Kerry King, legendary guitarist and founding member of the iconic thrash metal band SLAYER, has made it clear: SLAYER‘s music lives on—not just in legacy, but on stage through his solo band. During a recent press conference for the upcoming Bangers Open Air 2025 festival in São Paulo, Brazil, King opened up about why SLAYER songs remain a staple in his solo setlist, even years after the band’s official farewell.
“Part of the reason I’m doing SLAYER songs in my set is because it’s part of my past, part of our legacy,” King said. “If SLAYER never comes down here again, I play these songs so people in South America, wherever I play, they can still enjoy the songs that I’ve written over the last 40 years.”
For King, continuing to perform SLAYER songs is not a matter of nostalgia—it’s a form of honoring a lifelong connection to the music and the fans. Having co-written some of the band’s most defining anthems, his decision is rooted in a personal sense of continuity and respect. “To me, it’s an extension of SLAYER because SLAYER went away. SLAYER got taken away from me as well. I planned on being SLAYER forever,” he reflected.
While King has launched a solo project to explore new musical horizons, he emphasizes that the SLAYER spirit is still very much a part of his identity. “We’re just not playing that often,” he said. “But I like to give fans a taste of what I am now, what I was then, songs they’re probably never gonna see again live.”
The guitarist also expressed a desire to connect with new generations of metalheads who never had the chance to see SLAYER live. “I wanna show people that were too young to see SLAYER the first time how cool it was,” he said. “Because I think we do the SLAYER songs justice.”
Looking ahead, King promises that his solo band will continue to expand its catalog with original material—but he’s not turning his back on his past. “Me moving forward, I’ll have more and more solo material, but I’m not ever gonna forget that I was in SLAYER,” he affirmed. “And I’ll always play some of that too.”
SLAYER shocked the metal world when they announced their reunion in early 2024, just five years after what was billed as their “final” tour. The band confirmed they would be reuniting for select live performances in 2025, including headlining appearances at major festivals such as Louder Than Life and Festival d’été de Québec.
SLAYER‘s 2025 concert dates are as follows:
July 03, 2025 – Cardiff, UK – Blackweir Fields (with AMON AMARTH, ANTHRAX, MASTODON, HATEBREED and NECKBREAKKER)
July 05, 2025 – Birmingham, UK – Villa Park
July 06, 2025 – London, UK – Finsbury Park (with AMON AMARTH, ANTHRAX, MASTODON, HATEBREED and NECKBREAKKER)
July 11, 2025 – Québec City, QC – Festival d’été de Québec
September 18, 2025 – Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life @ Highland Festival Grounds
September 20, 2025 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium (with KNOCKED LOOSE, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, POWER TRIP, CAVALERA and EXODUS)
Source: metaladdicts.com
