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Slayer singer-bassist Tom Araya is world-renowned as one of heavy metal's great frontmen, having evolved over the years from a seething, aggro headbanging maniac onstage to a charismatic father figure whose relaxed between-song banter entertainingly varies between the heartwarming and the totally bone-chilling. As much as his skills as a frontman, singer and serial-killer-obsessed lyricist are generally appreciated, his talents as a bass player tend to go overlooked. With that in mind, we asked him to pick his favorite four-stringers — find out who he spotlighted below.
Les Claypool (Primus)
"He's the first one I can think of, because he's just a tremendous bass player. I've had the privilege to see him play on Ozzfest '99. It was amazing."
Troy Sanders (Mastodon)
"I'm not too up on a lot of the modern bass players, but he's great. He's also a good bass player and singer, which is, of course, something I appreciate."
Stanley Clarke
"He's a fantastic bass player. He's someone who Rocky George from Suicidal Tendencies introduced me to."
Billy Sheehan (Mr. Big, Steve Vai)
"A really amazing bass player. He and Steve Vai playing together, man — amazing."
