In a new interview with Metal Hammer, Kerry King said that his personal differences with Tom Araya won’t affect the upcoming Slayer reunion shows.
The band recently surprised fans by announcing performances at three US festivals – Louder Than Life, Riot Fest, and Aftershock – their first since breaking up in 2019.
Even though King’s management insisted on avoiding Slayer discussions during press for his new solo record, he still revealed that the reunion shows hadn’t prompted him to reconnect with his bandmate.
The rocker was asked if they had ever spoken to each other since the news came out. He replied with a short answer:
“No.”
Why King And Araya Is Not In Touch
When asked about the lack of communication, King explained it wasn’t unusual for them to not be in touch. He also added there were no bad blood, and they were just different than each other:
“What’s usual? There’s no textbook for this stuff. It’s not like I’m angry with him or anything, we’re very different people, and we evolved into business partners at the end of the day. He has very different interests from me, and very different outlooks. Does that make me hate him? No. But I don’t need to talk to him every day.”
He added:
“It’s not weird. We just don’t have much in common. When it comes time to rehearse, I’ll have no problem showing up. We’re professionals, and that’s what we do.”
King Says Araya Never Tried To Communicate
In an earlier interview with Rolling Stone, the guitarist revealed Araya never tried to contact him ever since the band broke up in 2019. He added that he spoke to everyone else in the band except for Araya:
“Not even a text. Not even an e-mail. I’ve talked to everybody else from the band on the phone, text, or e-mail. If Tom hit me up, I’d probably respond. It probably depends on what he hit me up for, but I don’t wish him dead at this moment.”
Slayer will perform at Louder Than Life on the weekend of September 27th, Riot Fest on the weekend of September 20th, and Aftershock on Thursday, October 10th.