KERRY KING, SLAYER, COMMENTS ON GRAMMY-WINNING TRACK IS "ONE OF THE POOREST REPRESENTATIONS OF US" ON NEW ALBUM
Recently Kerry King, SLAYER guitarist told Sean Piccoli of Sun-Sentinel.com that the group's song "Eyes of the Insane" — for which it recently won a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category — is "one of the poorest representations of us on the record," meaning SLAYER's 11th studio album, "Christ Illusion". He would have picked "Jihad" — like "Eyes", a track written by singer-bassist Tom Araya and guitarist Jeff Hanneman.
King also has doubts about how well members of the Grammys' parent organization, the Recording Academy, know his band's music.
"Realistically, I think people on the academy who vote pick the household name," he said. "And that's what we are."
With "Reign in Blood" songs such as "Necrophobic" — "Severing flesh/gouging eyes/tearing limb from limb" — SLAYER assured itself of a home in the dungeon of popular culture. "Christ Illusion" continues SLAYER's career-long attack on mainstream sensibilities and on one institution in particular: Christianity. "Skeleton Christ", written by King, declares, "I've seen the ways of God/I'll take the devil any day," and the King-penned "Cult" screams, "The bible's where it all began/Its propaganda sells despair/And spreads the virus everywhere."
For the record, "I consider myself an atheist," King said. But standing up for Satan as a way of questioning religious observance makes sense to him. The ruling class also comes in for heavy criticism. King calls the "Christ Illusion" track "Consfearacy" "a government-hating song" that he hopes anyone, regardless of country, displeased with the leadership will enjoy.
He says he doesn't vote or follow politics, and has no love for either U.S. political party. "And even if I was one or the other, probably I wouldn't come out and say it because I would alienate half the world," he said. "And I'm in the business of building fans."
According to Australia's X-Press Online, BUFFALO frontman Dave Tice and original AC/DC bass player Mark Evans will be at Fly By Night in Fremantle, Australia to rehearse their sets for the Bon Scott Celebration Concert at Claremont Showgrounds. Around 10:00 p.m. the pair will play a set of acoustic blues, which will include R&B classics by WILSON PICKETT and SAM COOKE, through to Louisiana-influenced JOHN FOGERTY, CHUCK BERRY rock 'n' roll and ELVIS PRESLEY's "Mystery Train", as well as originals from their latest recording. Tickets are $10 and are available through the Fly By Night by calling (08) 9430 5976 or on the door. Doors open at 10:00 p.m.
DREAM THEATER have finalized the track listing for their new album, "Systematic Chaos", due in June via Roadrunner Records.
"This album's got all of the elements we've become known for," reveals drummer Mike Portnoy, who co-produced the CD with guitarist John Petrucci (Paul Northfield engineered and mixed the effort). "The focus on musicianship, the skull-crushing riffs, the big progressive epics and the heart-wrenching melodies. We've got one of the strongest and most devoted fan bases in the world, and they should certainly be happy with the new material." The disc sports seven new songs, one of which runs 25 minutes.
