KERRY KING On Performing With His Solo Band: 'The Excitement Is Every Bit Like When SLAYER Came Out'

In a new interview with Australia's Heavy, Kerry King was asked if there is a different vibe when he is playing shows with his solo band compared to when he is performing with SLAYER. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's definitely a difference. It's kind of got the feeling of when we started SLAYER, kind of, except I have a whole career in my wake. The excitement is every bit like when SLAYER came out — we're all super excited to be playing together; me and Mark [Osegueda, singer of Kerry's solo band] hang out every day off. So it's just getting used to your new friends, really. The music's business as usual. It's a lot of fun. The turnouts have been great. The response has been great. So, we're just digging it."

Referencing the fact that his solo shows see him supporting other artists, which is something SLAYER hasn't done much of in recent decades, King said: "In a nutshell, it's just coming in with a mindset that I'm not in charge, 'cause with SLAYER I'm always in charge. So I've been in charge for the last at least 25 years when we started headlining and just continued to headline. But I never had a big attitude anyway. So it's, again, business as usual, but I don't come in expecting everything to be, platinum, so to speak. If things aren't exactly right, I'm, like, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. We're here to play. And then once we do that, we'll have some drinks and get the hell out."

Kerry's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", came out in May via Reigning Phoenix Music. All material for the LP was written by the 60-year-old SLAYER guitarist, who was accompanied during the recording sessions by the rest of his solo band, consisting of drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH),guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD) and Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) on vocals. Helming the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles last year was producer Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BAD RELIGION, among others.

Asked in a recent interview with Brian Slagel, CEO of Metal Blade Records, for the recently launched "100 Songs That Define Heavy Metal" podcast, what the response from the fans has been like so far to "From Hell I Rise", Kerry said: "Killer, man. It feels to me like it's been out two years, but it's only been out six months. So it's odd for me when we go play because it seems to me like it's been out for so long, but kids are still getting used to it. Every show, more and more kids are singing it back at Mark and us, which is super cool. It means they're getting it and liking it."

Regarding how much of "From Hell I Rise" was written during the pandemic, Kerry said: "A lot. I was playing by myself for a long time before me and Paul felt comfortable enough to get together, travel. Me coming from the East Coast now, we still play in Southern Cal[ifornia]. So I've played a lot on my own. SLAYER's last tour was the end of November of '19, so by the end of the Super Bowl in 2020, I was full force working on new material, new ideas. And I did that for quite a while. I don't think Paul and I got together until 2021 to start working on this stuff. But at that point there was leftover stuff from [SLAYER's final album] 'Repentless'. Now there's leftover stuff from 'From Hell I Rise' for the next record and plus all I've written since then. But yeah, during COVID, Paul and I both came down with it and I think it was June of '21 and I was stuck in California at the hotel I stay in for rehearsals because I certainly wasn't gonna fly home and give it to my wife. But fortunately, mine lasted like three days. It was, like, it jumped in my body, got scared and jumped the fuck out. Paul had it off and on for the better part of a month. So it took us a while to get back to it. But that being said, I remember when I was in that hotel room stuck for a few days, I finished the last two lyrical songs I needed and then we were good to go."

SLAYER played two reunion shows earlier this fall — on September 22 at the Riot Fest in Chicago, Illinois and on October 10 at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.

At Riot Fest and Aftershock, SLAYER ran through a 20-song set that included opener "South Of Heaven", "Seasons In The Abyss", "Angel Of Death", "Hell Awaits", "Raining Blood" and the title track of SLAYER's final album, "Repentless".

SLAYER was also scheduled to play at the Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky on September 27, but that performance was canceled due to severe weather.

The lineup for SLAYER's comeback was the same as the one which last toured in 2019: King and Bostaph, along with bassist/vocalist Tom Araya and guitarist Gary Holt.