Slayer axe-man Kerry King will rock Australia later this year.
Speaking this week with Metal Injection, the guitar hero spilled the beans on plans for his self-titled solo project — a global tour that includes a lap Down Under.
“In November we have two Mexico shows, and then in December we have like a week-and-a-half in Australia,” he explains. “And I think early next year we headline the U.S. and then, ideally, we headline Europe.”
That pre-Christmas trek would plausibly see Kerry King on the bill for Good Things Festival, which has dates locked in for Melbourne (December 6th), Sydney (December 7th) and Brisbane (December 8th), plus sideshows. Good Things hasn’t announced the line-up for its 2024 edition.
King is currently working American theatres, arenas and festivals in support of the thrash-metal outfit’s debut 2024 album From Hell I Rise.
Expect the rocker to play a mix of classics with the fresh stuff.
“People want to see me play Slayer songs, and I’m going to,” he tells Metal Injection‘s Frank Godla. “For now I play stuff that I either wrote or co-wrote.”
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King formed his new band following the hiatus of Slayer, which he co-founded in 1981. The line-up on From Hell I Rise features King, Bostaph, Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda, Hellyeah bassist Kyle Sanders, and Vio-lence and ex-Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel. A sophomore album is “a ways off” on account of the rigorous live schedule, he explains.
One of metal’s Big Four, Slayer called it a day in 2019. Earlier this year, the band had the heavy music community throwing devil’s horns with confirmation of several reunion dates. The lineup of Tom Araya (bass and vocals), King and Gary Holt (guitars) with Paul Bostaph (drums) is booked for Riot Fest, Louder Than Life and Aftershock festivals, all in the United States.
“I think surprises are cool, that’s why we did it,” he says of the unexpected Slayer reunion.
Watch the full interview below.
