It’s so happened that we
managed to talk to SLAYER twice. The first part of the interview was made in
London, when Paul Bostof and Kerry King were there during their European press
trip. We talked to Paul and Kerry while the rest of the journalists had an opportunity
of talking just to Paul. Due to some reasons, we didn’t meet the slayers in
Katowice, that is why, when we learned they would play their first show in
Moscow, we knew we would be there! We forgot about the expenses and took a
flight to Russia. Frankly speaking, we were a bit scared: Russia, Mafia, white
bears... Well, we were lucky as those rumors were quite groundless. Our
interlocutor in Moscow was Tom. And... do I need to tell anyone about the role
and significance of SLAYER in the extreme music history? A stupid question...
Part I. Diabolus In
London
Let’s start, Kerry, with the
new album. What are its main features and concepts?
Kerry: We didn’t really
have much of a direction, we just make our songs individually and, taken from
there, there is no concept. We basically make music and put lyrics into it. We
get inspiration, I’m inspired by films a lot. Tom reads a lot, any thing we can
see, we can twist into the SLAYER song. Jeff writes about the war a lot, I mean
his songs...
Like «Bitter Peace»?
OK, our song "Bitter
Peace" is not necessarily a war song. Just one from the album to do with
the ungle. I like this song, it’s kind of a suicidal type of thing.
«Diabolus In Musica» - what
does it mean?
Paul: The title of the
album comes from this: there is a music scale called "TRITON" and it
is goes with a lot history. But the main thing we’ve been told is that it was a
forbidden musical scale in medieval times, it was forbidden to use it in music.
It just so happens to be bad devil tunes.
Could you explain such a long
break between the albums?
Kerry: We just got a new
distributor, and that’s why we got our album shelved for a while. It was done
last year sometime, and we had to wait to get a new distributor.
Paul: We finished this
album in September last year and had to wait when our label American Recordings
would sign a new contract with Sony. So, we had more time in this period to
come again to the studio and record a few more songs.
There’s punk cover album in
between «Undisputed Attitude» and the last CD. What was the reason for such a
thing? How did the fans accept it?
Paul: "Undisputed
Attitude" was a punk cover record. So, the change in the style between
this record and the last one probably because these are the SLAYER records and
previous was not. That was songs played by us, obviously, only two songs have
been written by Jeff but the rest are punk covers. Jeff and Kerry got this
idea, I was leaving the band, I wanted to do the album of influential music,
you know. There was some classical rock like RAINBOW we tried to do.
Is Tom still into maniacs and
serial killers that much?
Kerry: Tom really did get
some serial killers songs on this record. Me and Jeff... well, Jeff is the most
into music and I realize he’s done this and that, I tried to step it up and use
my lyrics as mush as I could, so I contributed for the album. He did not do his
normal...
I wonder if you will ever
record «Like-Reign-In-Blood» album?
Kerry: We could put out a
record that could sound exactly like «Reign In Blood» today - no one will care.
I remember when we released «Reign In Blood», most of people didn’t understand
what it was. It was something, nobody had ever done before in terms of speed
and aggression. Look at our days now, many bands are playing similar aggressive
music, so what’s the point? It will not surprise people like it did more than
ten years ago.
Why are there only Paul and
Kerry participating in the British part of the press tour?
Paul: Now everything is
starting to take form and we are now in all these things. There would be good,
probably, to talk to more members of the band, but we have to do a lot of press
in a short period of time. That’s why you’ve just got us!
You are planning to start the
new album support tour at OZZ-fest, aren’t you?
Kerry: We’re going to be
touring before OZZ-fest. We get home on Saturday and we start rehearsals on
Saturday! In five days, next Wednesday, we will play our first show.
How do you find European
touring compared to the USA, what are the main differences or similarities?
Kerry: Right now there
is more of an acceptance to heavy music in Europe. It’s weird, it seems to be a
little soft on the heavy edge. A lot more extreme metal is out in the US
definitely. The kids like it. I think there is just not a lot of support for it
in the US now.
Why do you think such things
are happening?
Paul: You know
Headbangers Ball in the USA. MTV, especially in the United States, has just
pulled the carpet from under heavy music. They decided one day that it ain’t
fashionable, and I don’t think heavy music is «fashion» anyway. I mean it seems
to me somebody just decided one day that it wasn’t cool anymore. I think it is
kinda ironically a beautiful thing because it takes all the fly by night people
out. Basically, all the people who love this music are still there. Diehards
are always going to be there. Basically, the first metal band I heard about
wasn’t on MTV anyway. A friend of mine said: «Check it out», and that’s why I
got into heavy music. I can hear people say «Heavy metal died», but the heavy
metal fans are special kind of people, they know about heavy music anyway. I,
personally, had to get away from metal music for a while to experiment. Because
I was doing it all my life.
Has heavy metal a future?
Paul: I see a hunger
for the heavy music, people are getting tired of the same old things. I think
music cycles itself... More heavy bands surfacing with a new sound. But no
matter how the music changes, it’s still going to have the same consistency to
it. SLAYER has been longer than fifteen years. Who were 15, now have 30 and
grow up with music. There is a new generation who wants this music. I know that
for the fact I enjoy playing drums and I enjoy heavy music.
Paul, your drums are
absolutely fantastic on the record. Do you think you’ve got better since you
joined SLAYER?
Paul: Absolutely. I
won’t be better than Dave Lombardo, and if I don’t succeed, at least I’ve
tried. I always wanted to be the best. I also wrote some lyrics on this album,
I’m very interested in songwriting. I may not be a song writer, but I like to
throw an influence into the music. I like to express it on my drums. I’m very
self-critical of my drumming. Everyone in SLAYER belongs to the same generation
of the old thrash metal school, we’re pretty much the same age and that is why
it’s much easier to work together.
Do you fear anything?
Kerry: I’m afraid of
flying, man, because it’s out of my control. I’m on a plane with a hundred
people whom I don’t know. If you’re flying often it’s a bit scary.