SLAYER Guitarist KERRY KING Talks About Songwriting Process For New Album

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King recently spoke to Metal Edge magazine about the songwriting process for the group's long-awaited follow-up to 2001's "God Hates Us All"

"We've got twelve new songs, and we were playing before [drummer] Dave [Lombardo] went back out with FANTOMAS, minimal lyrics, but we got twelve songs that are 90 percent done. We just have to go in and record them. Then we come to find out that [American Records head honcho] Rick Rubin's deal is up again with Universal, and I will lay million-to-one odds he ain't there in two months. So for us to put out a record doesn't make sense right now, because if we put it out on Universal, they would have it for two months and they wouldn't promote it. Then, whichever company would pick it up wouldn't promote it, because it would have been out for two months, so it's just as well. But there might be another DVD with Dave on it, we are talking about that right now."

With regards to whether Dave had a say in the new material, Kerry said, "I mean, when [guitarist] Jeff [Hannemann] brings stuff in, they are on a drum machine, but I still record my riffs the way I did twenty years ago — I just put them on that same jam box, with a Radio Shack mic, because I am too lazy to get into the digital eight-track, and the drum machine. I know it's fun, I know it's easy, but I would rather take a tape down and say, 'Dave, here you go.' He is like, 'Really, I got an idea for that there.' I am like, 'Show me what you got.' I will turn him loose on it, because he might think of something I never did — he is the drummer. If it is just not floating, I will say, 'Well, this is what I had in mind, try this.' One or the other is going to be pretty kick-ass."

Asked what the major difference is between and Dave and former drummer Paul Bostaph's drumming styles, Kerry replied, "Dave definitely brings something else to the puzzle — the way he plays is more rootsy and organic, and he is the guy that could just get up in the morning and play anything. He doesn't have to work at it, ho don't got to practice, he is a natural. So he brings things to the table that are so rudimentary, btu so cool. You would never think of them because they are so simple. He will bring something up like, 'Why don't we do this?' I will be like, 'Damn, never thought of that…' He is more punky than Bostaph as well. Dave is big-time into the old Southern Cal punk, like all of us are, so it's just a different vibe. I mean, it was good, and 'God Hates Us All', with Bostaph, is probably Bostaph's crowning achievement. The next one, I think, is going to be like 'God Hates Us All', with a twist of 'Seasons [In the Abyss]' mixed in it, because Dave brings something else to the table. It is going to take awhile."