TOM ARAYA: 'At My Age, I'm Not Too Old To Listen To SLAYER'

Chad Painter of The Other Paper recently conducted an interview with SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

On being insprired to write "Eyes of the Insane", a song about an American soldier stationed in Iraq who kills himself following a nervous breakdown, after reading an article about the soldier in Texas Monthly:

"It disturbed me. It was something that was obviously on my mind. That night, I woke up in the middle of the night and started writing that song. When we got together the next day, I had to say something.

"When there's a subject like that that captures my heart, I really need to tell people. And I have a right to tell people. The song tells you everything. If you want, you can research it and get involved. Mental cases in the military are swept under the rug. War is not pretty, and soldiers can go psychotic. A lot of soldiers commit suicide — either before they get home or as soon as they get home. They knew he was having problems, and they left him alone for four or five days, which was long enough to kill himself. It's just so wrong. I felt strongly about it, and I wrote about it. You make your own opinion."

On the band's longevity:

"There was a point when we didn't release an album in three years. That's enough time for new kids to grow up and discover the band. We've given the scene a few years to gain an audience."

On whether metal is something you grow out of when you get older:

"At my age, I'm not too old to listen to SLAYER. People half my age are calling themselves old men already. Music is music. It doesn't matter how old you are, you should be able to appreciate it. You don't need to head-bang or mosh, but you can enjoy metal without doing that. It's all in your head."