Kerry King: ‘We Beat Ourselves Up Every Night’

In 1991, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax toured under the Clash of the Titans banner. Nearly 20 years later, the same bands are touring together again, only this time, they'e performing on the Jägermeister Tour. It's like the continuation of this summer's American Carnage, which boasted Testament instead of Anthrax. Looks like Slayer and Megadeth are happy to be bedfellows, er, tourfellows.

So how does King now reflect on his career, 20 years later, with Slayer are still going strong? He does so in a simple yet philosophical way. "When you are younger, you think of the age you are now as old, but when you become that age, you don't feel old. You don't know what to expect. You get there and feel good. You think, 'Will I feel this good in 10 years? Absolutely not.' But when I get there? Maybe!"

King also said that singer/bassist Tom Araya is touring well, despite having surgery in the beginning of the year -- which resulted in the postponement of American Carnage in January. "I told him that if he is comfortable in his new skin, we'll have a longer shelf life, since we beat ourselves up every night," King said. "He is doing fine, and we are having some great shows."

We asked King a few months ago if American audiences would be treated to the Big Four -- Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax -- since far, far away lands like Bulgaria got to witness the spectacle. At the time, he said that everyone involved would love to see it happen. So Noisecreep had to see if any forward progress had been made.

"Even though it's four bands used to headlining on their own, ego is not a problem. There is an understood pecking order of how we should play, but it's a logistical nightmare. Ask anyone who did it, and they will say they were happy to be a part of it. It'd have to be in the planning stages of whoever plans that s---," King said.

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