Rumors around Kerry King's band prior to getting announced was that it featured King, Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph, Slayer guitarist Gary Holt (which King recently explained), and Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo. The band ultimately featured King and Bostaph alongside Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda, former Vio-Lence and Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel, and former Hellyeah bassist Kyle Sanders
So was there any truth to the rumors? According to King in a new interview with Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, kind of! King said he and Anselmo had some conversations about working together, but King felt that Anselmo thought the project was too thrashy for him. That, and then Pantera got back together and Anselmo got really busy.
"It didn't get real far," said King. "And everything you saw online, that was just all rumors, because it never got past me and Phil talking about it.
"I've known Phil decades — I've known Phil before Cowboys From Hell came out. He's been a friend of mine throughout the years. And all the business suits wanted me to go that way — my manager, my record company, my promoter, everybody — because it's it's gonna put massive butts in seats, so to speak. But talking to [Phil] about it, I know this is too thrashy a project for him. I'm not saying he can't do it; I'm saying I don't think he wanted to do it. But we did a little bit of legwork on it, and especially once [the] Pantera [reunion] came up, that just blew it out of the water."
Though let's be real – Anselmo could've crushed some thrash. Look no further than King and Anselmo blasting out some Slayer live as evidence.
Kerry King will be out on tour with Lamb Of God, Mastodon, and Malevolence this July. Get your tickets here.
7/19 – Grand Prairie, TX – Texas Trust CU Theatre
7/20 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
7/21 – Houston, TX – 713 Music Hall
7/23 – Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
7/24 – Orlando, FL – Orlando Amphitheater
7/25 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
7/27 – Raleigh, NC – Red Hat Amphitheater
7/28 – Richmond, VA – Virginia Credit Union LIVE!
7/30 – Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
7/31 – London, ON – Budweiser Gardens
8/1 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
8/3 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
8/4 – Manchester, NH – SNHU Arena
8/6 – Bangor, ME – Maine Savings Amphitheatre
8/8 – Reading, PA – Santander Arena (w/ Unearth, no Malevolence)
8/9 – Cleveland, OH – Jacobs Pavilion (w/ Unearth, no Malevolence)
8/10 – Sterling Heights, MI – Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre @ Freedom Hill (w/ Unearth, no Malevolence)
8/13 – Moorhead, MN – Bluestem Center For The Arts Amphitheater
8/15 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
8/16 – Penticton, BC – South Okanagan Events Centre
8/17 – Kent, WA – accesso ShoWare Center
8/18 – Portland, OR – Theater of the Clouds
8/21 – Los Angeles, CA – The Kia Forum
8/23 – Phoenix, AZ – Arizona Financial Theatre
8/24 – Rio Rancho, NM – Rio Rancho Events Center
8/25 – El Paso, TX – El Paso County Coliseum
8/27 – Magna, UT – The Great Saltair
8/29 – Morrison, CO – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
8/31 – Omaha, NE – The Astro Amphitheater
