By KRISTOF G.
All real metalheads know Slayer, the most evil of thrash metal’s “Big Four.” Since the band’s inception in 1981, lead guitarist and songwriter Kerry King has been crafting some of the best, scariest and most memorable riffs, solos and lyrics this side of Hell, shaping an iconic sound that continues to influence many of today’s biggest metal acts.
To many, Slayer was metal’s answer to AC/DC, and nobody wanted the band to die. When they retired five years ago, King, still very much inspired to write the heaviest, most twisted songs made it clear he wasn’t ready to rest yet. A pandemic later, Slayer’s founding axeman is back in the saddle, keeping the torch ablaze with his new solo album FROM HELL I RISE.
King’s new band features drummer Paul Bostaph (Forbidden, Exodus, Testament), who has recorded five studio and three live albums with Slayer since 1992. You also have guitarist Phil Demmel (Vio-Lence, Machine Head), who subbed for Gary Holt for a few Slayer shows in 2008. To handle vocals, King picked the amazing Mark Osegueda from Death Angel. Round out this all-star line-up is bassist Kyle Sanders (Monstro, Hellyeah), who also happens to be the little brother of Troy from Mastodon.
Kerry King hooked up with RUE MORGUE for some Zoom time from his hotel room during his current North American tour to chat about horror, metal, Studio 666, going solo and performing live again.
First, we must talk a bit about Studio 666 (2022). After working with Director BJ McDonnell on Slayer’s The Repentless Killogy (2019), you got to reconnect on the set of his Foo Fighters horror comedy in which you get to play Krug, Dave Grohl’s roadie, before getting horribly killed. What was acting in a feature film like?
It was cool. Grohl and I are friends in the biz for sure, but I’m sure BJ had a giant part in getting me in that movie. We had a lot of history [together] with the three [Slayer] videos he did. It was a pain in the ass to get in makeup all those days in a row, but those guys were so good at what they did. It was just cool being able to see the transformation. I think I had three different, distinct looks. Every day, there were three different guys working on me for two hours each – so, like, six man-hours. When you’re done, it just all comes off, and you have to do it again! [Laughs]
Bill Corso and Tony Gadner’s team are amazing. And your role is hilarious, too, with Grohl just making fun of you, and everybody in the audience knowing you are actually Kerry King from Slayer – which makes this roadie role even funnier. How much was ad-libbed during the shoot?
The funny thing is, when I got there, BJ was saying, ‘Oh, you know, when you’re doing this part and saying your lines…’ And I’m like. “What fuckin’ lines?’ [Laughs] I had missed the part in the email that said I had lines … I didn’t think I had any lines at all! So, yeah, it was definitely ad-libbed!
As a horror fan, it must have been pretty thrilling for you to get killed onscreen.
It was really funny when I went to see [it in the theater] because I had no idea of where I was in the movie, and I found out all my stuff went by pretty quick right in the beginning.
Speaking of cinema, you played an Austrian Festival called Nova Rock back in June, and Keanu Reeves’s band Dogstar was also on the bill. So, I’ve heard he’s a fan of yours.
I don’t know about that, but I am of his! [Laughs] Actually, I found him backstage. My wife would’ve killed me if I didn’t go out of my way to say hello because we’re such fans of John Wick, The Devil’s Advocate and Bill & Ted – so many things he’s done we’re fans of. So I went to my tour manager and said, “Listen, I don’t want to be weird, but I’d like to say hello at some point before he splits.” So we did that.
That’s awesome. He’s one of the most fun actors in genre cinema. From The Matrix movies to Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula…
He’s all over the map.
Yeah, exactly! I even named my dog Ted because of Bill & Ted!
That’s funny!
Now, you have a new band with your old friend, Paul Bostaph, who was probably the first one on board for this new project.
He’s my security blanket in the band. Even if I didn’t make drum charts out for him, he always has a pretty good idea of what I want because he’s come up with so many things, and he knows what I’ve written. He knows what I expect. For most of 2020, I was either in Vegas or New York. I don’t think we got together [to play] before 2021, but he had all the music I made up to that point. So, when we actually got together – by the first two days – we were already playing seven songs, and by the end of that week, we nailed three more.
You have Kyle Sanders on bass. How did you meet?
I met him in 2015 on a Mayhem [tour] run. It was us, King Diamond and Hellyeah. And we hit it off. He’s a good dude, so we exchanged numbers. And then, when Hellyeah was on their last tour, I said, “Hey dude, I’m not looking to be insensitive, but I know you’re wrapping up this final tour, and I don’t even know if you’re looking to be in a band, but if you are gonna continue, I’ve got something for ya.” It was probably at the end of 2019 or in the beginning of 2020, and it took us a while to get all the pieces in line, but he was on board from day one.
Finding a new voice to sing your lyrics for this new project must have been pretty special. Was picking the right singer difficult? Did you have to audition a lot of people before finding Mark Osegueda from Death Angel?
The only one I asked was Mark. He’s the only one that played with me and Paul anytime during the demos. I’d sent the music to Phil and Kyle, but Mark was just in the Bay area. When Death Angel wasn’t touring, and even before I gave him the gig, he would come down and try out and sing the songs we had, work on the new material, trying to make the demos better. We made some very cool demos, which we may put out eventually. We’ll see. I was just really dragging my feet before giving him the gig since we weren’t rushed to record. I only gave him the gig last year in February, two months before going into the studio.
Were you looking for anything specific vocally?
The first couple of times before we rehearsed, I started to transform him immediately. I said, “Listen, dude, you have to recreate yourself … I don’t want people to think Death Angel. I want you to become what you’re gonna be from that point forward.” Then, when he started singing, I heard him sing in registers I’d never heard him sing before! I was like, “Where is this coming from, dude? What the hell are you doin’?’ And my next question was “Can you reproduce it [live]? Because I don’t want you going balls out on the first and second day and start canceling shows.” He swore he got it, and I believed him. So far so good. He’s crushing it.
Having a singer like Mark, who’s not playing an instrument and who’s roaming around the stage like a beast, must be pretty different for you.
Yeah … I’m used to having four guys in the band, and my band has five. So, in the beginning, just getting used to having an extra body on stage and figuring out what they like to do on stage, where they like to go — it was definitely a leaning curve. Before going on tour, during rehearsals and all that, I would be playing guitar sitting down or on a barstool. So, I had to learn to play guitar standing up again! I had to learn how to incorporate my pedals again. But I’m going on all cylinders now. It’s a tight-running machine right now.
After five years without performing live, including, of course, that damn pandemic that messed everybody up, I’m sure you were eager to go back on stage.
Absolutely. But I thought it would be more like riding a bike. And I had to do a lot more preparation, mentally, than I thought I was going to have to.
Touring as an opening act for Lamb of God and Mastodon, two bands that used to open for Slayer, must be a humbling experience for you. How does it feel to be on stage that early?
It’s different, you know. Because I haven’t done that in a long time. But we did do some of that in Europe. We were doing festivals, some headlines in between, outdoor, indoors with lights — which I enjoy— we were playing all kinds of times of the day. We’re on this tour because we gotta be seen by the correct people, you know? Lamb of God and Mastodon fans. Being with those guys, I know ’em so well from all the tours we’ve done with them. And for them to give me a shot after I gave – well, Mastodon more than Lamb of God – their shot. It’s very cool, you know! We treated them well the first time [around] and they’re treating me well this time.
You’ve been playing a few Slayer songs in concert. Do you do it just for the fans, or do you simply enjoy playing those songs?
People expect it. Especially when we headlined those festivals in Europe because we didn’t have enough material. I think the most we did was seven [songs], and now, we’re playing like two because we only play 40 minutes. I try to make it a good balance, picking, obviously, more from my material and some of the Slayer songs I’ve written.
On From Hell I Rise, there are a few cuts that are in full-blast hardcore mode, à la Undisputed Attitude (Slayer’s punk cover record, released in 1996). Was going that route intentional? Or did it just come out that way?
The one I did intentionally was “Two Fists.” I wanted it to sound like it was written musically and lyrically by a punk band in the ’80s – as if you found a track that was never released by The Adolescents or D.I.
And it works! Fast songs like “Rage” and “Everything I Hate About You…”
“Everything I Hate About You” just came out that way! [Laughs]
You have always been pretty prolific. You said in a recent interview you already have a dozen songs demoed, with drums and guitar, for a follow-up album.
Yeah, there is probably that many! I mean, some are from the Repentless sessions, some are from From Hell I Rise, some is stuff I’ve written since then.
There are a couple of music videos out, “Residue” and “Toxic.” Do you plan on having more horrific elements in the next one?
I know we’re planning on [doing] another video – to probably come out early next year to support whatever tour we’ll be doing at that time, but it’s just barely been spoken about.
We’ll definitely keep an eye out!
Kerry King opens for Lamb of God and Mastodon until August 31 and will be playing in a handful of Canadian dates: London, ON (July 31); Montreal, QC (August ); Calgary, AB (August 15) and Penticton, BC (August 16). Head to kerrykingofficial.com for more information.
