Slayer’s Kerry King Responds to Solo Material Backlash: “They’re Just Haters on the Internet”

After nearly a decade since Slayer released their final studio album, Repentless, guitarist Kerry King dropped his debut solo record From Hell I Rise in 2024. While many fans embraced the album, others criticized it for sounding too much like Slayer. King, however, doesn’t quite understand the backlash.

Speaking with Rádio Kiss FM 92.5, King made it clear he never intended to reinvent the wheel — just to keep doing what he does best: write heavy music.

“I didn’t go out of my way to outdo Slayer,” he explained. “To me, it was honestly the next 12 or 13 songs, the ones we finished, the ones we felt good about. I do think that record’s got teeth. It’s fierce; it just rips out of the speakers. I never set out to do anything better than Slayer. I just wanted my next thing to be good.”

He continued:

“The only thing I have to say to [the people who expected something different], and it makes perfect sense — I want AC/DC to be AC/DC. I want Judas Priest to be Judas Priest. People want Kerry King to be Kerry King, I think. To me, it’s people that are just haters on the Internet. They have an opinion about everything, and no one gives a shit about their opinion.”

While King continues pushing forward with his solo work, Slayer is gearing up to take the stage once again in 2025 for a handful of live appearances. Their confirmed dates are as follows:

07/03 Cardiff, UK – Blackweir Fields (with Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon, Hatebreed & Neckbreakker)
07/05 Birmingham, UK – Villa Park
07/06 London, UK – Finsbury Park (with Amon Amarth, Anthrax, Mastodon, Hatebreed & Neckbreakker)
07/11 Québec City, QC – Festival d’été de Québec
09/18 Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life – Highland Festival Grounds

No word yet on whether more dates will follow, but Slayer’s return to the stage is already shaping up to be one of the year’s most talked-about comebacks.

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