, King was asked about if the Slayer reunion had any impact, good or bad, on King trying to promote his new solo album and solo tour. He made it very clear that the Slayer shows are totally one-offs and that the reunion won’t mean a real tour or new music at any point. He also said the Slayer shows were a mixed blessing when it comes to his solo music.

“I see it both ways,” said King, as transcribed by Blabbermouth. “We’ve (Slayer) been turning down offers for the last four years. Unfortunately, when the right offer came around, this one, it was right as my project was releasing. So there’s certainly people, like my management and booking agents, who say, ‘Oh, that’s great. It’s gonna boost your solo thing.’ And I’m, like, ‘Well, I don’t know the business side of it, but it is what it is.'”

He added regarding the Slayer reunion, “And every time I talk about it to journalists and magazines and stuff, I say, ‘Listen, Slayer is not gonna make another record. Slayer is never gonna tour again.’ May Slayer do a one-off here or there? Maybe. I told my (solo) band when (the Slayer reunion shows) came up, I’m, like, ‘Listen, this is a blip on the radar to me.” He continued, “This isn’t a solo project that’s gonna recycle musicians every record cycle. You guys are with me till you don’t wanna be.'”

King continued, saying that he’s going to have his solo project be even more active in 2025 and that any additional Slayer performances after 2024 would be few and far between.

“I’m not even talking yearly,” he said of Slayer one-off shows. “I’m, like, every two years, every three years, every five years. I don’t know. ‘Cause I’m gonna be super busy with (my solo band) once 2025 rolls around.”

So, as King puts it, it’s pretty much a wash for him and his solo project. It’s not helping his solo music but it’s not hurting it, either. I tend to think it would help his solo music, since it rekindles the flame of the Slayer brand. Plus, as he mentioned, it’s not like Slayer are going to do a big tour or album release that would compete with King.

King added that he still hasn’t talked to his Slayer bandmate Tom Araya since the band played their final shows, at least for then, in 2019. “But you know what’s weird about that?” King said. “It’s not weird (laughs).”

Charles Ken
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