If you think 6.6.06 is an intimidating calendar date, just wait. The killer reunion of all time — complete with live tour dates — is about to commence.
The four original members of SLAYER — Tom Araya/bass, vocals, Kerry King/guitars, Jeff Hanneman/guitars, and Dave Lombardo/drums — the pioneers and undisputed kings of extreme speed/thrash metal, have entered a Los Angeles-area studio to record what will be their first new studio album since 1990's "Seasons In The Abyss". And if that's not enough, uber-producer Rick Rubin, who helped solidify the much-emulated SLAYER sound beginning with their genre-defining 1986 classic "Reign In Blood", has taken the helm as executive producer of the project. The original team is back in place.
Working closely with Rubin will be Josh Abraham (KORN, VELVET REVOLVER, ATREYU) who will produce the album. "We're real happy to have Josh on the team," said SLAYER's Jeff Hanneman. "He's a very creative and intuitive guy, he knows music, and he really gets who SLAYER is and what we're doing." The as-yet-untitled album will be released on SLAYER's longtime label, Rubin's American Recordings/Warner Bros. Records, and is expected out this fall.
"Dave's been back with us, playing live, for a couple of years now, and we're all looking forward to recording together again," said the band's Tom Araya. Kerry King added, "There really is no one like Dave — he doesn't have to work at what he does, he just walks in, picks up his sticks and goes."
Said Lombardo, "It feels really good being back with the same guys I started out with. The chemistry is definitely there, that's the exciting part of it, to capture that chemistry again. And that's what is happening."
Jeff, Tom and Kerry have been writing songs for this new album since they wrapped their last North American tour in September 2004. "This is probably the most prepared we've been to record an album since the '80s," King added. "We've been writing and cutting demos for months." While these may change, working titles for some of the songs that will be recorded include "Catalyst", "Cult", "Supremist", and "Consfearacy". "I like to write songs that have different meanings for different people," said King, "where everyone can say, 'I know what he means,' but still get their own sense of what the song is about."
But wait, this just gets better. On 6.6.06 in San Diego, CA, SLAYER will kick off a seven-week summer trek, "The Unholy Alliance Tour _ Preaching to the Perverted", that boasts what has got to be the genre's coolest line-up of the summer — LAMB OF GOD, MASTODON and CHILDREN OF BODOM (who will rotate the second and third slots), and THINE EYES BLEED who will open the shows.
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