Slayer guitarist Kerry King and vocalist and bassist Tom Araya have not had the closest relationship for the reason that finish of Slayer in 2019. King mentioned in a 2024 interview that he hardly spoke to Araya, noting “If Tom hit me up, I would most likely reply. It most likely will depend on what he hit me up for, however I do not want him lifeless at this second.”
So it was just a little surprising that mere months after King made that remark, Slayer introduced some reunion reveals. So what offers? What’s King and Araya‘s relationship nowadays? In keeping with King in an interview with Cucamonga, loads of the duo’s disconnect needed to do with the dying of Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman.
“I feel Jeff‘s passing weighed tougher on Tom than it did me. And I do not imply that from any sort of friendship perspective. It is simply my taking wasn’t as dangerous as Tom took it. In fact it was horrible, and nobody ever needed that to occur, but it surely actually weighed on Tom. I feel that is what led to him eager to retire sooner than me, as a result of I feel he felt the band was totally different. However then, out of nowhere, Tom determined he needed to play some [Slayer] reveals final yr, and I went, ‘Properly, I by no means needed to cease enjoying reveals. So, yeah, let’s strive it out.'”
King continued: “Identical to it was in [the earlier years of] Slayer, [Tom and I] do not discuss on the telephone. We not often textual content one another. And that is simply because once you’re collectively for 40 years — he grew to become a really totally different particular person. He is not the man I began the band with. Not personally — simply him; he is a special particular person.
“I mainly stayed similar to who I have been in my twenties. And I like Tom. We’re cool. We received collectively [last year to rehearse for the Slayer reunion concerts]. It wasn’t bizarre. We did these two reveals. He was tremendous blissful.
“We received collectively after the second, had a shot after the present. He’ll drink tequila and I like tequila, so that is what we had. And I feel the primary concept to play [with Slayer again] this yr was for the [Louder Than Life festival] present we missed final yr ‘reason behind the hurricane. So we rebooked that and [I] mentioned, ‘If we by no means play one other present, I wanna make that proper with the promoter,’ as a result of it wasn’t our fault. However he needed us to play. So we’re enjoying there this yr. And this yr we get to play that Black Sabbath present. I am unable to fucking wait.”
Slayer‘s 2025 reveals up to now are actually:
7/3 Cardiff, UK Blackweir Fields (+ Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon, Hatebreed & Neckbreakker)
7/5 Birmingham, UK Villa Park
7/6 London, UK Finsbury Park (+ Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon, Hatebreed & Neckbreakker)
7/11 Québec Metropolis, QC Competition d’été de Québec
9/18 Louisville, KY Louder Than Life @ Highland Competition Grounds
9/20 Hershey, PA Hersheypark Stadium (+ Knocked Free, Suicidal Tendencies, Energy Journey, Cavalera & Exodus)
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