Sweden Rock Magazine (SRM) is a Swedish metal magazine founded in 2001 and publish 11 issues per year. It’s written in Swedish, but here is an article translated to English for you.
As you might know, I usually don't publish newer stuff, but since the interview was mainly about the history of their career I made an exception.
SLAYER
SRM is offering an unpublished interview with guitarist Kerry King. It was in 2017, a few months before the band stopped giving interviews.
When you were growing up, who were the most important people in your life besides your family?
– What do you mean?
For example, did you have a mentor or a teacher who was particularly important?
– Until my last year in high school, I was one of the very best students in my entire school. Math was my thing. That's why I would say that the teachers were particularly important in my life, because they taught me everything that my parents didn't. But picking out one individual teacher is difficult, so I'll say that they have all been important to me. I had two guitar teachers and the first one was more important, because he taught me how to read music. Unfortunately, I can't do that anymore and it's been ages since I even tried to read music. He taught me how to play guitar without teaching me how to play rock songs. Now that I think about it, there's someone I should mention, someone who, strange as it may sound, I've still never met: Eddie Van Halen. I was a fanatic during the era when Van Halen released their first three albums and saw six absolutely amazing concerts with them. I didn't want regular seats on the floor, but made sure to buy seats in the front row so that I had a perfect view of the stage. I brought binoculars with me and like the worst nerd, I would watch Eddie Van Halen play the songs that I used to play, just to find out if I was playing them correctly. So yeah, I would say that Eddie Van Halen was the most important outsider in my life. I don't think people understand how into him and Van Halen I really was.
And I have a hard time understanding that you've never met. Eddie Van Halen was at Dimebag Darrell's funeral in 2004, and you were too, right?
- No, I was on tour.
Weren't you thinking about going to Dimebag's funeral?
– I had a day off, but the trip would have been a nightmare so I regrettably chose not to go. I wish I could have been there. Traveling is a pain in the ass already, without taking this into consideration, and I didn't want to risk my band's live performance by maybe not making it.
I googled "Kerry King parents"…
– Not even I have done that, haha!
But I couldn't find any pictures of you and your parents. Have you brought them to concerts?
– Dad saw us live right at the beginning when we played in people's gardens and rented out little shitty venues ourselves to play at. I don't know when he last saw us, whether it was when we had started playing in real clubs or not.
Was it important for you to prove yourself worthy of your parents and show that you could actually succeed as a musician?
– Not really. My parents never tried to talk me out of doing music. My dad was an aviation inspector and there was an opening for him to be an X-ray technician. I was offered on-the-job training. My first question was, “When it’s time to go on tour, can I get time off to go on tour?” “No, if you accept this job you can’t just come and go.” “Okay, no thanks then.” I don’t remember if this was before we released the EP »Haunting the Chapel« (1984) or if it was before we released »Hell Awaits« (1985), but our first album »Show No Mercy« (1983) was definitely out and we had toured the US. I felt like the future of Slayer was looking brighter and brighter so I wanted to continue on that path. That was the way it was and after that my parents never pestered me about getting a real job. And to tell you the truth, they actually presented this as a possible way into the job market rather than pushing me to take the job. I've never been so short of money that I couldn't buy a meal. On Slayer's first European tour in 1985, we were really struggling. We didn't earn much money, drove ourselves around between gigs and didn't always get hotels. Our lifestyle was definitely different back then, but we've always seen it as starting at the bottom and working our way up. I think a lot of bands these days make an album and then expect to have a real tour bus ready to go. We never did. We didn't have a tour bus until we released »Reign in Blood« in 1986, so only after three albums.
Who among you drove at the beginning of your career?
– In the US, I, Tom Araya and Dave Lombardo drove because Jeff Hanneman didn't have a driver's license. In Europe, Tom or Dave drove because I hadn't learned to drive a manual transmission yet.
How did it work when you guys were partying?
– None of us were risking our lives by driving drunk. At that time, I hadn't even started drinking, so when I was driving, everyone was guaranteed to be safe. I don't think we even had an appointed a driver but it was more »Do you want to drive? Or do you want to drive?«
In the 90s I lived in Los Angeles for three years and quickly learned that people drive drunk there, that's just how it is.
– Well, you have to drive there. It's not like living in Manhattan where you can take a walk wherever you go.
Do you get in the car today and drive after having a few drinks?
– Yep.
So then you're driving with your life at stake.
– Well, because I don't drive if I know I'm even slightly drunk.
Okay… After Jeff Hanneman's death in 2013, Slayer had a Hanneman backdrop on stage: a new variation of the Heineken/Hanneman motif that Jeff had on his guitar. When I saw this backdrop my first thought was: how could a brand like Heineken give permission for this when Jeff basically drank himself to death?
– I don't think they were okay with it, we just did it. It doesn't say Heineken on it and even if they knew it existed I don't think it would be worth their while to argue with us. Heineken doesn't need more money.
So you never asked Heineken for permission?
– No, I'm pretty sure that when Jeff put that design on his guitar he just did it. Then we copied it and made it into a backdrop.
Did you have any qualms about doing this as a tribute to Jeff, considering he drank himself to death?
– Not really. I mean, Jeff was who he was and of course it was a way to commemorate his life.
You're not Jeff but you drink a lot…
– Yesterday I did it, damn it, haha! When we have days off on tour, my tour manager is practically my date and yesterday we had a spontaneous pub crawl with x number of Jägermeister splashers. That's how we roll.
And I was just about to ask a serious question: given Jeff's passing, do you regularly check your liver and blood values?
– I check my blood values more or less annually. I did it recently and haven't received any emails saying I'm close to dying so…
You used to be the most famous metal musician who constantly said exactly what you thought about other bands and got into trouble for it. »Why is he so honest? Why doesn't he just keep quiet?« That's what people used to say about you, but now it's been a long time since the controversial Kerry King statements were circulating. Have you deliberately avoided speaking out about others in the metal scene?
– I assume so. These days the internet is running amok with dog shit so I give people less dog shit to throw at each other, haha! Things are taken out of context and it becomes far too big, uncontrollable a situation. You end up having to spend more time explaining yourself than before. In the past, you said something and it appeared in a newspaper or a magazine and then people only talked about it with their friends. It was easier to control the spread, whereas today it becomes a thing all over the world in a flash. It's not worth it. Do I still hate people? Fuck, of course I still hate people! Do I hate certain bands? Absolutely fucking stupid! But I let people believe what they want and stay away from the center of the rumor spread, because it's not worth all the trouble.
In early 1995, I was on a week-long US tour with Slayer, Biohazard and Machine Head. It was a bad time for metal in the US and you were playing smaller venues. Despite that, the first thing I saw when I entered your box was Kerry King's own fucking bartender standing there mixing drinks. Was that your greatest rock star moment, having your own bartender on tour?
– Probably. It wasn't just any unknown guy, the bartender was one of our closest friends. At that point in Slayer's career, we would rehearse and then go to a TGI Fridays somewhere in Orange County. And by that I mean four or five nights a week. When we were there, he knew what we were drinking and how to mix the drinks.
The funny thing is, when he was the bartender on tour, I rarely let him mix my drinks, I mostly did it myself, haha! At that time, we weren't making much money, so we said, "We'll fly you in, pay your bills back home, and cover your food and hotel room, but we can't give you a salary." He was then more or less given the role of band assistant. I don't think he went to Europe, but he was in North America and Australia so he got to look around. To this day, we keep in touch and talk.
What Slayer song would you rather never hear again?
- "Desire". I hate that damn song because it doesn't sound like Slayer.
Then why did you write it?
- I didn't write it, haha!
Steve Harris hates »Invaders«, refuses to play it live and regrets including the song on the album »The number of the beast«, but I still like »Invaders«.
– Me too! It's actually the last Iron Maiden album that I like. I wrote a song for Slayer that I hate so much that I've even suppressed its name. Fuck, I can't remember what the hell it's called! It's on the album »South of heaven«… But what the hell is it called?! Every time I talk about it I remember it but then I immediately forget the title again. Ask something else while I'm thinking.
What's the best song you've written for Slayer?
– Fuck, that's such a hard question because Jeff and I wrote so many of the songs together. We even did »God hates us all« (2001), which was the last time we wrote together. After that, we never got to see each other and write together, maybe because he lived so damn far away. To answer the question, I would like to say »Disciple«, which I wrote all the lyrics for, but Jeff wrote all the music for that song. Of the songs that I've written entirely by myself, I like »Hate worldwide« and »When the stillness comes«. Fuck yes, now I came up with the name of the song on »South of heaven« that I hate so much: »Cleanse the soul«. Without looking it up, I don't know what role I had in the song, but it's a piece of shit (the lyrics were written by Tom and Kerry, while Jeff wrote all the music).
You've said that you have the look of a prisoner. Do you find pleasure in the fact that your look can scare people?
– If I like it? Hmm, I just see it as the gradual change of Kerry King from the moment I shaved my head to today. I can say as much as when I shaved my head, I had no plans to look the way I do today, haha! It just became what it was over the years.
How do you feel about people who don't know that you're Kerry King looking at you?
– Believe it or not, I walk around completely unaware of how people look at me or what they're doing around me. I shield myself and sometimes I completely disconnect from my surroundings. Sometimes a fan whispers to his buddy: "Is that Kerry King?" Is that Kerry King?' But I don't even hear it because I don't want to feel like an asshole if I hear them and ignore them. My wife often says, 'That guy is going to ask you for a picture.' And then I haven't even seen the guy standing there. All someone has to do is ask me. I'm not going to say no unless I have food all over my face. Otherwise, I've never said, 'No, you can't take a picture!' I want everyone to have a good experience. Of all the heroes I've met, maybe a couple have been assholes. And you remember that, that's something I'll never forget. It doesn't have to be that way. It shouldn't be that way. If someone appreciates me enough that they know who I am and know my name, I'm a dickhead if I can't take 20 seconds to pose for a picture. People might think I look scary, but I don't want anyone to think I'm a dickhead.
When was the last time you were involved in a fight?
- In first grade at school when they were cutting someone's hair and they thought you were tough as hell, but it was over before it even started. I should have shut up sometime around 2007 but it worked out thanks to my looks.
What happened?
- We visited one of our watering holes where we knew everyone who worked. My wife went out to smoke with one of our friends' girlfriends, who happened to have big fake breasts. They ran into two rough guys outside who said something derogatory like "show me your tits!" My wife stands up for every woman so she gave one of the men a shout-out. Then she called my buddy, whose girlfriend had been harassed, and he left. »There's no way I'm going to get called out too,« I thought, but oh well, I was. I went out and gave the man a fucking verbal beating. We were face to face and I said things to the man that should have made him just knock me out. Instead, he dropped everything and slunk back in with his tail between his legs.
What did you say to him?
– My friends know what I said, but the whole world doesn't need to know, haha!
I get the impression that you and your wife have more fun together than most other couples.
– I definitely won the rock star lottery. We know how to have fun, that's for sure. She's funny and my best friend. My very best advice to anyone considering a life with the same partner: if you can't be yourself in the relationship, something's wrong. I meet people who then change when their girl is also involved and it's never going to work. You have to be able to be yourself, have fun and have fun with your partner. It took me three tries to come to that realization. The longest of my first two marriages lasted two years, but I've been married since 2003.
You've trademarked KFK, but have you trademarked Kerry Fucking King?
- Hmm, I don't think so. These days, there's so much you "have to" trademark and I feel mostly: "How far can you take it and when do you just ignore it?"
Have you been starstruck?
- Absolutely, yes. I have a long history of being starstruck. The first time I met Tony Iommi, I couldn't even talk to him, haha! We did several Ozzfest tours and I saw Tony in other contexts, but for a long time I couldn't even bring myself to talk to him. During Ozzfest in the US in 2004, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Slayer and whoever else it may have been played. Being in that company was something that really gave me goosebumps at the time. I remember one day I came out of my hotel room and Tony was walking down the corridor. "Hi Tony," I said in a low voice and looked down at the floor while telling myself: "Whatever you do, don't make eye contact with him!" At the Classic Rock Awards in 2007 I was then supposed to present an award to him and it was only then that I felt like I could talk to Tony as a friend and no longer needed to be a fanboy. At Ozzfest in 2004 I started hanging out with KK Downing and Glenn Tipton. They hung out at the same places so we had drinks together and they even came and hung out on our tour bus so I broke the ice with them before I even ventured up to Tony. It’s just how I was raised. I still look up to the guys in Iron Maiden. I don’t see them that often, but we played together in South America in 2013 and we were constantly running into each other at airports. They’re cool guys, but I still really look up to them.
What was it like touring with Venom in 1985?
– I absolutely adored Venom at the time. Believe it or not, I was just a scared little fan who was way too scared to talk to them. Cronos was a cool guy, but I just couldn’t muster up the courage to go up to him and not freak out and say “Here, sign everything I own!”
Did you even talk to Cronos?
– Not much, no. I've talked to him a lot more since that tour.
Which Metal musician do you consider your best friend?
– If I had been asked this question 15 years ago, I would have answered Dimebag. Today it's Anthrax bassist Frank Bello. We've toured a lot together in recent years and have a lot of fun together. We're always pushing each other. It's strange, but it almost feels like he's in my band even though he plays in Anthrax. However, the stage style he has in Anthrax is completely wrong for Slayer. In Anthrax, he jumps, jumps around and interacts with the audience, something that doesn't happen in Slayer. That's not to say that I don't like his stage style. I love watching Anthrax and he's perfect there.
Any musicians you've gotten close to on tour and wish you could hang out with more?
– The first name that pops up is Metallica. During all these years, we moved in completely different circles. Even though we were touring at the same time, we were very rarely at the same festivals or tours. When we got the chance to do the big four shows, I liked it a lot more than I thought I would. I thought it would be a really cool thing for the fans, but after we had done a couple of big four shows, I thought: »This is a cool thing for me too!« It was cool to hang out with Lars and Kirk. I have been hanging out with Rob Trujillo for all these years because we have known each other since his time in Suicidal Tendencies.
Do you think there will ever be more big four shows?
– I don’t think there will ever be and it’s not because of my band, haha!
When we met at the Sweden Rock Festival 2010, you told me that you weren’t as close as people might think. Since then, Slayer has been higher up on festival posters and has received significantly higher fees. What has that meant for your finances?
– Definitely more security. I own a condo in Las Vegas and I might move there… or I might not. It’s something I’ve been thinking about doing just for tax reasons. When you live in California, you pay so much tax—I think it’s 12.5 percent—and not having to pay that tax just to live in another state puts a lot of money right in your pocket. As long as I’m not living beyond my means, I’m in a really good place. Up until 2015, I had two old cars from 2003, but now I have an Infiniti G35 and a Dodge pickup. I’ll probably get a nice car too, not as part of some kind of midlife crisis but because I now have enough money to make that kind of investment without having to worry, unlike if I were to buy a big house.
Sometime in the future, Slayer will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. Would you then forget everything that has happened, get on stage and play live with Dave Lombardo?
– Honestly, it's not something I've even considered. If I had to give an answer here and now, it would be no. ◾
By Martin Carlsson from Sweden Rock Magazine