Legendary Slayer guitarist Kerry King remains as excited and passionate about music as ever. Since Slayer’s farewell tour in 2019, King hasn’t stopped creating. While the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the release of his album, From Hell I Rise, King’s energy and drive are just as strong as they were over forty years ago when recording Slayer’s debut, 1983’s Show No Mercy.
King’s passion for music is something we don’t see enough of; he’s still creating, performing, and enjoying every moment. While many musicians either retire or lose their spark after decades, King’s love for what he does feels as fresh as ever. It’s this genuine excitement that makes his return to music so special.
Kerry King’s solo band has been one of the most exciting things to happen in 2024. Teaming up with Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph, Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda, Category 7 / former Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel, and former Hellyeah bassist Kyle Sanders, King has assembled a superb lineup. Together, they’ve crafted one of the strongest and most exciting records of the year. Seeing this band live is an absolute must.
With their Australian tour wrapped up, King and his band are gearing up to hit the road again in early 2025, kicking off a North American tour to start the new year. Metal Insider caught up with King to discuss the upcoming trek, his return to the stage, and much more.
How does embarking on a headlining run next year following this year’s success with Lamb of God feel?
It’s great, of course. I’ll take anything thrown our way, really. We just want to get out, show people the new material, the new band, get some response, and get everybody psyched for when we come back next time.
Do you have anything fans can expect from the set list, or are there hidden gems or surprises?
I’m just getting there, believe it or not. We take off in about 10 days to go to Australia for a handful of shows with Mastodon and some festivals. It’s going to be basically what we’re playing on that, which no one knows, and I’m not going to give out any hints because what fun is that? After the first show, it’s all over the internet anyway, right?
What was it like getting Municipal Waste and Alien Weaponry to join you guys for the upcoming tour?
Well, Alien Weaponry did some of the festivals we did in Europe last summer, so I actually knew they were on the bill before they did, and I think I told them. I don’t know if I was supposed to, but I did. So they were stoked. They’re fired up and ready to show some people in America what’s up. Municipal Waste, it’s going to be a great support act for us. They’ve been around, I don’t know how long, but I know it’s been a while, so fans already know what they’re about. So I think it’s a good package for the size of the venues we’re playing.
Yeah, it’s nice bringing the younger acts to widen the audiences. The album From Hell I Rise was released back in May. How has the response been since the release?
I haven’t heard anything bad about it, really. You know, I’m not a social media freak, as everybody in the world knows. But my band has social media, so I get to see a little bit of it. And my record company runs it, and I give them info to put on it, but I don’t want to be bogged down. It’s just not my style. But from everything I’ve heard about the record, people dig it. My friends who gave me the most sincere response all have thumbs up, party signs, and metal signs on the emojis. So I’ve only heard good things, and I, we are super proud of it.
No, it’s been probably one of the greatest surprises of this year in terms of music, and good news is what we need to hear, but it’s great to have you back.
I’m stoked to be back. It’s what I’m on this planet for, and I love doing it.
What challenges have you faced, like now with Slayer somewhat resurrecting for reunion shows, just balancing those live shows with booking your own tour?
Well, there’s only been three, and we only got to play two, and that’s never going to become anything. If there are a couple of shows here, a couple of shows there, that’s not going to get in the way of KK’s band touring. It’s just a fun thing. It’s been five years since our last tour, so I mean, believe it or not, there are already people who were too young to see Slayer who can now see Slayer. So it’s cool to put smiles on new fans’ faces and continue to put smiles on people who have been there for four decades.
So I see the goodness of Slayer doing a handful of shows, but it will never become anything. I’m never going to make another Slayer record. Slayer is never going to make another tour. So if you want to get a fix of that, you’re going to have to come see me and my guys probably because there will probably be very few and far between Slayer doing any shows.
Your band has an amazing lineup, too, so it’s people from legendary acts together in one sitting. So it’s worthwhile even for the younger audiences, too.
Oh, I love the guys in my band. It’s already family. Everybody is super established, super professional, and at the end of the day, we’re all super tight, you know? We’ve been friends for decades, except Kyle [Sanders] was the last one I met. I met Kyle in 2015, almost a decade ago.
How has it been from being friends to now working together?
It’s killer, you know? It’s definitely five dudes that, after a show, will sit in the front lounge and have a drink and play music. Mark Osegueda, all he does is play music. He’s got his little speaker with him. He plays music on the bus; he plays music in the dressing room. That’s just who that guy is. So I had to learn early on that if you want a moment of peace, go to the lounge Mark isn’t in because Mark’s jamming on something.
How has your perspective on music and touring changed since Slayer’s tour in 2019?
My perspective is very similar. The only thing that I intentionally did once the pandemic hit was drag my feet because, yeah, I’ve got 40 years in the industry, but my band’s on its first record. So, going up against bands that had bottle-necked because there were no shows at the beginning of the pandemic, I knew it didn’t make sense to go against people who had been lined up to play gigs for 18 months.
So my conscious effort was to let that get out of the way before we started worrying about booking ourselves, which means I didn’t put the record out as early as I could’ve because if you put a record out and you’re not touring on it, what’s the point? I didn’t see the point in that. So I wanted to put it out closer to when we could actually start getting gigs.
Yeah, that’s actually a very smart business move. And what’s the most significant takeaway from this new chapter in your career?
I don’t know, man. I’m very happy to be here. You know, it’s very easy to slip back in the Slayer environment and play a show here, play a show there, because that one’s like riding a bike.
This one, when I started playing with these guys, it wasn’t like riding a bike because the only familiar thing was Bostaph on drums, which is great. I like that. But being on stage, having to learn how to stay out of other people’s way that I’m not familiar with playing with, playing with a dude, an extra dude on stage, there’s five in this band, there was four in Slayer, and those little things add up, believe it or not. So, it took me probably four to six weeks before I felt comfortable.
And put in perspective on top of that, for five years, I played sitting down. I wasn’t standing up, I wasn’t rocking, I wasn’t putting on a show. I was sitting down playing guitar, so believe it or not, that was an issue, too. You got to stand up. You got to remember when to go to your stupid fucking pedals. So, just getting all that back in your head, it took a minute. It’s funny. I didn’t anticipate that.
I love how you have such an extensive history, a legendary history. And your energy remains fresh, and that is something we need today as well.
Well, that’s what keeps the music fresh, you know? If I were stagnant and old and not into society and what society offers or takes away, the music would be very different.
It’s a fresh record, probably one of the strongest of the year.
Since you said that, I usually put a record out, and within two weeks after it comes out, I never want to hear it again. In this one, I still work out to. So I still like it as much as the day it came out, which I don’t know if it’s because I wrote all of it. But Repentless, I wrote 90% of that. I like that record, but if I go to the gym, I’m putting on From Hell I Rise.
It’s a new energy that you can feel the vibe from it.
Yeah, I agree. I can’t explain it, but I hear what you’re saying.
And it’s like some performers who are ready to retire, including younger bands. It seems more bands have been calling it quits since the pandemic, or certain members have decided to leave because they’re exhausted. What have you? It’s tough. And your energy seems so rejuvenated, excited, and ready; we need that today.
Yeah. You know, I’m not tooting my own horn, but when we were gone for five years, Slayer before I came back, I definitely felt a void in metal music. There was something I provided that wasn’t necessarily there. You can like Lamb of God, I like Lamb of God, fine, but they have a different heavy, you know? I can’t really describe it any differently than that. Their heavy is different than Slayer’s heavy. And what they do is great, but what we do was just gone. So when I came back, it seems like that void got filled up a little bit.
I do agree, or I hope; I think I know what you’re saying, too, in a way, because everybody talks about what’s going to be the next Big Four bands and who’s going to fill up arenas in like 40 years from now or something like that. And we don’t know the answer to that.
Yeah, I was going to say, 40 years from now ain’t going to be me. I’d love to be part of the second Big Four, but that’s a little too far in the future.
But it’s like a lot of these like they don’t feel as strong as Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Kreator, and Testament. You guys had the era of the eras.
Well, yeah, and, you know, the original Big Four, as well as Testament and Exodus, we all created a genre that didn’t exist that stemmed from our love of Priest, Sabbath, Maiden, punk, for us, obviously. And until something else breaks off and creates something new, I don’t think there’s really going to be anything like that.
There’ll be popular bands that do their own thing, but unless a bunch of people get on the same thing that’s happening at the same time, like us, Metallica and Megadeth, we’re all West Coast, Anthrax was New York City or New York anyway, and we just all kind of came up with the same thing and ran with it.So I don’t know what that next one will be, but when that happens, that’s the next time you’ll get a chance to see anything like a future Big Four.
Yeah, it’s a big mystery that we do not know.
Sure. Plus, we were all kids. When our first record came out, Jeff and I were 19.
Yes. That’s just the craziest part, too. And the time has definitely changed since then. And hopefully, somebody will come out from their garage, and it will kick ass soon.
It’ll happen.
I love that.
And I think the pandemic made many people return to learning instruments. I don’t know this for a fact, but I would’ve if I was a kid, and I think we’re going to see that in another eight or 10 years, maybe less, maybe five or so years, but people that started to learn during the pandemic because they were stuck in the house all the time. So maybe that will bomb it out with some awesome new shit that we’ve never heard.
I hope so. I know a lot of people are drifting away from labels and just trying to record music on their own and release stuff. The digital age has its highs and many lows, but in that sense, that’s a good part for them. They have a window for that.
Yeah. And you know it’s funny. I’m so old school, and I wouldn’t know the first thing about doing any of that. I need a studio like Henson to get in there and have my producer kick my ass into shape and say, “No, play this right.” That’s the only thing I know. And moving forward, our album’s going to become obsolete. They may, but that’s the only way I know how to put out material.
That being said, in the future, will I put out four songs here, four songs there, four songs next? I don’t know. It’s whatever the people dictate; however, it becomes popular for people to obtain music. I won’t put out an album if it gets scoffed at or overlooked. If people want four songs, then I’ll put out four songs. We’ll see.
Do you have any leftover material?
Tons.
All right. So more is coming then.
Absolutely, yeah. Bob always said, and Paul and I had already demonstrated, probably 10 or 12. Musically, they’re pretty close to being ready. I haven’t done lyrics for anything yet. I’ll do that on these upcoming tours. But we’ve always said Paul and me at the end of the album cycle for record one, whenever that is; I anticipate it being the end of next summer. We’ll return to the studio and prepare to pump these out. Because none of us are kids, it’s important to stay on it and get record two out, whenever that rears its ugly head and say, “It’s time for me to get put out.” We’ll be ready.
Is there anything else you want to say or add about the upcoming tour or your overall return?
I’m stoked to be able to come out, and, yeah, it’s not a Slayer show. We’re not going to burn everything as much as I like to. That costs a lot of fucking money. And we’re not at that level yet. Hopefully, my band will get there at some point. But what you’ll get on this tour is five dudes who love what they’re doing, and you can tell that from the first note we hit. So I think it will connect with everybody, and I can’t wait to see all my friends and fans wherever the hell we’re playing.
2025 Tour Dates
North American Tour
01/15 San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
01/17 Spokane, WA @ Spokane Live Casino
01/18 Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
01/19 Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
01/20 Vancouver, BC CAN @ Commodore Ballroom
01/22 Calgary, AB CAN @ The Palace Theatre
01/23 Edmonton, AB CAN @ Midway Music Hall
01/25 Winnipeg, MB CAN @ Burton Cummings Theatre
01/26 Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore
01/28 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
01/30 Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theater
01/31 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
02/01 Toronto, ON CAN @ Danforth Music Hall
02/02 Montreal, QC CAN @ L’Olympia
02/04 Boston, MA @ Royale
02/05 Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of the Living Arts
02/07 New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
02/08 Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage
02/10 Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
02/11 St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live
02/13 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
02/14 Austin, TX @ Emo’s
02/15 Dallas, TX @ The Studio at the Factory
02/17 Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
02/18 Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater
02/19 Phoenix, AZ @ The Nile Theater
02/21 Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
02/22 Los Angeles, CA @ The Fonda Theatre
European Tour
07/29 Zoom Saal @ Frankfurt, DE &
07/30 Simm City @ Wien, AU &
08/01 Rockstadt Extreme @ Transylvania, RO &
08/04 Komplex 457 @ Zürich, CH &
08/06-09 Brutal Assault Festival @ Jaromer, CZ
08/07 FZW @ Dortmund, DE &
08/08-10 Alcatraz Festival @ Kortrijk, BE
08/12 Academy 2 @ Manchester, UK &
08/13 SWX @ Bristol, UK &
08/14-17 Motocultor Festival @ Carhaix, FR
08/17 Dynamo Festival @ Eindhoven, NL
08/19 Tauron Arena @ Krakow, PL *&
& Newly announced shows
* Supporting Gojira
