<![CDATA[ Latest from Guitar World in Slayer ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/tag/slayer Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 en <![CDATA[ “Their first record was very different from the record they made after they met me and the guys in Metallica”: Dave Mustaine on the influence he had on the Big Four of thrash metal ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/dave-mustaine-on-the-influence-he-had-on-the-big-four-of-thrash-metal itdkNreHfJ6PjJyMqcfqaa Sun, 19 Apr 2026 12:00:00 +0000 Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:23:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ “They gave me an MRI and said it looked like I’d been in a car crash”: Gary Holt once gave himself clinical-grade whiplash because he headbanged to his riffs too hard ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/gary-holts-clinical-grade-whiplash cK8s9KspajvzwN8Cr4DEZi Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:13:47 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Kurt said, ‘I want the guy that did the Slayer album’”: How Kurt Cobain brought a more aggressive edge to Nevermind with the help of Slayer’s producer ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/how-kurt-cobain-ended-up-working-with-slayer-producer p5DRdSo6EWqGpzpC2YFhA3 Thu, 31 Jul 2025 13:58:20 +0000 Tue, 05 Aug 2025 12:20:37 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Most of these dudes don’t fall quite as far as I did. They don’t develop a meth habit and end up shoveling dog s**t for $6 an hour”: Gary Holt on his thrash metal redemption story, balancing Exodus and Slayer – and why even Hetfield cheats on downpicking ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/gary-hold-on-exodus-slayer-and-his-new-autobiography-a-fabulous-disaster y5SajqYhuo7YPZYbpf7tre Tue, 17 Jun 2025 11:53:58 +0000 Mon, 23 Jun 2025 10:05:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ “When we did the final Slayer show for 60,000 people, Scott Ian used it as his primary tone”: Gary Holt's favorite budget pedal emulates Eddie Van Halen's iconic “Brown Sound” – and it retails for less than a $100 ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/gary-holt-favorite-budget-pedal-emulates-eddie-van-halens-iconic-brown-sound 7gZeVr3TFjBcCj3VTJzUKc Tue, 13 May 2025 15:30:52 +0000 Wed, 21 May 2025 10:04:05 +0000 <![CDATA[ “A lot of Slayer riffs aren’t really for bass players – there’s just too many notes”: Slayer’s Tom Araya charts his incredible 4-string journey ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/bassists/tom-araya-slayer ksWX9DJFQvhEug6QScwcfb Mon, 24 Mar 2025 11:56:15 +0000 Mon, 31 Mar 2025 09:46:56 +0000 <![CDATA[ “If you look at the leads he was doing and when he was doing ’em, he innovated a lot of that stuff”: Slayer's Kerry King reveals who he thinks is the most “overlooked” guitarist in metal ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/slayer-kerry-king-on-the-most-overlooked-guitarist-in-metal uvTPDRPYKGGMGihbdzKfKD Thu, 02 Jan 2025 16:58:36 +0000 Mon, 06 Jan 2025 16:25:17 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Everyone thinks Slayer is getting back together, but that couldn’t be further from the truth”: How Kerry King rose from the ashes of Slayer – ready to slay all over again ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/2024-year-in-review-the-return-of-kerry-king Wnbon5foJgynSVAbyb5eFG Mon, 23 Dec 2024 09:23:00 +0000 Thu, 02 Jan 2025 11:15:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ “That’s probably our fastest song. It’s not one I’m looking to play live any time soon!” Kerry King picks out the hardest Slayer song to play – and the greatest showcase of Jeff Hanneman’s talents ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/guitarists/kerry-king-on-the-hardest-slayer-song-to-play ohSdQyagUhZtnzuBQj3AXT Mon, 21 Oct 2024 15:04:17 +0000 Thu, 31 Oct 2024 15:08:50 +0000 <![CDATA[ “I played him Metallica as an example of what I thought was wrong”: How Rick Rubin shaped the sound of Slayer’s classic Reign in Blood record by ignoring heavy metal norms ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/rick-rubin-slayer-metallica unRSm94d5m2hsnfAgHphVH Tue, 08 Oct 2024 11:17:55 +0000 Tue, 22 Oct 2024 12:24:41 +0000 <![CDATA[ “She said this model was made shortly after Jeff Hanneman passed away and this was a very, very limited edition”: America's Got Talent sensation Maya Neelakantan gifted a rare prototype of the late Slayer guitarist's signature model by his wife ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/maya-neelakantan-gifted-rare-prototype-of-slayer-jeff-hanneman-signature-guitar hfDdbs2LvDoRSQUw9YhF7 Wed, 02 Oct 2024 13:35:35 +0000 Thu, 17 Oct 2024 11:16:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ Jeff Hanneman is a metal god whose evil phrasing and brutal downpicking gave thrash kings Slayer an unholy dimension ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/jeff-hanneman-slayer-rhythm-lead 26uXkeGu5LZSBrjk8pkT4X Fri, 06 Sep 2024 11:45:16 +0000 <![CDATA[ Slayer’s reputation as thrash’s fiercest band rested upon the guitar partnership of Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King – and their harmonically evil style will make your rhythm riffing that bit more diabolical ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/lessons/slayer-metal-guitar-rhythm uGCMWGm2oTbfyrwg8ZmHna Thu, 08 Aug 2024 10:10:12 +0000 Thu, 08 Aug 2024 10:11:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Me not being in Slayer sucks. I want Slayer to exist. This is the only way I know how to do that”: Thrash icon Kerry King on flying solo, the reunion shows that were never going to happen – and why he doesn’t demo with modelers ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/kerry-king-life-after-slayer-from-hell-i-rise yW6JTjV8hEogi8EowYkBPY Mon, 01 Jul 2024 14:33:02 +0000 Tue, 16 Jul 2024 09:57:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Stepping into the Slayer situation and learning 19 songs on the flight over to Europe made a good impression”: How Phil Demmel nailed one of the biggest gigs in metal – and became Kerry King’s six-string wingman ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/phil-demmel-on-leaving-machine-head-slayer-and-kerry-king BPxE2AqPhrtXRDtsgCXuHC Mon, 24 Jun 2024 16:30:18 +0000 Tue, 09 Jul 2024 08:57:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ “Me and Dime were tight – but I don’t like the guitars Dime played. A headstock that looks like a baby guitar? I don't need all that real estate”: Kerry King on his personal history with B.C. Rich and ESP – and why he switched to Dean ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/kerry-king-on-his-journey-from-bc-rich-to-dean-via-esp-guitars TzUApTCFtRdUyZtJESRsEF Mon, 17 Jun 2024 15:37:03 +0000 Mon, 08 Jul 2024 11:08:13 +0000 <![CDATA[ “There are no shocks on this album. I like bands to stay true to the sound that works. I’m happy that AC/DC have been making the same record for 50 years” Kerry King on his unapologetic solo debut – and how long before Slayer jump back into the coffin ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/kerry-king-from-hell-i-rise BQPrdEihnEM4m2AtWc4hQj Thu, 06 Jun 2024 12:17:26 +0000 Tue, 27 Aug 2024 15:17:35 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It was funny when I first met James Hetfield. I was like, ‘Thank you for teaching me how to play guitar. You paved the way for me’”: Mastodon's Bill Kelliher on how meeting his guitar heroes pushed him to improve his craft ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/mastodon-bill-kelliher-meeting-guitar-heroes-james-hetfield DoF9zTUKGANZhEDGFvhhP8 Wed, 15 May 2024 16:01:00 +0000 <![CDATA[ “It was a quality instrument to learn on. Without my dad, who knows what kind of tree trunk I would’ve had”: You’ll never guess what guitar thrash metal pioneer Kerry King learned to play on ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/slayer-kerry-king-gibson-jazz-guitar WtbxHEyd2y2HQ26mSpnwjP Tue, 14 May 2024 15:22:25 +0000 Fri, 21 Mar 2025 15:18:29 +0000 <![CDATA[ “If you want to bench press 200lbs, you start at 80... You should concentrate on performing with articulation at whatever speed it is”: Kerry King on how to master thrash metal speed riffing ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/slayer-kerry-king-speed-metal-riffing PfyJRQ4a9j6KqaUTAswnuN Mon, 06 May 2024 15:56:44 +0000 Wed, 22 May 2024 14:40:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ NAMM 2023: Dean reveals Kerry King’s latest lux signature, the USA Custom Shop Overlord – and it isheaving with top-notch components and clever circuitry ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/dean-kerry-king-usa-custom-shop-overlord 7QBSzTdzLxXcSGTVezEiUg Fri, 14 Apr 2023 11:34:35 +0000 Fri, 25 Oct 2024 16:07:15 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dave Mustaine responds to praise from Kerry King: “It's not every day one of the most fearsome guitarists in the world gives you a compliment” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/dave-mustaine-responds-to-kerry-king UncLZZFk9aJKefyfatXDCe Thu, 26 Jan 2023 13:51:07 +0000 Wed, 01 Feb 2023 10:11:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kerry King turned down his Sum 41 guest solo 10 times – here's what changed his mind ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kerry-king-sum-41-solo h5oK64evvHpc8PUDtyDrwU Tue, 24 Jan 2023 11:49:07 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dead Cross are auctioning two custom Fender Player Series Lead III guitars to raise money for suicide prevention ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/dead-cross-fender-lead-guitar-auction nQDwrJN6MQLb3VhHqg5ERD Wed, 28 Sep 2022 15:35:54 +0000 <![CDATA[ Gary Holt: “I had one job in Slayer and one job only. Go out, play killer, bang your head and play a little bit of a guitar hero role. I wear a lot more hats in Exodus” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gary-holt-exodus-slayer-persona-non-grata UEf9cU77ztKoUiZWJ5vEf3 Fri, 12 Aug 2022 15:08:34 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kerry King says his first post-Slayer project will sound like Slayer and is coming soon ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kerry-king-post-slayer-material wrHDUCZPmJUk5qTHs3dT7A Wed, 20 Jul 2022 12:11:25 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Anthrax's Scott Ian play Slayer's Raining Blood with his 10-year-old son, Revel ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/anthrax-scott-ian-revel-son-slayer xRGVzzRJeLrYGx9JW5dmqK Thu, 16 Jun 2022 16:15:30 +0000 <![CDATA[ Gary Holt: “Making this album, we were under no time constraints. It was a perfect breeding ground for creativity” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/gary-holt-persona-non-grata 2CH2xvj83Q57aPt9QPCvBj Fri, 05 Nov 2021 12:40:01 +0000 Fri, 05 Nov 2021 15:25:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kerry King admits Slayer “quit too early” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kerry-king-slayer-quit-too-early dRwhhKAqJGFcmKhjW9uUhZ Wed, 13 Oct 2021 14:05:16 +0000 <![CDATA[ Scott Ian and Corey Taylor team up with Dave Lombardo and Lzzy Hale for new Netflix movie theme song, Thunder Force ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/scott-ian-and-corey-taylor-team-up-with-dave-lombardo-and-lzzy-hale-for-new-netflix-movie-theme-song-thunder-force xJzVzjxmPg7YFCGQaMxJZg Thu, 01 Apr 2021 16:31:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kerry King: Alexi Laiho was a “guitar god” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kerry-king-alexi-laiho-was-a-guitar-god yBbETCVccPbJr7bWvehsuH Fri, 05 Feb 2021 16:43:31 +0000 <![CDATA[ My Chemical Romance’s Frank Iero gave Gary Holt a signed Ampeg Dan Armstrong electric guitar ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/my-chemical-romances-frank-iero-gave-gary-holt-a-signed-ampeg-dan-armstrong-electric-guitar H4QVQeqAP8GyySVALtFzWA Wed, 27 Jan 2021 17:26:43 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dean shreds the price tag, but not the feature set, with affordable new Kerry King Signature V ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/dean-shreds-the-price-tag-but-not-the-feature-set-with-affordable-new-kerry-king-signature-v D6t23FLPsCwAVm7gXfzjeN Tue, 19 Jan 2021 16:25:02 +0000 Tue, 19 Jan 2021 16:32:51 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kerry King has “more than two records’ worth of music” for new project ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/kerry-king-has-more-than-two-records-worth-of-music-for-new-project NzAUENbnNbYfg9hrpUux5h Wed, 26 Aug 2020 12:39:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dave Mustaine, Matt Heafy, Mark Morton and Bjorn Gelotte on metal's ultimate tour ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/dave-mustaine-matt-heafy-mark-morton-and-bjorn-gelotte-on-metals-ultimate-tour qn39jENmNXJTnny47aaKSU Wed, 19 Aug 2020 10:22:42 +0000 Wed, 19 Aug 2020 12:24:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dean teases more affordable Kerry King V and a King/Dimebag/Dave Mustaine three-guitar package ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/dean-teases-more-affordable-kerry-king-v-and-a-kingdimebagdave-mustaine-three-guitar-package PsXinK8kNdk5ZKvcVXDEVX Wed, 15 Apr 2020 14:36:16 +0000 Wed, 15 Apr 2020 19:18:40 +0000 <![CDATA[ Headbanging Italian guitarist plays Slayer from his balcony during coronavirus lockdown ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/headbanging-italian-guitarist-plays-slayer-from-his-balcony-during-coronavirus-lockdown TxL9Smwux2hJyg9qVoo3Hb Mon, 16 Mar 2020 16:55:27 +0000 Mon, 16 Mar 2020 16:56:18 +0000 <![CDATA[ Kerry King on new music post-Slayer: "Let’s just say Dean didn’t sign me for nothing!" ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/features/kerry-king-on-new-music-post-slayer-lets-just-say-dean-didnt-sign-me-for-nothing sLv9ABUuHGo8euqz8tNjzc Mon, 02 Mar 2020 11:55:44 +0000 Wed, 26 Aug 2020 12:29:55 +0000 <![CDATA[ Is Gary Holt’s medieval woodcut ESP the most satanic guitar ever? ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/is-gary-holts-medieval-woodcut-esp-the-most-satanic-guitar-ever Jed9NqHQdg73NaupCuXKWb Fri, 28 Feb 2020 17:20:09 +0000 Mon, 02 Mar 2020 14:10:06 +0000 <![CDATA[ Dean’s first Kerry King signature model is here, and you'll need to rain down a lot of cash - $8,666 - to pick one up ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/deans-first-kerry-king-signature-model-is-here-and-youll-need-to-rain-down-a-lot-of-cash-dollar8666-to-pick-one-up GEsZJAMGPyJk4tvupT5NT8 Thu, 14 Nov 2019 17:50:59 +0000 Mon, 18 Nov 2019 16:48:48 +0000 <![CDATA[ Slayer's Kerry King joins Dean Guitars ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/slayers-kerry-king-joins-dean-guitars-artist-roster sgAtt7EW5WRGuUgH26idU5 Thu, 31 Oct 2019 16:51:21 +0000 Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:28:08 +0000 <![CDATA[ Slayer Announce “The Final Campaign” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/slayer-announce-the-final-campaign WGKR5YSCnAi5dN3HdW4DiL Tue, 09 Jul 2019 13:47:08 +0000 Wed, 10 Jul 2019 18:24:02 +0000 <![CDATA[ KHDK Electronics Unveils Gary Holt Paranormal Parametric EQ Overdrive ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/gear/khdk-electronics-unveils-gary-holt-paranormal-parametric-eq-overdrive pnwjX9fM2ZaBScuTjiVS5K Tue, 05 Mar 2019 15:03:05 +0000 Tue, 05 Mar 2019 15:57:27 +0000 <![CDATA[ Slayer Announce New 'Final Tour' North American Dates ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/slayer-announce-new-final-tour-north-american-dates 6WGiVxVepVaoRo2jpnnBQM Mon, 10 Dec 2018 16:54:04 +0000 Tue, 11 Feb 2025 13:03:13 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Former Machine Head Guitarist Phil Demmel Play "Raining Blood" and More in First Show with Slayer ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/watch-former-machine-head-guitarist-phil-demmel-play-raining-blood-and-more-in-first-show-with-slayer PyMVdVTTMdjVhaaFVkyh8j Tue, 04 Dec 2018 18:43:04 +0000 <![CDATA[ Broken Hope Guitarist Jeremy Wagner Showcases His Impressive Collection of Jeff Hanneman Gear ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/broken-hope-guitarist-jeremy-wagner-showcases-his-impressive-collection-of-jeff-hanneman-gear CmQgw32yh4r4wpXdyGxDDn Fri, 30 Nov 2018 20:01:22 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Two Kids Absolutely Nail Slayer's "Raining Blood" on Guitar and Bass ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/watch-two-kids-absolutely-nail-slayers-raining-blood-on-guitar-and-bass mBHpJTaceggTetugB3rqc5 Fri, 14 Sep 2018 20:07:27 +0000 Tue, 09 Mar 2021 17:49:26 +0000 <![CDATA[ Listen to Slayer and Exodus Guitarist Gary Holt Play His Favorite Riffs ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/listen-to-slayer-and-exodus-guitarist-gary-holt-play-his-favorite-riffs EX9zF59RCfnBhXh3opie2W Wed, 05 Sep 2018 14:43:26 +0000 Thu, 06 Sep 2018 17:44:32 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch a Mash-Up of Slayer’s “Angel of Death” with the Bangles’ “Walk Like an Egyptian” ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/news/watch-a-mash-up-of-slayers-angel-of-death-with-the-bangles-walk-like-an-egyptian sPdxh4qbTXYCpsMwJ5wesS Thu, 30 Aug 2018 16:06:24 +0000 <![CDATA[ Watch Slayer Cover Led Zeppelin and ZZ Top ]]> https://www.guitarworld.com/artists/watch-slayer-cover-led-zeppelin-and-zz-top XioEWiB2qEagefvXfNViu5 Wed, 06 Jun 2018 19:30:35 +0000