Kerry King revealed details about his self-titled solo project, including the formation of his new band, the debut album, and the first single. In an interview with Rolling Stone Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo , who was fired from the band in 2013, and stated bluntly: “No. Lombardo is dead to me.”
The guitarist mentioned the financial dispute that led to Lombardo's dismissal from the band at the time: "He made that speech when we were on a flight to Australia and he knew we couldn't respond for 14 hours and threw me under the bus," King said.
“I was the only one keeping him in the band. Tom ( Araya ) wanted him out before that, and Jeff ( Hanneman ) had just been bitten by a spider, so he wasn’t playing much with us. I said, ‘We need him (Dave). The fans won’t understand if we replace him now.’ And then the Australia issue came up. He threw me under the bus, and I thought, ‘I’m the guy who kept you here.’ Then I thought, ‘Fuck that guy.’”
King continued: “He’s super impressionable. He was listening to a woman who was his lawyer at the time, and she thought we had money from Metallica, which we never had, fucking Metallica money. So she was talking shit in his ear, and he thought he should get more than he should. It’s like, talk to someone who really knows the situation, and isn’t just trying to convince you to make money off the commission.”
Regarding Slayer's vocalist and bassist, Tom Araya, King said he hasn't spoken to him since the band's last show in November 2019. "Not even a message. Not even an email," King revealed. "I've spoken to everyone in the band by phone, text message, or email. If Tom called me, I'd probably answer. It probably depends on why he'd contact me, but I don't wish him dead right now."
Kerry King's solo project
King's solo band features Mark Osegueda ( Death Angel ) on vocals, along with drummer Paul Bostaph ( Slayer ), bassist Kyle Sanders ( Hellyeah ), and guitarist Phil Demmel (ex- Machine Head ). His first solo album, From Hell I Rise , will be released on May 17th.
Listen to the first single, “Idle Hands”:
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