Slayer haven’t discussed making an album to follow last year’s Repentless, says frontman Tom Araya.
But he reports that he and Kerry King are communicating better than they ever have in the past.
His comments come after guitarist King said the band’s future was “very unclear” because Araya appeared to be considering retirement.
Repentless was their first album since the death of co-founder Jeff Hanneman in 2013.
Araya tells Billboard: “There hasn’t really been any talk of a new record yet. The Nuclear Blast people have, but we haven’t.
“We haven’t been a put-a-record-out-year-after-year band since back in the 80s, when Reign In Blood, South Of Heaven and Season In The Abyss came out.
“We like to work our material out and make sure we’re happy before anybody decides, ‘Let’s do a record.’
“And now there’s no Jeff, so that leaves a lot on Kerry. He’ll need to take a break from touring work to start on ideas, get stuff together and work things out.”
Hanneman had been off the road for two years before his death from alcohol-related illness, with Exodus guitarist Gary Holt in his place. Before that, Araya and King had only ever talked on a limited basis.
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The frontman says: “Me and Kerry are doing something we’ve never done, which is talk. Usually we never did communicate on things.
“When it came to Slayer business we each kind of put in our input, then it was majority rule kind of thing, and the outcome was the outcome.
“I would say, in the last few years, we actually did get on the phone and talk about things. After Jeff passed, Kerry and I continued that dialogue.”
Slayer are current touring North American with Anthrax and Death Angel. King has said the band isn’t likely to record again until 2018, assuming Araya remains on board.
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Slayer tour dates
Sep 15: Pittsburgh Stage AE, PA
Sep 20: Indianapolis Egyptian Room, IN
Sep 22: St Louis The Pageant, MO
Sep 27: Orlando Hard Rock Live, FL
Sep 28: Miami Fillmore, FL
Sep 30: Tunica Horseshoe Casino, MS
Oct 03: Norfolk Norva, VA
Oct 05: Atlanta Tabernacle, GA
Oct 07: Dallas Gas Monkey Live, TX
Oct 08: Austin ACL At The Moody Theatre, TX
Oct 10: Denver Fillmore, CO
Oct 11: Salt Lake City The Complex, UT
Oct 13: Missoula The Wilma Theatre, MT
Oct 17: Lethbridge Enmax Center, AB
Oct 19: Penticton South Okanagan Events Centre, BC
Oct 20: Abbotsford Centre, BC
Oct 23: Reno Events Center, NV
Oct 27: El Paso County Coliseum, TX
