Slayer guitarist Kerry King has confirmed their long-awaited new album will be released this year.
Their last album "World Painted Blood" was released in 2009. They hoped to start writing again soon after, but production was halted when guitarist Jeff Hanneman contracted a flesh-eating virus from a spider bite.
Now King confirms that eleven songs have been written for the album, and they just need to head into a recording studio to finish it up. Sadly, Jeff Hanneman is yet to contribute with any songwriting because of his illness.
"The whole hold-up now, as with every record we ever do: it seems like [head of label American Recordings] Rick Rubin changes distributors. And we're kind of, like, left in limbo until he lands somewhere," he told Eddie Trunk (via Blabbermouth). "I mean, realistically, we're without a deal [right now], but we plan on staying with Rick. But he's working out his distribution - when that gets settled, we'll be recording. So I am very comfortable saying it will be out this year."
King says he hasn't spoken to Jeff in a while, but according to their manager, he's keen to recover and get back to playing guitar. But what if it's too late to contribute to this record?
"I have enough material to do it on my own, if need be," said King. "But I'm open; if Jeff comes to the party with some material, hell yeah, I've got extras."
So today there is an albumfest of news, Slayer confirms a new album this year, black sabbath finished their new album, megadeth is mixing their next album....
Hopefully, it's a formula that has worked for them this long, at least you know what you are getting. They could have sold out and made a hard rock album instead, Slayer in the charts just sounds wrong.
"Jeff Hanneman contracted a flesh-eating virus from a spider bite."
Don't want to be nit-picky, bit that's an bacterial infection. Still, a damn bad thing.
I think it's just hipper and scarier to use the word 'virus'. It brings to mind the term 'viral', and things, 'going viral'. You'll never hear of anything 'going bacterial'. Hehe. "The new slayer video was posted and it immediately went bacterial!"
Ya know, this thing with Hanneman has dragged on so long now that it wouldn't surprise me if he just up and dies. I mean, don't get me wrong -- that is the VERY LAST thing I'd ever want to happen, but I just recall not hearing much about MCA and then he died. The good news is that we hear that Jeff is getting better. There are too many good ones dying off and I don't want Jeff to be another one.
He almost did die from it. The recovery has been slower than anyone has liked but I really hope he's able to contribute some songs to the album. Most of my favourite Slayer songs are all written by Hanneman.
This will be kinda interesting. Jeff's written pretty much all the riffs, and if I'm correct he wrote or contributed to quite a bit of the lyrics too. Wonder if they'll have Gary Holt record with them if Jeff isn't ready?
ahhh, I don't know if I like this. On one hand I love slayer and will be waiting for the album eagerly. On the other hand I like Jeff's music much more than Kerry's.
I really enjoyed World Painted Blood overall, so I'm ready for Slayer to continue to be ****in Slayer.
Also, really hope Jeff makes a full recovery soon.
Sorry, but Slayer is the most untalented band, with probably the sloppiest guitarist of all time. Bland, tryhard music. Keery King thinks hes a badass giving Megadeth+ Metallica the shaft at the end medley of the Big 4 concert. Slayer think they are so much better than the other big 4, when in actuality they are a pile of shit to M+M
Most untalented? Yeah right. Show No Mercy, Hell Awaits, Reign in Blood, South of Heaven, Seasons in the Abyss and Divine Intervention are all bad ass albums. It's called a signature sound and I for one am greatful there is still a band that does what they're good at.
