Slayer guitarist Kerry King sat down with Classic Rock to chat about his old band, his new band, his new solo album and the pressure of going solo. In the chat, the guitarist was asked if he competed with other bands and whether or not he is now as a solo musician. He replied by stating his only competition was with Slayer now:
“I guess it’s Slayer, because that’s my career. People always expect you to fail, no matter who you are. It’s up to me to either be consistent with or beat what I’ve done in the past.”
King’s Solo Work Is ‘Where Slayer Left Off’
Before the release of his solo album ‘From Hell I Rise,’ King said his new band picks up where Slayer left off. He noted that a lot of the material would have made the next Slayer record if the band kept going:
“If I was ever to try anything different, I guess that would be the time. But no, I really have no desire to do anything different. If I wasn’t in Slayer, I would be a Slayer fan. So yes, I think it’s an extension of Slayer, and I think a lot of people will think it might have been the next record. I guess maybe 80% of it would have been, maybe it would have been exactly what I’m putting on this one. In my eyes, I think it’s a definite extension, a follow-up to ‘Repentless’ for sure.”
The album came out on May 17. You can hear it down below.