King: Slayer ready for Rock Hall

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By ( Louder ) published

Kerry says Metallica’s induction opens the door for fellow thrash pioneers

Slayer guitarist Kerry King says the band is ready for its induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Fresh off the release of the band’s 11th album, Repentless, Slayer launched the record with an appearance on Motorhead’s second annual Motorboat cruise this week, where the guitarist spoke with VH1 about his impressions of the Rock Hall.

King says: “I went there last year, and I was surprisingly amazed. It was awesome. I thought I’d be there for like 40 minutes. I spent three and a half hours. The stuff in there is amazing. It’s way cooler than I ever imagined it would have been. It is really cool.”

The visit made the guitarist consider Slayer’s place in the institution, given their history as thrash pioneers and Metallica’s 2009 induction.

He says: “I’m not making a ploy to get in, but it makes me think, ‘Man, I hope they call my name one of these days.’ I think it took them a long time to get Metallica in there. But Metallica basically opens the door for us, because when you think of metal who do you think of next from that generation?

“Of course there’s Sabbath, Priest, and Maiden, without question. But for The Big Four, you think Metallica…We’ve always been number two on The Big Four shows. So come on, Rock Hall, give us that call. We’re ready.”

While he recently expressed concern over lack of metal role models as the next generation of bands develops, King recognises the communal fan base for the genre – and the band – is still out there and very active.

Repentless debuted at No.11 on the UK charts and No.4 in the US, earning the band their highest Billboard entry in their 32-year recording career.

King says: “I would have no idea what chart number we’re at, because that’s not why I do it. But to have a worldwide number two, that’s a fuckin’ gigantic statement—one that I never thought I’d be saying. The metal community came out in hoards and bought our record, and I appreciate it.”

Slayer launch the Repentless world tour next week with three shows in Japan. They return to the UK in November for a series of dates with Anthrax.