Following Slayer's grand farewell tour, drummer Paul Bostaph revealed in 2020 that he and guitarist Kerry King were making new music together, and King would like to assure you that the material is well on its way.
Asked about the new music in conversation with Metal Hammer, King echoed Bostaph's comments from 2020 about how it will "sound like Slayer without it being Slayer."
"You know me, so you know what it's going to sound like," King shared. "I played this new song for a buddy, and I said to him, 'If there's anything I've written in the last few years that sounds like Slayer, it's this.' And he said, 'That sounds like you could have pulled it off of any Slayer record.'"
King also confirmed that the pandemic interrupted their plans for an album rollout and tour for the project, and revealed to Metal Hammer that he and Bostaph began rehearsing material at the end of March — the first time they had been in a room together since Slayer's final shows in 2019.
"Had it have been up to me then I'd have been out in 2020," King shared. "But that thing called the pandemic fucked everything up for everyone. You know, I waited on that, because it had to run its course. I didn't want to be the guinea pig, I didn't want to learn how to tour again. I already did my dues; I don't want to have to prove myself again.
He added: "Have I been dragging my feet? Yeah, because I wanted this [pandemic] shit to get sorted. I won't be dragging my feet much longer."
King remained mum on who else would be joining him and Bostaph in the new band, though it was previously rumoured that their Slayer bandmate Gary Holt and former Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo would be involved. Recent news of Pantera's 2023 reunion, however, may put rumblings of Anselmo's participation to rest.
You can read King's complete interview with Metal Hammer here.
Asked about the new music in conversation with Metal Hammer, King echoed Bostaph's comments from 2020 about how it will "sound like Slayer without it being Slayer."
"You know me, so you know what it's going to sound like," King shared. "I played this new song for a buddy, and I said to him, 'If there's anything I've written in the last few years that sounds like Slayer, it's this.' And he said, 'That sounds like you could have pulled it off of any Slayer record.'"
King also confirmed that the pandemic interrupted their plans for an album rollout and tour for the project, and revealed to Metal Hammer that he and Bostaph began rehearsing material at the end of March — the first time they had been in a room together since Slayer's final shows in 2019.
"Had it have been up to me then I'd have been out in 2020," King shared. "But that thing called the pandemic fucked everything up for everyone. You know, I waited on that, because it had to run its course. I didn't want to be the guinea pig, I didn't want to learn how to tour again. I already did my dues; I don't want to have to prove myself again.
He added: "Have I been dragging my feet? Yeah, because I wanted this [pandemic] shit to get sorted. I won't be dragging my feet much longer."
King remained mum on who else would be joining him and Bostaph in the new band, though it was previously rumoured that their Slayer bandmate Gary Holt and former Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo would be involved. Recent news of Pantera's 2023 reunion, however, may put rumblings of Anselmo's participation to rest.
You can read King's complete interview with Metal Hammer here.
