While a Kerry King solo album has been in discussion since Slayer wrapped up their career in 2019, it looks as though that record is coming a little closer to fruition. In addition, the longtime Slayer guitarist has revealed one of the members of the band that he's put together to record the album.
Making sure not to give away the whole surprise of who he's been playing with, the guitarist did confirm that he's grabbed drummer Paul Bostaph for the record. Bostaph, of course, served multiple stints in Slayer with King.
The guitarist told Metal Hammer, “We just started rehearsing and the only person I can give away is Paul because I took him from Slayer and we work very well together. We didn’t start rehearsing until the end of March, and that was the first time since that last Slayer show at the end of 2019 that me and Paul finally got into a room together.”
When questioned about the new material, King offered, “You know me, so you know what it’s going to sound like. I played this new song for a buddy, and I said to him, ‘If there’s anything I’ve written in the last few years that sounds like Slayer, it’s this.’ And he said, ‘That sounds like you could have pulled it off of any Slayer record.' I actually made that riff up backstage at a Slayer show. We were walking to the stage and I got my phone out and recorded it so I wouldn’t forget it."
King admits that there has been a slow build to his recording and a return to touring, stating, “Had it have been up to me then I’d have been out in 2020. But that thing called the pandemic fucked everything up for everyone. You know, I waited on that, because it had to run its course. I didn’t want to be the guinea pig, I didn’t want to learn how to tour again. I already did my dues; I don’t want to have to prove myself again."
That said, King adds, "I won’t be dragging my feet much longer."
So what will a Kerry King solo show look like? The guitarist admits it won't be as large of a scale as what Slayer used to do, expecting smaller sized venues unless the album catches fire. And speaking of fire, King says, “If I could keep anything from Slayer['s production], it’s the fire. That’s the one thing that’s moved with me.”
Last fall, King shared his thoughts that he felt Slayer retired too early and were still at the top of their game when they bid fans farewell in 2019. Also last fall, the guitarist revealed that he was weighing a tour offer, but insisted it was not one to bring Slayer out of retirement. However, it now appears that his own solo record and touring is at the forefront of his thinking. In August of 2020, the guitarist suggested he had "more than two records" worth of solo music to sort through. So stay tuned as King, Bostaph and the rest of his band work toward what will be his debut solo album.
