Kerry King Still Hasn’t Talked to Tom Araya, Says Slayer Won’t Continue “Touring and Recording”
With their first show set to take place at Riot Fest on September 22 in Chicago, the amount of time for pleasantries and planning among the members of Slayer is getting short. Yet according to an interview that ran in the latest issue of U.K.’s Metal Hammer magazine, guitarist Kerry King admitted that despite the fact that the Slayer reunion announcement set metal internet ablaze, he still hasn’t talked to bassist and vocalist Tom Araya.
And while that may seem like some “oooh, is there actually bad blood between them” kind of shit, that apparently isn’t the case at all. It just sounds like two older dudes just not calling one another because they’re business partners, not friends.
“It’s not like I’m angry with him or anything. We’re very different people, and we evolved into business partners at the end of the day. He has very different interests from me, and very different outlooks. Does that make me hate him? No. But I don’t need to talk to him every day… We just don’t have much in common. When it comes time to rehearse, I’ll have no problem showing up. We’re professionals, and that’s what we do.”
You may recall that when King revealed his solo band, outlined its debut album, and released its first single “Idle Hands” with Rolling Stone back in February, he admitted that he and Araya hadn’t spoken since the band’s final show in 2019.
“Not even a text. Not even an email.
“I’ve talked to everybody else from the band on the phone, text, or email. If Tom hit me up, I’d probably respond. It probably depends on what he hit me up for, but I don’t wish him dead at this moment.”
Still, it wasn’t long after that interview ran that it was announced that Slayer would be playing a few shows here and there this year. One would assume that would be the perfect time to reach out and chat, but that’s apparently not the case.
King also elaborated further on Slayer’s reunion intentions. After admitting that the announcement’s timing “was not my favorite thing” since it butted right up against the announcement of his solo effort, he said Slayer wouldn’t be writing new music or pull a Pantera. It’s all just limited engagements in the band’s future.
“[The Slayer reunion] is not going to translate into recording and it’s not going to translate into touring. For me, it’s three shows marking five years since our final shows, a fun, ‘Hey, remember us from before the pandemic?’ celebration.”
As of right now, Slayer’s scheduled to play Chicago’s Riot Fest on September 22, Louisville’s Louder Than Life on September 27, and Sacramento’s Aftershock Festival on October 10. You can get your tickets wherever those festivals offer them.
