The wife of Slayer guitarist Gary Holt has hit out against people criticising the thrash metal band’s reunion via social media.
Slayer – Holt, bassist/singer Tom Araya, guitarist Kerry King and drummer Paul Bostaph – retired in 2019 following a worldwide farewell tour: a decision that’s since been attributed to Araya’s exhaustion with life on the road at the time.
Holt returned to his longtime band, Exodus, following the disbanding, while Bostaph and King began quietly working on a Kerry King solo album. The album was announced on February 5, 2024, with the title of From Hell I Rise, also featuring Phil Demmel (guitars), Kyle Sanders (bass) and Mark Oseguada (vocals).
In an interview with Rolling Stone, King revealed that From Hell I Rise contains music originally written for a planned follow-up to the final Slayer album, Repentless (2015). He also said, “Me and Tom have never been on the same page,” and that the duo haven’t shared as much as a text since Slayer split.
All of this made it shocking when yesterday (February 4), Slayer announced their comeback for two festival dates in the US in September 2024. It was a revelation broadly met with goodwill from the metal community, overjoyed to have the band behind such thrash classics as Reign In Blood (1986) and Seasons In The Abyss (1990) back.
However, there has also been criticism across social media, with allegations of the band getting back together purely for financial purposes and of them lying with their extensive “farewell” tour five years prior.
Lisa Holt, wife of Gary, pushed back against such responses on Facebook.
She wrote: “Yes, it’s true..and an exciting adventure for the band and fans !
“To all the people saying ‘they are liars’ ‘they must have ran out of money’ ‘its not Slayer without so and so’ ..I have an idea for you all…DON’T GO.. and for all the people who did go to the final tour dates and enjoyed it…awesome!!
“This isn’t a ‘TOUR’ it’s some dates..and GREAT NEWS!!! And everyone that thinks they know all the inside info..you can’t possibly know. so just enjoy the fact that this amazing band will play some amazing shows this year…go or don’t..nobody cares!!!!!”
Slayer’s only confirmed activities thus far are performing at the Riot festival in Chicago on September 22 and at the Louder Than Life festival in Kentucky on September 27. No new music has been released or announced.
From Hell I Rise, King’s solo album, will come out on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music.
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