Kerry King had been eager to create a new Slayer album, but comments from Tom Araya dampened his enthusiasm.
In a recent interview with Revolver, King recounted how his solo career began:
“I was all set to work on another Slayer record until I heard Tom [Araya] in an interview, saying he needed to talk to me before starting on a new album. That conversation revealed that he had no intention of making another record.”
King Decided To Move On
King described his reaction to Araya’s revelation:
“I was hurt initially. Then, I realized I had a lot of work ahead of me. I focused on delivering my best performance every night during the final tour and started preparing to move on. Those songs I’d written for Slayer? They became mine.”
What Did Araya Say About a New Slayer Album?
In a 2017 interview with Futuro, Araya expressed uncertainty about another album, saying:
“I don’t know. When we recorded the last album, we had a lot of material. Once we finish our current commitments, we’ll need to discuss and decide. Kerry and I are still dealing with the business side of things, especially after Jeff’s passing. We’ll see how things go and if a new album happens.”
King Was Eager to Work on a New Record
King had shown optimism about a new record in previous interviews. Discussing a follow-up to ‘Repentless,’ he said:
“We’ve got plenty of leftover material from the last album, as we wrote and recorded a lot. If the lyrics don’t alter the music, those songs are ready. Plus, I’ve been working on new stuff during my downtime. I’ll warm up, come up with a riff, and record it.”
King used this material for his debut solo album, ‘From Hell I Rise.’ In February, King revealed that he hadn’t spoken to Araya since Slayer’s final show in 2019. Nearly five years later, Slayer will reunite for three festival appearances this fall, but there are no plans for a full return.
