Kerry King Hasn’t Talked to Tom Araya Since Slayer’s Final Show

Guitarist Kerry King, who just unveiled the lineup of his new solo band and announced his first album, has now revealed that he hasn’t talked to his former Slayer bandmate Tom Araya since Slayer’s final show in 2019.

“Not even a text,” King tells Rolling Stone of his non-communication with the Slayer vocalist-bassist in a new interview. “Not even an email.”

As metalheads know, it was a seismic farewell to thrash metal when Slayer embarked on their final tour, igniting stages with blistering performances that defined a genre. It all culminated in a cathartic crescendo at their very last show at the Los Angeles Forum on Nov. 30, 2019.

“I’ve talked to everybody else from the band on the phone, text or email,” King explains. “If Tom hit me up, I’d probably respond. It probably depends on what he hit me up for, but I don’t wish him dead at this moment.”

READ MORE: Kerry King Altered His New Song Lyrics Due to the Ukraine War

However, “me and Tom have never been on the same page,” King continues. “Like if I want a chocolate shake, he wants a vanilla shake. ‘Kerry, what color is the sky?’ Blue. ‘Tom, what color is the sky?’ White. We’re just different people. The further on in years we got, it just became more.”

Still, “Am I going to hang out with Tom?” King muses. “He likes tequila a little bit, and I’m a big tequila-head, so I’ll have my shot with him, and we’ll part ways. We’re not going to hang out or anything because we are very different people. And together, we made great music and a great live show.”

But there was some initial confusion before Slayer’s ultimate end, according to King, when Araya mentioned the possibility of a new Slayer record in an interview. But it wasn’t to be.

“We were on tour, and some kid was interviewing him, and he said something about, ‘I’ve got to get together with Kerry and talk before we talk about the next record.’ He should have just said, ‘I’m probably not going to do another record,’ or had that conversation with me before he mentioned anything like that.”

Asked if he knew why Araya wanted to be done, King added, “I think just the wear and tear of the road. I think he wanted to be home. None of us are real spotlight seekers, but he’s certainly not. And when [late Slayer guitarist] Jeff [Hanneman] was around, he was like a hermit. He did not want fame. I tolerate fame. Somebody’s got to be that guy.”

Slayer + Donald Trump

In the same interview, King was asked about the controversial Donald Trump post that emerged on Slayer’s official Instagram account in 2017. As it turned out, the post was made by Araya and was not endorsed by his fellow band members, as fans learned in the days following the post.

“I was super pissed off at that,” King says now, “but not enough to fucking quit my band. I was like, ‘Dude, that’s what your personal social media is for. You’re the only one in this band that gives a shit about this idiot, and when you put it up there, we’re all backing him.'”

The iconic Slayer guitarist adds, “And I am not [backing Trump] — [guitarist] Gary [Holt]’s not, [drummer] Paul [Bostaph] is not. That’s your opinion, not ours. I would never do that to you.”

Below, listen to Kerry King’s solo single “Idle Hands.” His solo album From Hell I Rise arrives on May 17.

Kerry King, “Idle Hands”