“We’re never gonna tour again”: Kerry King is adamant that Slayer is done
Considering Slayer performed at both Riot Fest and Aftershock Festival this year, it seems their 2018 Farewell Tour wasn’t exactly a final goodbye. In fact, the thrash metal legends are still set to headline 2025’s Louder Than Life festival, so we’ve still got some time with the gang before they call it a day once again.
However, Kerry King is insisting that 2025 will definitely be Slayer’s final run. Speaking to Metal Roos, the guitarist denies any rumours that Slayer will stick around. “We’re never gonna tour again,” he says [as transcribed by Blabbermouth.] “We’re never gonna make a record again.”
READ MORE: “I’m not looking to play it live any time soon!”: The Slayer song even Kerry King is scared of
Of course, fans may feel dubious about King’s words. After all, Slayer did return just five years on from their Farewell Tour. For those in denial, he repeats himself even more firmly: “Mark my word: we’re never gonna make a record again, we’re never gonna tour again.”
In his mind, the series of shows was a one-time celebration. “We said [back in 2018], ‘This is our final tour,’” he recalls. “It took five years for us to come and say, ‘Hey, here’s a couple of shows, five-year anniversary. [The shows have been] really cool, A lot of fans are into it. There’s gonna be haters who say, ‘Oh, they retired.’ Yeah. Whatever. This is all about celebration.”
While the reunion shows have been great for the old die-hards, King is also happy that newer fans have had a chance to see Slayer perform live. “Say a kid was 10 years old when we retired,” he says. “Now he’s 15, 16. [It’s his] first opportunity to see us. I think that’s important.”
Going into the shows, King didn’t expect to take much from them himself. “[I thought] ‘this is gonna be really cool for the fans, and it’ll be good to see the guys,’” he remembers. “That’s about all I gave it. But then we actually played the show and a handful more shows, and I said, ‘You know what? This is really cool for me!’ I didn’t expect that.”
“I hit the stage and I got goosebumps,” he adds. “[I thought] ‘this is way bigger than I ever gave it credit for’… It was, way overwhelming.”
While Slayer will always hold a place in King’s heart, his new solo work is his priority nowadays. His debut solo record, From Hell I Rise, was met with acclaim, and saw King touring across the globe.
Unfortunately, the Slayer reunion was announced just weeks after his solo work was first unveiled. “The festivals Slayer agreed to play… they wanted to announce [it],” he recalls. “So, the timing wasn’t in my favour, but everything went [as it did].”
Thankfully, the news didn’t dampen King’s spirit. “Here we are in Australia [with my new band] kicking ass!” he says.
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
