After SLAYER’s retirement in 2019, fans were eager to see what Kerry King would do next. The iconic guitarist hinted at a new project, and in 2024, he finally unveiled his debut solo album From Hell I Rise and a brand-new band. But while SLAYER‘s legacy looms large in his career, King opted not to bring along his longtime collaborator, Gary Holt, for the ride.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone Brasil, King explained why he made that decision—and why he chose a different guitarist to join the fold.
King’s solo band features an all-star lineup, including vocalist MARK OSEGUEDA (DEATH ANGEL), bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH), guitarist Phil Demmel (VIO-LENCE, ex-MACHINE HEAD), and his old SLAYER bandmate Paul Bostaph on drums. While fans might have expected King to recruit Holt, his longtime SLAYER bandmate, King revealed that there was a deliberate reason for his decision.
In discussing his partnership with Bostaph, King revealed the dynamics that made their collaboration so effective. He explained that, over the years, he and Bostaph had developed a natural working rhythm when it came to crafting SLAYER’s music, often communicating in a shorthand of “made-up music terms” that only they understood. The ease of their collaboration played a large role in why Bostaph was the perfect fit for King’s solo project.
“I knew that we had great respect and rapport,” King said. “He understands what I’m saying when I don’t necessarily talk English; I’ll talk like made-up music terms that he and I know. I’ll just be like, ‘Play that, play that,’ and he’ll just play it. We can get a demo in five minutes, and he’s a fantastic drummer.”
But when it came to choosing a guitarist, King made a conscious decision to avoid bringing too many elements from SLAYER into the fold. Although King and Holt had a long-standing friendship and musical connection, King worried that including Holt in his new band would give critics more ammunition to attack him for relying too heavily on his SLAYER past.
“Gary’s my friend, I brought it up to Holt,” King admitted. “But, as time went by, and I had time to think about it, I thought the more pieces I had from the SLAYER puzzle, it would give people more ammunition to talk s**t about me.”
Instead, King chose Phil Demmel, whose work with VIO-LENCE and MACHINE HEAD aligned well with the sonic direction he wanted to pursue. King emphasized that while he and Holt had a great history together, he wanted his solo band to stand on its own without being seen as just an extension of SLAYER.
Source: metaladdicts.com
