In a new interview, SLAYER‘s Kerry King reflects on a profound loss that shook the very foundation of the iconic thrash metal band. Speaking with Luiz Cesar Pimentel of Brazil’s Cucamonga, King opens up about how the untimely death of founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman in 2013 impacted his dynamic with bassist and vocalist Tom Araya.
“I think Jeff‘s passing weighed harder on Tom than it did me,” Kerry said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “And I don’t mean that from any kind of friendship perspective. It’s just my taking wasn’t as bad as Tom took it. Of course it was horrible, and no one ever wanted that to happen, but it really weighed on Tom. I think that’s what led to him wanting to retire earlier than me, because I think he felt the band was different. But then, out of nowhere, Tom decided he wanted to play some [SLAYER] shows last year, and I went, ‘Well, I never wanted to stop playing shows. So, yeah, let’s try it out.’”
“Just like it was in [the earlier years of] SLAYER, [Tom and I] don’t talk on the phone,” he continued. “We rarely text each other. And that’s just because when you’re together for 40 years — he became a very different person. He’s not the guy I started the band with. Not personally — just him; he’s a different person. I basically stayed very similar to who I’ve been in my twenties.
“And I like Tom. We’re cool. We got together [last year to rehearse for the SLAYER reunion concerts]. It wasn’t weird. We did those two shows [at Riot Fest in Chicago and Aftershock festival in Sacramento]. He was super happy. We got together after the second one, had a shot after the show. He’ll drink tequila and I love tequila, so that’s what we had. And I think the first idea to play [with SLAYER again] this year was for the [Louder Than Life festival] show we missed last year ’cause of the hurricane. So we rebooked that and [I] said, ‘If we never play another show, I wanna make that right with the promoter,’ because it wasn’t our fault. But he wanted us to play. So we’re playing there this year. And this year we get to play that BLACK SABBATH show [in early July in Birmingham, United Kingdom]. I can’t f**king wait.”
Hanneman died of liver failure on May 2, 2013, in a Southern California hospital near his home. On May 9, 2013, the official cause of death was announced as alcohol-related cirrhosis. Hanneman and his family had apparently been unaware of the extent of the condition until shortly before his death.
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
