Kerry King Says Post-Slayer Band "Will Be Fucking Good" | Revolver

Kerry King Says Post-Slayer Band "Will Be Fucking Good"

Thrash pioneer revealed that he intended to start touring with a new band in 2020
Kerry King Getty Live 2012, Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic
photograph by Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

Shop for classic Slayer vinyl, CD's, merch, action figures and much more over in our shop.

Earlier this week, Kerry King was congratulating Machine Head on their 30-year career milestone when he let slip that he thought Slayer "quit too early." The 57-year-old guitarist was reflecting on his old band's 2019 breakup after a 38-year run, and he made it seem like he had regrets about bringing Slayer to a close. 

"Fuck us, I know," he said in what felt like a response to fans who wished the thrash pioneers kept going. "Fuck me. I hate fucking not playing." 

Now, King has offered additional comments about his post-Slayer plans. In a new interview with Metal Hammer, the axeman revealed that after Slayer played their final show on November 30th, 2019, he intended to be back on the road with a brand new project in 2020. 

"I had picks that I threw out at those shows — 'The Final Campaign' — at the end of the show," he said. "And in every city, I threw out two that said, 'Reborn in 2020,' because that was my plan — I planned on touring in 2020. Then the pandemic came up and we were into 2021, because I want everybody to get the bumps out of the road before I go out."

"Here we are at the end of 2021 and I'm looking at the end of 2022 now," he continued. "And we'll see what happens next year because it's evolving. I don't want to go out and feel stuff out, I want to go out and have a good time. I'm not being selfish, I don't mean it like that. I mean that whatever the new rules are, I want them to be smooth before I go out."

As for what this new project of his will entail, King is still playing mum on that front. "I'm dragging my feet on letting the world know what I'm doing because there's no rush," he said. "I have a tour that I'm considering doing, but I'm not going to announce a band, I'm not going to announce a record, I'm not going to announce anything."

"But you will see me in the future — it will be fucking good." 

In August 2020, Slayer guitarist Paul Bostaph confirmed that he and King are working on music together for a new band. As Blabbermouth points out, Bostaph told Australia's Riff Crew that the project will "sound like Slayer without it being Slayer— but not intentionally so."

"I mean, Kerry's been writing songs in Slayer his entire career, and he has a style," he explained. "And that style, as a songwriter, you just don't change your style because your band is done...So, all I can say is if you like heavy music and you like Slayer, you'll like this."