Posts Tagged ‘kerry king’

Slayer – Repentless

There’s a certain inevitability that comes along with critiquing one of the “classics”; an act so well known that their very name rings throughout the air, from East to West and North to South of Heaven. What’s inevitable is that at some point during their new work, it starts to sound familiar, lacking any real drive. Whether or not this is countered with throwback performances can be the key factor in making an eleventh record jump or trip. Slayer are certainly not jumping, it can’t be expected with the loss of a man so key to their success.At this point, they may need a minute to check themselves because Repentless is definitely a toe stub of a step forward. The middle tracks of this album, “When The Stillness Comes” and “Chasing Death” are possibly the least attention grabbing eight minutes of 2015. King’s riffs here sound like they’ve been played through a surrogate, not entirely capable of playing as fast as the moment requires. Even one of his unique leads fails to get going, stuttering before failing to take off whatsoever. The stillness never leaves until the albums last track, which is probably only a touch more memorable than it’s preceding cuts due to the gleefully sassy nature of it’s title. The material all stalls because of riffs that go on for fucking ever. Don’t even bother with the intro track. Seriously. King is in a glass house when it comes to the extent of his song writing skills and he barely makes it out of this album alive because of it; only thanks to a couple of magic grooves and time changes into breakneck speeds does he remain with head above water. There is genuinely nothing new here and so be it. If Slayer are going to continue then this is probably the best thing that can happen. Get the first one outta the way and charge forward. To counter all of the bashing, Repentless doesn’t sound totally shit. Every cymbal and bit of kit rolls clearly and clearly and Araya’s bass is audible enough to remind everyone listening what it is he does between verses. The guitars are pretty flat and the tone is set from beginning to end of the record but Kerry King. Again, at this point it stops being that big a deal as it’s already clear where the albums strength comes from and it is not the ingenuity or skill on display here. It’s that it’s a Slayer album. People will find reason to continue to play this, long after being fully aware of how little this album has changed absolutely anybodies reaction to Slayer, regardless of their circumstances. Except for when Araya belts out a call to spark up – “Let’s get high!”. Pretty fucking funny. The most memorable part about the album for quite a few, would be a safe bet. Next time around might be different if King gives Holt something to do. Probably not. It’ll be a Slayer album. Slayer’s Repentless gets… 2.5/5

King Diamond Forced to Perform Without Makeup at Milwaukee Show

King Diamond is one of rock’s most recognizable performers, often decked out in black and white stage makeup with crosses and occult symbols painted upon his face. But Wednesday night at The Rave in Milwaukee, fans got a different looking King Diamond. The singer was forced to take the stage without his familiar stage makeup as […]

Slayer’s Kerry King + Anthrax’s Scott Ian Share Dimebag Darrell Memories

YouTube Get  Slayer ‘s Kerry King  and  Anthrax ‘s  Scott Ian  in front of a camera together, and all you have to do is get out of the way while two hard rock legends talk — which is exactly what the producers at Fuse.tv did recently when King and Ian arrived in the studio to discuss their recent Metal Masters 4 concert. Ian and King touched on a number of subjects (or, as Fuse put it when titling the clip, ‘Scott Ian and Kerry King Talk Arrests, Booze & Strippers’), but some of their most heartfelt discussion centered around Dimebag Darrell . And while Darrell’s life ended in tragedy, the conversation focused on happier (and, it must be said, hazier) memories of the former Pantera guitarist’s life. “My normal rules went out the window when I played with those guys,” recalled Ian. “I would try to keep it to a minimum and say, ‘I’m not doing more than three shots with you before I play.’ But then they’re walking onstage and handing me drinks in the middle of a set or pouring ‘em down your throat. Any time I toured with those guys was the drunkest I’ve been in my life.” King chimed in, saying, “[Drinking] just made [Dimebag] loose. It got him in the vibe to play.” Ian went on to discuss an epic night at a strip club with Darrell and some other famous friends, including Gene Simmons of Kiss and Motley Crue ‘s Tommy Lee : “We ended up in a private room and for three or four hours I’m sitting next to Dime with a stripper on my lap constantly. There never wasn’t a girl on my lap and there was always someone refilling my drinks. I remember saying to somebody afterward, ‘Who paid for that? What did we do?’ And the next day in the New York Post I saw a story, ‘Tommy Lee dropped 28 grand at Scores last night.’ So I guess I owe Tommy a thank you.” Scott Ian & Kerry King Talk Arrests, Booze & Strippers

What If Everyone Had Scott Ian’s Beard?

Megaforce For a long time, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian has sported one of metal’s most celebrated beards. Once predominantly black, these days Ian has taken a more natural approach to the beard, allowing some gray into the mix. Ian’s beard deserves a prominent spot in some sort of Rock and Roll Facial Hair Hall of Fame next to James Hetfield’s goat-like chin-plant and Kerry King’s whimsical bristles. Few possess the pure manliness to grow such a beard. The dedication involved is staggering in itself, no doubt taking many months or even years to cultivate. But what if everyone was able to grow a beard like Scott Ian? Obviously we would all grow one, but what would it look like on some of the world’s most recognizable faces? A beard of this stature deserves the upmost reverence, so we’ve decided to attach Ian’s breathtaking chin-locks to various lucky recipients. So, what if everyone had Scott Ian’s beard? They’d look something like this: Dave Mustaine Lars Ulrich Marilyn Manson Smashing Pumpkins Axl Rose Jay Leno Barack Obama

Slayer’s Kerry King Says Jeff Hanneman’s Recovery Isn’t Delaying New Album

Slayer are moving full steam ahead with a new album, and guitarist Kerry King says the fact that fellow guitarist Jeff Hanneman is still recovering from necrotizing fasciitis will not delay the new album moving forward. In a new video interview with Artisan News (watch below), King says, “We’ve recorded very little. We got a little bit done. We had a 12-day window where we hijacked [music engineer] Greg Fidelman from

Kerry King + Mike Portnoy Added to All-Star Lineup for Marshall Amps 50th Anniversary Gig

The mammoth rock ‘n’ roll celebration to pay tribute to Marshall Amps’ 50th anniversary and the life of late mastermind Jim Marshall, has just gotten a little bigger. Former Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy has been added to the mix, along with Free founding member Andy Fraser and Slayer guitar god Kerry King. The Marshall 50th anniversary event is set to be held on Sept. 22, at London’s iconic Wembley