Why Kerry King Didn’t Choose Gary Holt For His New Band?

After the thrash legends Slayer stopped playing in 2019, guitarist Kerry King hinted he was working on new music. In 2024, he started his own solo band and released his first album, From Hell I Rise. Fans were happy to hear King‘s familiar style with his new group. The band includes drummer Paul Bostaph (who also played in Slayer), singer Mark Osegueda from Death Angel, bass player Kyle Sanders from Hellyeah, and guitar player Phil Demmel (who used to be in Vio-lence and Machine Head).

Many fans wondered why guitarist Gary Holt, who played with King in Slayer‘s final years, wasn’t in the new band. In a recent talk with Rolling Stone Brasil, Kerry King explained his reasons. He said he chose Bostaph but decided not to include Holt. King felt that having too many old Slayer members, or “pieces” from the “Slayer puzzle,” might lead people to criticize him more, giving them “ammunition.”

Choosing Paul Bostaph was an easy decision for King. They had worked together well for many years in Slayer and understood each other easily. King said their special way of talking about music helped them work fast.

“Paul and I work really well together,” King explained. “Whenever he’s been in the band, working on Slayer stuff, it would generally be me and him, working out new ideas. So, I knew that we had great respect and rapport. He understands what I’m saying when I don’t necessarily talk English; I’ll talk like made-up music terms that he and I know. I’ll just be like, ‘Play that, play that,’ and he’ll just play it. We can get a demo in five minutes, and he’s a fantastic drummer.”

So, because they worked so well together, King knew he wanted Bostaph in his new band. “So, if I’m taking anything from Slayer, I’m taking him,” he said.

But King didn’t choose Gary Holt for the other guitar spot, even though they were friends and played in Slayer together. King said he thought about it, but decided against it. He wanted his new band to have its own fresh start and not just seem like another version of Slayer.

“And then, Gary’s my friend, I brought it up to Holt,” King admitted. “But, as time went by, and I had time to think about it, I thought the more pieces I had from the Slayer puzzle, it would give people more ammunition to talk s**t about me.”

So, instead of another player from Slayer, King chose Phil Demmel. He liked Demmel‘s guitar playing in bands like Vio-lence and Machine Head and thought it would be a good fit for his new music. This decision shows King wants his solo band to be known for its own unique sound.

Kerry King thought carefully about who to pick for his solo band. He wants this new group to be successful on its own, even though his time in Slayer was a big part of his music career.