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From page 11 of Classic Rock Magazine December 2009
Cover of December 2009 issue.
Slayer
Their profile might be higher than ever now, but they've still got time for the fans if not the internet.
THE LAST THREE years have been rewarding for Slayer. Original drummer Dave Lombardo returned for 2006's Christ Illusion; its 2007 it won dsens a Grammy. Now the US band (Lombardo plus bassist/ vocalist Tom Araya and guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman) are riding high on a wave of renewed enthusiasm for thrash metal, the music they helped to pioneer in the 80s. I laving just released their tenth studio album, World Painted Blood, Araya and King sat
down with CR to discuss the details.
Tom, your sister was terminally ill during the making of World Painted Blood. How did that affect your involvement with the album?
Araya: I usually participate a lot in Jeff's songs, but this time I couldn't even do that. When I did participate it was mostly in the studio. I wish I could have done more but, hey, I think the record sounds fuckin' amazing.
World Painted Blood is out a relatively short three OA° years after your last "101014:10130;n7P100(sulkSct\OHahxvve sso.o)vtd album, Christ Illusion.
That one was five years after its
o t h ° e has got t:\g:\ went down before Christ
predecessor.
e t W 1 f' 1
Ki ng: W ell, a ot o. salt everViomm r Illusion. Dave came back,
it's cnanaat0''V. we had the War At The
Warfield and Still Reigning DVDs, then we did the SoundtrackToThe Apocalypse box set.
And every time we did one of those things theywanted us to tour.
The song Hate Worldwide sounds autobiographical.
King: Yeah.There's a recurring line in the first and third verses that says: 'I'm a godless heretic, not a Godfearinghtnatic'. That's me! Ha ha!
Any plans for another tour with Marilyn Manson? Araya: Ah... I dunno. It was good for us, I had a good time. VsThen you go in there and you start kicking ass, it was exciting and great.
Slayer pioneered thrash metal and it's still very popular. King: It seems to be [in good shape]. I don't think it'll self-destruct like it did in the early 90s. Any time anything gets fashionable, record companies sign mediocre shit, capitalising on what's popular, and it just kills every fuckin' genre. Anything except pop.
Do you read about yourselves on the internet?
King: Not unless someone directs Inc to it. It serves a purpose, which is good, but it's also fuckin' trash, man.
With Slayer's current high profile, do you get recognised a lot in public? King: Yeah. It's getting to where I think more about going out, because it's getting harder and harder. But I'm a big advocate of signing for people, because they've spent their whole life supporting me. I've seen so many people that won't take the time to. I understand if you don't want your picture taken, but take 10 seconds to sign a fuckin' piece of paper, man! JM 1.0orld Tainied Blood is available now on Columbia ,ecords.
