For the better part of 2012, we kept hearing “updates” on Slayer’s long-awaited follow up to 2009’s World Painted Blood. But by the end of the year, nothing surfaced. Hell, even the originally planned two-song EP never came to fruition. So what’s the hold up? Well during an interview with Eddie Trunk for Samson Zoom at NAMM, Kerry King blames the band itself and Rick Rubin (head of Slayer’s longtime label, American Recordings).
Watch the interview in its entirety after the jump. But when asked to give an update on Slayer’s new album, King shared the following [around the 3:05 mark]:
“We got two songs completed last year that I thought were come out before Mayhem. And since they didn’t, they’re just gonna be on the record. They’ve just gotta get mixed. We have another one that just needs vocals and leads, and then me and Dave [Lombardo, drums] are working on eight complete other ones that we haven’t demoed. We’ve just gotta go in…
The whole hold-up now, as with every record we ever do, it seems like Rick Rubin changes distributors. And we’re kind of, like, left in limbo until he lands somewhere. I mean, realistically, we’re without a deal, but we plan on staying with Rick. But he’s working out his distribution. When that gets settled, we’ll be recording. So I am very comfortable saying it will be out this year.”
Before you start sending Rubin hate-mail for delaying Slayer’s recording, King does seem confident that a new album will come out this year. Then again, he did seem confident about that two song EP last year.
Many probably would’ve assumed that Jeff Hanneman’s now infamous spider bite (which has kept him on the sidelines for about two years now) was a reason for a delay. As it turns out, though, Hanneman hasn’t been too involved with the new album as of yet. When asked if Hanneman has been a part of the new album’s song writing process [starting around the 4:20 mark], King admitted “Not yet. I have enough material to do it on my own, if need be. But I’m open; if Jeff comes to the party with some material, hell yeah, I’ve got extras.” When further pressed about whether Exodus’ Gary Holt (who has been filling in for Hanneman on the road) would play on the album, King said “No, no, no. I’ll play all the guitars. But I mean, I’ve been playing all the guitars for years anyway — except for Jeff’s leads.”
Watch King’s entire interview with Trunk after the jump, and start placing your bets on whether a new Slayer album will actually come out in 2013.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/hRsZmGYcbSo[/youtube]
