Slayer’s Kerry King Talks Mayhem Tour

Summer isn't truly a metalhead summer without a Slayer tour. So rest easy, Slayer'ites. The band will spend its summer vacation as a featured, main stage attraction on the second annual Rockstar Energy Mayhem Fest. They will be co-headlining with rabble rouser Marilyn Manson and you can rest assured, when Slayer and Manson get together, onstage and off, some shit's gonna fly! Especially if absinthe is involved.

"Our last tour was with Manson, so I know what to expect," guitarist Kerry King told Noisecreep. "The one wild card is that he has Twiggy back in the band, so they will be more fiery. And off stage, all he drinks is absinthe, so if I drink with him, chances are, we're drinking absinthe. It doesn't make me hallucinate or become a madman! I already am a madman. It makes me want to chill and listen to tunes."

As for what we can expect from the almighty Slayer on this summer trek, King said, "We will be the same band we were two years ago on tour, just with a new record. We're still making up what set list we're going to do."

King also wanted to clarify to fans that since Mayhem is a festival scenario, there are some limitations. "We're not doing a gigantic set," King warned. "We're doing about an hour, as that's all we get." But Slayer – easily metal's royalty - will make the metallic most of those sixty precious minutes. "Every time we go back to a territory, we play something we haven't in a while. In Europe, we played stuff we hadn't played in 18 years, so, yes, we will bring that here." King also admitted that 'Live Undead' from 'South of Heaven' was one of the songs on the Euro set list and that song will emerge on the Mayhem set list, too!

King also revealed that the new album is close to done, with bassist/vocalist Tom Araya capping off his voice tracks. While he couldn't reveal a title or track details, he teased, saying, "It's Slayer and that all anyone wants. No one wants us to be anything else."