It’s still hard to believe that guitarist Jeff Hanneman passed away last week. And even though Hanneman has been absent from the road for the past two years now, many wondered what his death would mean for Slayer’s future. However, it looks as though Slayer will continue on with business (at least in regards to touring), as Kerry King and Tom Araya have issued a joint statement saying they’ll be playing Europe this summer as planned.
Addressing fans in the U.K. and Europe, King and Araya had the following to say about their summer plans:
“We know that our fans everywhere are hurting for the loss of Jeff just as we are. We want to let you all know that when we come to Europe this summer in June, July and August, we’ll ALL be making noise together for our brother and dear friend Jeff… We’ll See you then!”
It’s somewhat safe to assume that Exodus’ Gary Holt will continue to fill in on guitar for the tour. What remains unclear, though, is who will be drumming on the road with Slayer in Europe. Will Dave Lombardo finally rejoin the group, or will Slayer still opt to use a fill-in as they squabble over finances? Furthermore, it’s also unclear as to how Hanneman’s death will affect Slayer’s long-awaited new album. At the very least, though, fans in Europe can look forward to King and Araya playing Slayer songs at full volume in honor of their fallen bandmate.
