Kerry King sat down with Metal Hammer for an interview and explained how he proved that Slayer was able to continue without their late guitarist Jeff Hanneman. During the chat, the rocker mentioned the fan comments saying Slayer can’t go on without the late guitarist. King explained how they continued their career:
“Did I feel like I had something to prove? I think I felt that more on the last Slayer album because it was the first album without Jeff. I think I had a chip on my shoulder because I knew people were saying, ‘Ah, Hanneman isn’t there, it’s not going to be that good.’ But then ‘Repentless’ came out and they were like, ‘Huh, King can do it on his own.’”
Hanneman ‘Would Have Kept Slayer Together’
The guitarist went on hiatus due to health problems in 2011. In the same year, he returned to the stage to play two songs with Slayer in California, not knowing it would be his last performance with the band.
Years later, Slayer called it quits in 2019. Earlier this year, the band surprised everyone by announcing shows at three festivals in the US this summer – Louder Than Life, Riot Fest, and Aftershock.
In another interview with Total Guitar, King reflected on what Hanneman’s position might have been if he hadn’t passed away in 2013. He said:
“If Jeff was still here, would there be another Slayer record? Who knows? I mean, Jeff weighed on Tom [Araya] a lot and I think Jeff not being around had a lot to do with Tom leaving Slayer. But, you know, if that f*cking dumbass Jeff was still here, he’d be wanting us to play. I know he would. And if I played ‘[From Hell I Rise’] for Jeff, he would f*ckin’ love it.”
Apparently, how he tries to keep Slayer together is the only way he knows how to do:
“I want Slayer to exist, so this is the only way I know how to do that. To me, it would be weird to do anything else.”
You can listen to ‘Repentless,’ the band’s first album without Hanneman, below.