Slayer’s Kerry King Hopes Big Four Tour Expands to America

When Noisecreep chatted with Slayer guitarist Kerry King -- who looks like he can burn holes through your skull with his piercing, intimidating stare but is really of quite the affable personality -- the band had wrapped the last day of rehearsals for the upcoming European tours, which include the Sonisphere dates which will feature the already legendary Big Four shows, as well as the rescheduled American Carnage tour with Megadeth, which begins in late summer.

"There's lots going on," King told Noisecreep. "It's time to get back in shape and not party so much. I had six months of unexpected downtime and had every intention to make a third or a half of a record." But what did he really do during the break that came when Tom Araya's back and neck problems forced Slayer to sit out a their already booked winter and spring touring seasons? "Not a f---ing thing," he said with a laugh. "I wasted all that time."

American metal fans have been waiting impatiently for Slayer and Megadeth to finally tour together this summer in what amounts to a busy touring landscape, but beyond that, metal fans across the globe are praying to Satan, Jesus or whatever deity they believe in in hopes that the Big Four Tour -- featuring Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, the forefathers of thrash -- will expand beyond Europe.

"I hope Slayer/Megadeth tour is a precursor to the Big Four coming to the States," King said. "That tour it should be everywhere: here, Australia, Japan. Any place that wants it should have it and it should happen." It's safe to say that every single geographical locale with a metal following wants this tour to hit their region!

While there are no plans for the Big Four to decimate the U.S. -- yet -- King says it should all come down to timing, since there are a lot of moving parts when it comes to pulling such a massive, mammoth tour off. "Metallica has toured a ton and as much as we have going, we don't have a free moment in our schedule, so this is just me thinking out loud, but I'd say it would be great in summer 2011. If there are any talks, they are preliminary. And that's a time frame that would work for us," King said. He also admitted that he has friends who are flying to Europe to catch the Big Four just "in case it doesn't come here." Let's hope those friends waste that money on airfare and the tour does makes it way home, in 2011 or whenever!

King also didn't want to predict the epicness that could occur when the the Big Four morphs from idea to a reality. When asked if there are plans for members to get on stage with one another to jam, he said, "I don't know. My closest friend in Metallica is Trujilio, who I've known from the [Suicidal Tendencies] days. I know the Megadeth camp a long time and played their first five shows, but we haven't spoken about it. I don't want to get ahead of myself. I'd rather anything be spontaneous."