The first album from Kerry King's new solo project is complete and expected to come out sometime this year. The guitarist hasn't disclosed any of the other musicians he's working with, but said fans shouldn't expect a radical departure from his work with Slayer.
"I think it’s an extension of Slayer, and I think a lot of people will think it might have been the next record," King told Metal Hammer
'Pretty much any aspect of any kind of music we’ve done in our history, I think you’ll find on this record,' the guitarist said of the group's upcoming LP.
"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 [Slayer’s 2015 final album] Repentless for sure."
The guitarist also hinted at what the new LP will sound like.
"There’s definitely some fast stuff on it," he said. "It’s not the fastest thing I’ve ever done, but I’ve done some pretty fast stuff. There’s definitely some Herculean speeds getting achieved on this, but there’s heavy stuff. There’s punky stuff. There’s doomy stuff. Pretty much any aspect of any kind of music we’ve done in our history, I think you’ll find on this record."
King said the slowest track on the LP is similar to "When The Stillness Comes" from Repentless.
"That one came out really cool and spooky," he said. "And then there was one where my entire intention was to write something like the Scorpions’ Animal Magnetism crossed with the ‘chug’ of Hell Awaits. That one came together pretty early. I like that song a lot. I mean, I like all of them a lot, but that one, that one’s got a different vibe for sure."
The guitarist added that the musicians he's working with will play live with him, as well.
"It’s my intention that everybody that’s on the record is going to be in the band, hopefully for its entirety," King said.
Slayer disbanded in November 2019 following a global farewell tour.
He already has two performances scheduled, one on May 9 at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach and another on May 16 at the Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival in Columbus, Ohio.
King hasn't spoken publicly about the identity of his fellow band members, but back in 2020 former Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph admitted that he was part of the project in an interview with Riff Crew.
"It's gonna sound like Slayer, without it being Slayer," the drummer said. "Kerry writes what he writes. Is this gonna be a rock and roll record? No. Is it gonna be what you want it to be? Yes. Is it gonna be what you expect it to be? Yes… Kerry's been writing songs in Slayer his entire career, and he has a style. And that style, as a songwriter, you just don't change your style because your band is done."
King was upset about the move because he wasn't ready to retire.
King helped create Slayer in 1981. The original lineup also included guitarist Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and vocalist and bassist Tom Araya.
The band had plans for a thirteen studio album, but they were eventually scrapped. Slayer disbanded for good following a farewell tour that ended in November 2019. King was upset about the move because he wasn't ready to retire.
