Kerry King is having a busy year. With the release of his highly anticipated solo debut From Hell I Rise and a series of upcoming Slayer reunion shows, one might assume King barely has time to keep up with the music scene. Yet, in a recent interview with RIFFX (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar), King revealed that he still finds moments to explore what his peers are up to.
King commented on Bruce Dickinson's latest solo album, The Mandrake Project, while at the same time explaining why his love for Iron Maiden has faded: "Haven't heard Bruce's new album, but I have a friend who told me it's better than Iron Maiden. Wouldn't surprise me — nothing against Maiden, but their songs have gotten so long, man, I just can't be bothered with it. And my attention span isn't that much."
When it comes to Judas Priest's new album Invincible Shield, King has heard a few tracks, thanks to satellite radio. "I haven't heard the entirety of Judas Priest's new album, but I heard a handful of songs on satellite radio. Some are you know, typical. I heard one that stood out. 'The Serpent and the King.' That's really cool; it sounds like a progression of what Priest does. I enjoyed that one. I haven't heard the whole album, but I definitely will. Actually, I'm going to be playing with Priest in a couple of weeks."
King's reflections on these albums hint at his admiration for artists who maintain their distinctive sound. This is particularly evident in his expectations for his own music. He acknowledges that fans will inevitably compare his solo work to Slayer, and he embraces it.
"For example, I like AC/DC, because they sound like AC/DC. I think that's why everybody likes AC/DC. For somebody to say, 'Well, it sounds a little like Slayer,' I'm like, 'The fuck you think it's gonna sound like?' I've kind of given the fans a prerequisite of what it's going to sound like in my last 40 years. I think it would be odd if people didn't compare it to my last band, because I had so much to do with the sound of that band, musically and lyrically. This solo band, what else would it sound like?"
King's dedication to his roots is clear: "It's what I want to play. If I ever had something I wanted to do other than Slayer, this would have been the time to do it. But obviously, I didn't. You know, this is what I like. And this is why people like me, I think."
