31
Jul
2010
SLAYER Drummer Interviewed At Montreal’s HEAVY MTL Festival
MusikUniverse.net conducted an interview with SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo when the band played at this year’s edition of the Heavy MTLfestival, which was held July 24-25, 2010 at Parc Jean-Drapeau in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. You can now watch the chat below.
On August 17, 2010, SLAYER‘s DVDs — 2003′s “War at the Warfield”and 2004′s “Still Reigning” — will be reissued, and, for the first time ever, 1995′s “Live Intrusion”, having been digitally remastered, will also be available on DVD. All three will be sold separately at retail and online ($13.98 each), and the limited-edition “Slayer Live DVD 3-Pak”($29.98), will be available exclusively on SLAYER‘s web site,www.slayer.net.
“I remember around ‘God Hates Us All’,” [2001], said SLAYER‘s Kerry King, “asking when we were going to make a DVD of ‘Live Intrusion’. So, here we are, ten years later, and it’s about time.”
Every one of the SLAYER live-in-concert DVDs represents a different era of the band: “Live Intrusion” was recorded on March 12, 1995 at the Mesa Amphitheatre in Mesa, Arizona and features guitarists Kerry Kingand Jeff Hanneman, bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, and drummer Paul Bostaph. The disc, which is certified gold, includes some of the most classic SLAYER songs such as “Raining Blood” and “War Ensemble”, but also some early special tracks like “At Dawn They Sleep” and“Captor of Sin”. As a bonus, MACHINE HEAD‘s Robb Flynn and Chris Kontos join the band onstage for a cover of VENOM‘s “Witching Hour”. The opening of “Live Intrusion” features a look at some of the band’s very unique fans, in particular, with special emphasis placed upon the fan from the mid-’90s who had “Slayer” carved onto his forearm. In addition, the quality of “Live Intrusion” is high-end, as the original VHS master was located and used to create the DVD.
“War at the Warfield” was filmed at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco, California on December 7, 2001, and like “Live Intrusion”, features drummer Paul Bostaph, marking his last release with SLAYERbefore original drummer, Dave Lombardo, rejoined the band. “Seasons in the Abyss”, “Mandatory Suicide” and “Disciple” are some of the jewels on this live collection that debuted at #3 on Billboard‘s DVD chart, and has since been certified gold.
Filmed at the Civic Center in Augusta, Maine on July 11, 2004, “Still Reigning” — also gold-certified and voted Best Live DVD by the readers of Revolver magazine — was directed by Dean Karr and recreatesSLAYER‘s thrash/punk, 28-minute classic 1986 album “Reign In Blood”performed in its entirety. The end of the video features the “Wall of Blood,” with the band, their instruments, and the stage completely drenched by a downpour of 150 liters of “blood.”
“There was no dress rehearsal for the blood trick,” explained King. “It was either going to work or it wasn’t going to work, and we know it did work. It was so hard to play, I thought I was going to have to go back and overdub all of ‘Reigning Blood’, but I listened to it and it was all there, it was just a lot more slippery with all the blood goo.”
The “Still Reigning” DVD offers bonus material including live performances of SLAYER staples such as “Hell Awaits”, “Hallowed Point”, “Necrophiliac”, “Spill the Blood” and “South of Heaven”. The DVD also marked the return of drummer Dave Lombardo. “Even before the idea of ‘Still Reigning’ became a reality, I really wanted to do a video with Dave in it,” said King, “and I knew the fans wanted that as well.”
Popularity: 5% [?]
3
Jul
2010
SLAYER Performs Entire ‘Seasons In The Abyss’ Album In Milan; Photos Available
Slayer Milan
On Monday, June 29, and Tuesday, June 30, SLAYER played two back-to-back concerts at the sold-out Alcatraz club in Milan, Italy. During the second show, the entire 1990 album “Seasons In The Abyss” was performed.
June 29 setlist (photos from Musica Metal):
01. World Painted Blood
02. Hate Worldwide
03. Cult
04. Disciple
05. Expendable Youth
06. War Ensemble
07. Jihad
08. Beauty Through Order
09. Payback
10. Seasons In The Abyss
11. Hell Awaits
12. Mandatory Suicide
13. Chemical Warfare
14. Raining Blood
15. Aggressive Perfector
16. South Of Heaven
——————–
17. Silent Scream
18. Angel Of Death
June 30 setlist (photos from Musica Metal):
01. World Painted Blood
02. Jihad
03. Hate Worldwide
04. Disciple
05. Beauty Through Order
06. War Ensemble
07. Blood Red
08. Spirit In Black
09. Expendable Youth
10. Dead Skin Mask
11. Hallowed Point
12. Skeletons Of Society
13. Temptation
14. Born Of Fire
15. Seasons In The Abyss
16. Mandatory Suicide
17. Raining Blood
18. Aggressive Perfector
——————–
19. South Of Heaven
20. Angel Of Death
SLAYER‘s latest album, “World Painted Blood”, was recorded in Los Angeles over two time periods, during October 2008 and then between late January and March 2009. The CD was produced by Greg Fidelman, who’s spent time in the studio with METALLICA, THE GOSSIP, THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY, SLIPKNOT and others, and executive-produced by longtime SLAYER colleague Rick Rubin, who suggested Fidelman for the project.
The CD initially shipped with four special collector’s edition covers. Each of the four covers displayed one-fourth of a provocative continental map illustrated with human skulls and bones; when placed together, the four images form a complete and grisly map of the world. All four of the initial album packages included a special blood-red, see-through top panel with the map displayed beneath it.
SLAYER‘s track “Hate Worldwide” was nominated for a Grammy Award in the “Best Metal Performance” category. The award eventually went to British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST, who were honored for the track “Dissident Aggressor”, from the band’s 2009 live album“A Touch of Evil: Live”.
Photo credit: Paolo Bianco for Musica Metal:
Popularity: 8% [?]
14
Apr
2010
SLAYER Interviewed At REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS
Metal Injection conducted an interview with three members of SLAYER —Kerry King (guitar), Dave Lombardo (drums) and Jeff Hanneman(guitar) — on the “black carpet” of the Revolver Golden Gods Awards, whcih took place last Thursday, April 8 at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. Watch the three-minute chat below.
SLAYER‘s latest album, “World Painted Blood”, was released on November 3, 2009 via American Recordings. The CD initially shipped with four special collector’s edition covers. Each of the four covers displayed one-fourth of a provocative continental map illustrated with human skulls and bones; when placed together, the four images form a complete and grisly map of the world. All four of the initial CD packages included a special blood-red, see-through top panel with the map displayed beneath it.
SLAYER‘s track “Hate Worldwide” was nominated for a Grammy Award in the “Best Metal Performance” category. The award eventually went to British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST, who were honored for the track “Dissident Aggressor”, from the band’s 2009 live album“A Touch of Evil: Live”.
SLAYER and MEGADETH have announced the new, confirmed routing for the “American Carnage” North American Tour, which will commence with the rescheduled “Canadian Carnage East” dates in Quebec City on Friday, July 23. SLAYER will then head to Europe for a run of festival dates, returning to kick off the “American Carnage” leg in Albany, NY on August 11.
“American Carnage” will play 26 dates across the United States and Eastern Canada up to the Labor Day weekend, ending in Portland, Oregon on September 4. TESTAMENT will be special guest on all shows. Tickets purchased for the “American Carnage” shows when they first went on sale late last year will be honored for these rescheduled dates.
The “American Carnage” tour, originally scheduled to take place in January and February, had to be put on hold due to SLAYER‘s vocalist/bassist Tom Araya‘s ongoing, minimally-invasive treatments for what was diagnosed as a cervical radiculopathy, an occupational hazard for the rocker who is known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing. Right after the first of the year, Araya made the difficult decision to undergo a surgical procedure, called an anterior cervical discectomy with fusion, a relatively routine practice with an excellent recovery rate. That surgery took place in January.
Popularity: 7% [?]
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Feb
2010
SLAYER, MEGADETH, TESTAMENT Announce New Dates For ‘American Carnage’ Tour
American Carnage Tour
SLAYER and MEGADETH are thrilled to announce the new, confirmed routing for the “American Carnage” North American Tour, which will commence with the rescheduled “Canadian Carnage East” dates in Quebec City on Friday, July 23. SLAYER will then head to Europe for a run of festival dates, returning to kick off the “American Carnage” leg in Albany, NY on August 11.
“American Carnage” will play 26 dates across the United States and Eastern Canada up to the Labor Day weekend, ending in Portland, Oregon on September 4. TESTAMENT will be special guest on all shows. Tickets purchased for the “American Carnage” shows when they first went on sale late last year will be honored for these rescheduled dates.
Due to venue availability and other conflicts, the shows originally scheduled in El Paso, Houston, Nashville, Duluth, and Louisville cannot be rescheduled at this time, and ticket holders may obtain refunds at point of purchase. However, new cities have been added to the “American Carnage” itinerary, with dates now scheduled in Cleveland, Kansas City, San Diego, and Sacramento. The confirmed, complete itinerary is below.
The “American Carnage” tour, originally scheduled to take place in January and February, had to be put on hold due to SLAYER‘s vocalist/bassist Tom Araya‘s ongoing, minimally-invasive treatments for what was diagnosed as a cervical radiculopathy, an occupational hazard for the rocker who is known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing. Right after the first of the year, Araya made the difficult decision to undergo a surgical procedure, called an anterior cervical discectomy with fusion, a relatively routine practice with an excellent recovery rate. That surgery took place early last week.
“The doctors said that Tom‘s surgery went very smoothly and was a resounding success,” said Rick Sales, longtime SLAYER manager. “He’s home now, doing really well, and he said the numbness in his fingers had already diminished considerably.”
Shortly after the surgery, SLAYER‘s Kerry King received a text fromTom: “Awake and feeling good, actually whatever he did, it feels better.”
The “American Carnage” tour will mark the first time that SLAYER,MEGADETH and TESTAMENT will have toured the U.S. together since 1991′s epic “Clash of the Titans” tour, making this truly a “must-see” event.
SLAYER recently announced the rescheduling of its headline tour in Europe, and MEGADETH and TESTAMENT are currently on tour together playing U.S. cities that will not be on the “American Carnage” itinerary.
“American Carnage” North American tour dates:
Jul. 23 – Pavillon de la Jeunesse, Quebec City, QC CANADA
Jul. 24 – Heavy MTL, Parc Jean-Drapeau, Montreal, QC CANADA
Jul. 26 – Metro Centre, Halifax, NS CANADA
Jul. 27 – Moncton Coliseum, Moncton, NB CANADA
Jul. 29 – Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, ONT CANADA
Jul. 30 – John Labatt Centre Center, London, ONT CANADA
Aug. 11 – Glens Falls Civic Center, Glens Falls, NY
Aug. 12 – Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ
Aug. 14 – Tsongas Arena, Boston, MA
Aug. 15 – Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Aug. 16 – Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford, CT
Aug. 18 – Tower City Amphitheatre, Cleveland, OH
Aug. 19 – Joe Louis Arena, Detroit,MI
Aug. 20 – UIC Pavillon, Chicago, IL
Aug. 21 – Roy Wilkins Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN
Aug. 23 – Cap Fed Park @Sandstone, Kansas City, KS
Aug. 25 – Magness Arena, Denver, CO
Aug. 26 – Tingley Coliseum, Albuquerque, NM
Aug. 27 – Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
Aug. 29 – Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, San Diego, CA
Aug. 30 – Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, CA
Aug. 31 – Cow Palace, San Francisco, CA
Sep. 01 – Arco Arena, Sacramento, CA
Sep. 03 – Wamu Theatre, Seattle, WA
Sep. 04 – Washington County Fairgrounds, Portland, OR
Popularity: 38% [?]
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Jan
2010
NECRODEATH’s Cover Of SLAYER’s ‘Black Magic’ Available For Streaming
Necrodeath
Long-running Italian extreme metallers NECRODEATH will celebrate their 25th anniversary by releasing a covers album, entitled “Old Skull”. The CD, which is due on February 5, features guest appearances by members of influential Italian thrashers BULLDOZER and former members ofSCHIZO.
“Old Skull” was recorded at Quake Sound Studios in Rapallo (Ge) and was produced by the bandmembers themselves. It was mixed byGiuseppe Orlando at Outer Sound Studios in Rome and was mastered by Simone Mularoni at Fear Studios in Ravenna. The cover artwork was created by Davide Nadalin and Nerve Design.
“Old Skull” track listing:
01. Mater Tenebrarum (NECRODEATH 2010)
02. Black Magic (SLAYER)
03. Raise the Dead (BATHORY)
04. Pleasure to Kill (KREATOR)
05. Paranoid (BLACK SABBATH)
06. Sodomy and Lust (SODOM)
07. Bloodlust (VENOM)
08. Ace of Spades (MOTORHEAD)
09. Am I Evil? (DIAMOND HEAD)
10. Mater Tenebrarum (NECRODEATH 1985)
NECRODEATH‘s cover version of the SLAYER classic “Black Magic” is now available for streaming at this location.
NECRODEATH is:
Peso: Drums
Flegias:Vocals
Pier: Guitars
Gl: Bass, Backing Vocals
Additional musicians:
* Claudio (ex-NECRODEATH) – Guitar on “Raise the Dead”
* A.C.Wild (BULLDOZER) – Additional Voice on “Mater Tenebrarum”
* Andy Panigada (BULLDOZER) – Guitar on “Ace of Spades”
* Andy Bonfiglio (ex-NECRODEATH) – Guitar on “Am I Evil?”
* Alberto Penzin (ex-SCHIZO, MONDOCANE) – Bass on “Sodomy and Lust”
* John (ex-NECRODEATH, RAZA DE ODIO, CADAVERIA, DYNABYTE) – Bass on “Black Magic”
An Italian tour in support of the CD will kick off in early March.
NECRODEATH‘s last album, “Phylogenesis”, was released in April 2009 via Scarlet Records.
Necrodeath - Old Skull
Popularity: 41% [?]
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Dec
2009
METALLICA, HEAVEN & HELL, SLAYER Confirmed For Czech Republic’s SONISPHERE Festival
METALLICA will headline the Czech Republic installment of theSonisphere festival, set to take place June 19, 2010 at the Mimon Airport in Prague.
The festival billing is shaping up as follows:
METALLICA
HEAVEN & HELL
SLAYER
ANTHRAX
MASTODON
Tickets went on sale Saturday, December 12.
sonisphere czech
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Nov
2009
SLAYER: More ‘World Painted Blood’ First-Week Chart Positions Revealed
Slayer
According to Slayerized.com, SLAYER‘s new album, “World Painted Blood”, has registered the following first-week chart positions so far:
Germany: #7
Australia: #9
U.K.: #41
New Zealand: #16
According to Hits Daily Double, the companion web site of music industry tip sheet HITS, “World Painted Blood” is on track to sell between 35,000 and 40,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release.
SLAYER‘s last CD, “Christ Illusion”, opened with more than 62,000 units to debut at position No. 5 on The Billboard 200 chart. This was the highest position ever on the chart for SLAYER, who previously reached No. 8 with their 1994 release “Divine Intervention” after moving 93,000 copies of that album in its first week.
SLAYER‘s 2001 album, “God Hates Us All”, registered a first-week tally of 51,000 to land at No. 28, while 1998′s “Diabolus In Musica” opened with 46,000 units, debuting at No. 31.
“God Hates Us All” and its predecessor, “Diabolus In Musica”, have each sold more than 300,000 copies so far. Several of the earlierSLAYER albums have been certified gold for sales in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States, including “Divine Intervention”.
Popularity: 23% [?]
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Sep
2009
SLAYER, MEGADETH, Machine Head and Suicide Silence Announce ‘Canadian Carnage East’ Tour
Candian Carnage East
Get ready for one of the most combustible tours of the fall — Canadian Carnage East — with co-headliners SLAYER and MEGADETH, two of the bands that defined the thrash/metal genre and have kept it alive and flourishing for decades. The five-date Canadian Carnage East kicks off on November 8 in Moncton, NB and wraps up in Toronto on November 13. The tour will feature MACHINE HEAD and SUICIDE SILENCE, and will see MEGADETH and SLAYER alternating the closing spot. Tickets go on sale this Friday, September 18 at 10:00 a.m. local time.
MEGADETH and SLAYER laid waste to four Canadian cities earlier in June when they joined up for the first Canadian Carnage, marking the first time the bands had shared a stage anywhere in 18 years.
Canadian Carnage East tour dates:
Nov. 08 – Moncton Coliseum, Moncton, NB
Nov. 09 – Halifax Metro Center, Halifax, NS
Nov. 11 – Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
Nov. 12 – Colisee Pepsi Arena, Quebec City, QC
Nov. 13 – Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
SLAYER will release its new album, “World Painted Blood”, in the U.S. on November 3 (one day earlier internationally) via American Recordings/Columbia Records.
There will be three different editions of “World Painted Blood” —a limited-edition CD with multiple CD covers, a deluxe edition CD/DVD, and a high-quality, 180-gram vinyl edition; specifics for all editions will be detailed shortly.
“World Painted Blood” was recorded in Los Angeles over two time periods, during October 2008 and then between late January and March 2009. The CD was produced by Greg Fidelman, who’s spent time in the studio with METALLICA, THE GOSSIP, THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY, SLIPKNOT and others, and executive-produced by longtime SLAYER colleague Rick Rubin, who suggested Fidelman for the project.
MEGADETH‘s new album, “Endgame”, is now being streamed in its entirety on the band’s MySpace page.
Due on September 15 via Roadrunner Records, “Endgame” was recorded at the band’s brand new, self-built studio in San Marcos, California — Vic’s Garage — which was named after the legendary and iconic Vic Rattlehead character.
“Endgame” was helmed by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine and British producer Andy Sneap (EXODUS, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY,MACHINE HEAD).
Popularity: 100% [?]
13
Sep
2009
SLAYER To Perform Entire ‘Reign In Blood’ Album At Special Sydney Show
Slayer Reign In Blood
California thrashers SLAYER have announced a special one-time-only Australian show where they will play their 1986 masterpiece, “Reign In Blood”, in its entirety. The concert will take place on Thursday, October 15 at Big Top Luna Park in Sydney.
Tickets go on sale on Wednesday, September 16 at 9:00 a.m.
SLAYER will release its new album, “World Painted Blood”, in the U.S. on November 3 (one day earlier internationally) via American Recordings/Columbia Records.
The final track listing for the CD is as follows:
01. World Painted Blood
02. Unit 731
03. Snuff
04. Beauty Through Order
05. Hate Worldwide
06. Public Display Of Dismemberment
07. Human Strain
08. Americon
09. Psychopathy Red
10. Playing With Dolls
11. Not Of This God
“As we’re so excited about ‘World Painted Blood’,” said drummer Dave Lombardo, “we wanted to do something special for the packaging, and have been working with some really cool ideas. They’ve taken time to get just right, and with our headlining the Mayhem tour for most of the summer, it’s just taken that much longer to get all these great ideas exactly the way we want them.”
There will be three different editions of “World Painted Blood” —a limited-edition CD with multiple CD covers, a deluxe edition CD/DVD, and a high-quality, 180-gram vinyl edition; specifics for all editions will be detailed shortly.
“We hope our fans will like everything about ‘World Painted Blood’ as much as we do,” Lombardo continued. “Recording this new album has been one of the greatest experiences we’ve had as a band. We were together during the writing process more than we had been for past albums, we worked more collectively, everyone’s suggestions and ideas were heard and considered, and that camaraderie is definitely heard in the new album.”
“World Painted Blood” was recorded in Los Angeles over two time periods, during October 2008 and then between late January and March 2009. The CD was produced by Greg Fidelman, who’s spent time in the studio with METALLICA, THE GOSSIP, THE (INTERNATIONAL) NOISE CONSPIRACY, SLIPKNOT and others, and executive-produced by longtime SLAYER colleague Rick Rubin, who suggested Fidelman for the project.
Popularity: 15% [?]
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2009
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2009
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Sep
2009
MEGADETH’s MUSTAINE: ‘I Pray For The Guys In SLAYER, Although They May Not Want It, But I Do’
Mustaine
MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has posted the following message in the “Forums” section of the band’s official web site:
“I am heading northbound tonight [Wednesday, September 9] to go to an event to watch Scott Weiland‘s [STONE TEMPLE PILOTS/ex-VELVET REVOLVER singer] new clothing line be released. Scott is pretty stylish in his dress, and I am curious as to what he did. I am also meeting with the people from ILoveAllAccess.com and discussing our touring plans coming up and the various ways to work out ticket and pass packages, some of which will include as much as two seats up on stage on my side in some concerts. We are also discussing everything that would go along with the experience; besides meeting MEGADETH (or at least me), a ticket, pass, some memorabilia, getting in the venue early, going backstage and just being a rock star!
“We won’t have the two seats up on stage every night, and sometimes it will be on Chris‘ [Broderick, guitar] side, due to stage restrictions.
“I am feeling a little better today, although I am surprised why someone at the [MEGADETH's record label] Roadrunner site would say that they don’t need [the fans'] help [in promoting the new MEGADETH album,'Endgame']. I say we need your help. Don’t stop for a second doing what you do, because if Roadrunner U.S. knows my feelings and that I was willing to give them a fresh chance in the U.S. and they want to do this, that is OK, too. [Addressing the fans] Please don’t believe that. I welcome your support here in the U.S. and abroad.
“Someone said that the label prolly [sic] doesn’t want to spend any money on a band that is going to leave them. I never said that I was going to leave them, I said that the U.S. label is not comparable to the international labels, and that I would stay with them if I continued on, and that I would re-evaluate the U.S. label based on what they do with‘Endgame’.
“Bottom line is that everyone in the entire world is watching what they are doing, and everyone has seen problems around the world with the job that is being done. The international labels are keen to fix things, and usually on it in mere moments. Whereas there has been tremendous difficulty with the U.S. label. They have changed out some people and I am hopeful that they will make good on the things that they did last time, and do good by this record. It would be a travesty to the metal community to have this record dropped by people who just don’t want to help.
“If you don’t want to help, just say so and step aside. There are millions of fans out there that have no idea we have a new record coming out. That is just not OK. If I had a label, and I don’t intend on that now, I would certainly do things differently.
“Regarding rumors of the ‘Big Four’ [METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETHand ANTHRAX] touring, I have heard nothing about this, other than gossip, and I don’t think that anyone would turn it down, but there are a lot of things that would have to be worked out. A LOT!
“As far as journalists are concerned, there are good ones and bad ones, and the guys that ask the questions that piss you off, you can only imagine how I feel. And for the people that are trying to get me to say something about SLAYER, here goes:
“I am having fun with this, and I hope not to hurt the [upcoming Australia/New Zealand] tour [with SLAYER] or the fans’ chance of seeing these two great bands because I have said something I shouldn’t have. I am aware that there are comments we all made in the past, but I have tried very, very hard not to make any comments about SLAYER, other than their music and concerts, because it is none of my business, and I am much older now than I was when I said the regrettable things I said.
“I am aware that there is stuff out there that has been said about me; some of it is old, some of it is new. I am disappointed in the new comments, but I am going to remain professional and give Kerry [King] and Tom [Araya] and SLAYER the benefit of the doubt and hope that it is just old stuff, and be the best tourmate that I can be. Either way, I pray for the guys in SLAYER, although they may not want it, but I do. I pray that we’ll be friends again someday, I pray that the tour will be as much fun for them as it is for us, and I pray that they will be as happy as we are and more.
“Remember, three of the members in [the current lineup of] MEGADETHwere not even there for the ‘Clash Of The Titans’ [MEGADETH, SLAYERand ANTHRAX were joined by opening act ALICE IN CHAINS for the U.S. Clash Of The Titans tour in 1991 — Ed.].
“So, here is to forgiveness, and hopefully being forgiven for past ‘stuff.’”
As previously reported, Kerry King has told U.K.’s Metal Hammermagazine that he has heard through the grapevine that METALLICAdrummer Lars Ulrich is plotting a tour that would include METALLICA,MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX. It should be noted, however, that this report has not been corroborated by an official source and should be treated as a rumor only.
In an August 31, 2009 press conference in Paris, France, Kerry King was asked about his long-running “feud” with Mustaine and SLAYER‘s recent Canadian tour with MEGADETH. “We only did four [shows withMEGADETH so far on the current touring cycle],” he replied. “I think it’s cool for the fans [to have SLAYER and MEGADETH touring together], you know. Everybody’s all worried about the beef with me and Dave; we don’t really get along. But I don’t really have anything against him. I think he’s a great guitar player. When we had that Canada thing pop up, I just said, ‘I’m gonna go, and if I see Dave, I’ll be cordial. I’ll say, ‘Hey, Dave. What’s up?!’ But if he’s a dick to me, I’m gonna be a bigger dick to him.’ And that’s how [the upcoming SLAYER/MEGADETH tour of] Australia is gonna be, and that’s how the next Canadian tour [with MEGADETH] is gonna be. I think maybe he’s grown up a bit because I think he’s a little pompous and I think he’s a big hypocrite — that’s my problem with him, personally — but I could never take anything away from his guitar playing; I think he’s great.”
In a September 1, 2009 interview with The Quietus web site, Tom Arayawas asked if there was there any evidence of a rift between SLAYER andDave Mustaine on the recent SLAYER/MEGADETH tour of Canada. “You know, I ran into him on two occasions, but when you see someone, and if you’re a human being, you respect them and treat them as human beings — they’re another living person,” Tom said. “Other than that, the only thing we shared was that we did those four shows together. You know what I mean?! Nothing’s really changed for me about him; I’m just waiting for him to open his mouth. [Laughs]”
When asked what the burning issue was between MEGADETH andSLAYER, Araya replied, “There isn’t really a burning issue. The thing is he talks a lot of shit — then he apologizes for it, then he continues [talking shit]. Did you see [METALLICA's documentary] “Some Kind of Monster” [which features Mustaine in a scene with METALLICAdrummer Lars Ulrich and "performance enhancement coach" Phil Towle]? That should give you some kind of idea how he is!”
Popularity: 6% [?]
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Aug
2009
SLAYER Frontman Talks ‘World Painted Blood’
Tom Araya
Arielle Castillo of Miami New Times recently conducted an interview with SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya. A few excerpts from the chat follow below.
Miami New Times: Your new album was “executive produced” by Rick Rubin. What does that mean? How involved was he in the actual recording process?
Tom Araya: He oversees what we’re doing and he says “Yeah” or “Nay.” He mostly left this one up to Greg Fidelman, who’s doing an amazing job as producer. We mostly worked everything out in the studio, and once we finished in the studio, we’d get a really good mix and send it to Rubinjust so he could hear it, not really for an opinion.
Miami New Times: How did you choose to work with Greg Fidelman as the actual producer of the record?
Tom Araya: He kind of found us. He found out we were working on a record, and we said okay! [Laughs.] That’s about how we usually end up with producers, because they’re eager to work with us. And Rubin said, “Hey, this guy’s great, work with him. He’s awesome, he’s well-organized and knows his shit.” And he does. He knows how to get everything together and get what we want out of the band. He got classic SLAYERout of us, and it sounds amazing.
Miami New Times: You’ve said that usually, you start the recording with your songs already written, but this time you spent a lot of time on pre-production in the studio. Why the change?
Tom Araya: We actually started recording in October of last year — Jeff[Hanneman, SLAYER guitarist] had three songs. We recorded the three songs, and it kind of just fell together real quick. We were supposed to do a North American tour in January, but we didn’t, because everybody felt really good in the studio with Greg. We figured, “Alright, once we get our European tour out of the way, we’ll come home and start recording.”
Then when we got back to the studio, Jeff and Kerry [King, SLAYERguitarist] both came in with a good four or five songs each, and just started putting together new songs in the studio. It would be like, while we were working on the drums, Jeff went home and worked on new stuff, while the rest of us were finishing up what was already started. It was the same with Kerry. When he was done with his parts, he would head home and work on new material, then come back and play it to Dave[Lombardo, SLAYER drummer]. A lot of the songs, we learned them and put them together in the studio, as opposed to rehearsing them first after coming in.
Miami New Times: You’ve also said the writing process was more collaborative this time around.
Tom Araya: It was, actually. Music-wise, it was, between the three of them [Hanneman, King, and Lombardo]. Then I got an input as far as guitar parts and stuff. But usually we all sit there and say, “Wow, that sounds great,” or “We don’t like it.” We usually all agree to either like it or dislike it, and then move on.
But this time I had ideas that I kind of passed along to Jeff, and Jeff put them into the songs. We were all giving our two cents. I think it was the fact that we went into the studio less prepared, know what I mean? We needed to get into the studio right away, record right away, to get something done by the summer.
Miami New Times: So when did you finally finish all these sessions?
Tom Araya: We finished right before we took off for the five shows we did in Canada with MEGADETH, a week before that. Then we spent a week rehearsing. Now we’re out here with MANSON on the Mayhemtour.
Miami New Times: The new tracks kind of go back to your ’80s feel, as you said, almost with a punk rock energy. Where did this come from, now?
Tom Araya: Our inner soul! That’s about it! [Laughs.] We don’t set out to say, “This record’s gonna be like this, our songs are gonna be like that.” We just kind of write songs, and that’s about it. There are no plans; we just kind of do it, and then how it comes out is how it comes out. We just take it day by day.
Miami New Times: How do you decide when it’s time for a new album?
Tom Araya: We don’t! [Laughs.] On this one, Jeff happened to have three songs he was playing for everybody, and our manager said, “Shit, why don’t we go ahead and record an album if these songs are coming this quick.” So it’s usually [our management] going, “Are you guys ready to record an album?” That’s basically been our recording career!
Miami New Times: What are your favorite tracks on the album?
Tom Araya: Kerry‘s written some really good ones. I’m more biased, I lean towards Jeff! [Laughs.] Jeff‘s got some really great writing skills, at least music-wise. He’s got some really great songs on this one. They’re songs that are slightly different from what we’ve done, but they’re stillSLAYER, know what I mean? They’ve got melody, they have huge dynamics in the songs. The songs take you on a roller coaster ride, which is really great.
But the overall record is really good, and whenever we do a record, that’s what we strive for — that every song matters, not just one.
Read the entire interview from Miami New Times.
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