GARY HOLT Says He Is ‘Not Concerned’ With KERRY KING’s New Band: ‘I am Too Busy’

Gary Holt has confirmed that he’s not concerned within the new mission led by SLAYER‘s founding guitarist Kerry King.

The EXODUS chief, who spent nearly 9 years touring with SLAYER, responded to a query about Kerry‘s new band throughout a pre-show meet-and-greet at EXODUS‘s November 17 live performance at Membership L.A. in Destin, Florida.

Chatting with MJ Tibbedeaux on the occasion, Gary reportedly stated: “I am not concerned. I have never heard something written. I have never heard something recorded. I am not a part of it. I am too busy.”

Holt started filling in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman at dwell reveals in 2011, and have become the band’s full-time co-guitarist as of 2013, whereas remaining a member of EXODUS. Holt performed on SLAYER‘s ultimate album, “Repentless”, which got here out in 2015.

Greater than three years in the past, SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph revealed that he’s concerned in Kerry‘s new mission. Paul advised Australia’s Riff Crew that the brand new band will “sound like SLAYER with out it being SLAYER — however not deliberately so. I imply, Kerry‘s been writing songs in SLAYER his total profession, and he has a mode,” he defined. “And that model, as a songwriter, you simply do not change your model as a result of your band is finished… So, all I can say is should you like heavy music and you want SLAYER, you may like this.”

Kerry‘s new band, known as merely KERRY KING, has introduced one present up to now: Might 9, 2024 on the Welcome To Rockville pageant at Daytona Worldwide Speedway in Daytona Seashore, Florida.

Lower than a yr in the past, Kerry stated that he was offended over the prospect of SLAYER calling it quits when the topic was first broached. Requested in an interview with Metal Hammer journal for his response when the dialog to finish the band arose, the now-59-year-old guitarist stated: “Anger… what else? It was untimely. The rationale I say ‘untimely’ is as a result of my heroes from my childhood are nonetheless enjoying! I can nonetheless play, I nonetheless wish to play, however that livelihood received taken away from me.

“However, anyway, on to the following chapter, I assume,” he continued. “We have been on high of the world, and there is nothing improper with going out on high of the world, it is a great way to exit. So, bravo for that. However do I miss enjoying? Yeah, completely.”

In the identical interview, King additionally hinted that SLAYER followers will likely be pleased with the musical path of his yet-to-be-announced new band. “If you already know my work, you already know what it’s going to sound like.”

Again in October 2021, Holt advised Steel Hammer that he agreed SLAYER retired too quickly. “We have been nonetheless enjoying on the high of our sport, we have been completely killing it,” he stated. “The band had a variety of years left in it, however I assume when it is time, it is time. If you determine to stroll away from one thing, stroll away. I can not inform anyone they made the improper resolution. Higher to exit on high than exit unable to play your personal songs, and this shit is not straightforward. Enjoying ‘Angel Of Loss of life’ at 70 years outdated could be fucking exhausting. However it was time for me to come back again, let’s put it that method. I used to be actually lacking my first household.”

Two years after he revealed that he had greater than two information’ price of music written for his new band, King acknowledged concerning the new materials’s path: ” me, so you already know what it may sound like. I performed this new track for a buddy, and I stated to him, ‘If there’s something I’ve written in the previous couple of years that seems like SLAYER, it is this.’ And he stated, ‘That seems like you possibly can have pulled it off of any SLAYER report.’ I truly made that riff up backstage at a SLAYER present. We have been strolling to the stage and I received my cellphone out and recorded it so I would not overlook it.”

King went on to say that he expects his new band to start out out by enjoying “a lot smaller” venues than SLAYER did on the finish of its four-decade run.

“Had it have been as much as me then I would have been out in 2020,” he stated. “However that factor known as the pandemic fucked all the things up for everybody. , I waited on that, as a result of it needed to run its course. I did not wish to be the guinea pig; I did not wish to learn to tour once more. I already did my dues; I do not wish to must show myself once more.

“Have I been dragging my toes? Yeah, as a result of I needed this [pandemic] shit to get sorted. I will not be dragging my toes for much longer.”

Sooner or later after SLAYER performed the ultimate present of its farewell tour, Kerry‘s spouse Ayesha King stated that there’s “not an opportunity in hell” that the thrash steel icons will reunite for extra dwell appearances. In August 2020, she as soon as once more shot down the potential of her husband and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya sharing the stage ever once more beneath the SLAYER banner.

After Ayesha shared three pictures of Kerry holding their cat in slideshow-type Instagram publish, a fan wrote: “No Tom, No SLAYER Kerry. Cease pondering SLAYER with out @tomarayaofficial”. Ayesha then replied: “don’t be concerned, they’re going to by no means be SLAYER once more! You possibly can relaxation straightforward”.

Only a few days earlier, Kerry advised Dean Guitars that he had loads of musical concepts for his upcoming mission. “I have been very, very fortunate with riffs in 2020,” he stated. “Possibly as a result of I can not go wherever — I do not know — however riffs have definitely not been an issue. And searching ahead into the long run, what meaning for me is I am gonna be capable to cherrypick one of the best stuff. And it is good things. I’ve received greater than two information’ price of music, however to have the ability to undergo that and cherrypick one of the best 11 or 12 [songs]… That first report ought to be smoking.”

When SLAYER first introduced that it was embarking on its ultimate tour again in January 2018, Ayesha assured followers that they might “at all times get music” from her husband.

King has stated in earlier interviews that his post-SLAYER musical efforts wouldn’t be a lot totally different from the sound followers have grown accustomed to listening to from him.

“If somebody give up, I am not going to go round with a made-up SLAYER,” he advised AZCentral.com again in 2010. “However my subsequent band would sound like SLAYER, that is all I do know.”

SLAYER‘s ultimate world tour started on Might 10, 2018 with the band’s intention to play as many locations as attainable, to make it straightforward for the followers to see one final SLAYER present and say goodbye. By the point the 18-month trek wrapped on the Discussion board, the band had accomplished seven tour legs plus a sequence of one-off main summer time festivals, performing greater than 140 reveals in 30 international locations and 40 U.S. states.

Picture credit score: STL Tones