Slayer are known as one of the heaviest bands in metal history, but according to Kerry King, his most “perfect riff” actually came during the recording of his new solo album.
Given the legendary history of Slayer, it’s probably somewhat of a surprise that King didn’t pick something from the band’s catalog, but it also shows a conviction in the faith and belief that the guitarist has in the music from his recently issued From Hell I Rise album. So what is Kerry King’s “perfect riff”?
Kerry King Picks His Perfect Riff
While speaking to Metal Hammer Germany, King initially weighed his options before zeroing in on a particular track. He told the magazine initially, “The perfect Kerry King riff, to me, is probably the newest one I made up that I’m excited about on any given day.”
“The perfect Kerry King riff – it’s really difficult, but we’re very notorious historically for making up songs with tons of riffs, and there’s tons of riffs on this album, From Hell I Rise.”
After a bit of circling the question, King decided upon “Crucifixation” from the new album.
Kerry King, “Crucifixation”
Subscribe to Loudwire on Youtube
Why Kerry King Picked “Crucifixation”
“It’s got a lot of harmony going on. It elevates from just the riff to one harmony to the next harmony to the next harmony,” responded King when talking about “Crucifixation.”
He added, “It’s also got a bunch of drum-fill breaks, which I was very happy to present to Paul [Bostaph] when I made that song up. I said, ‘Hey, dude, I’ve got a song that’s got recurring drum fills. Man, I need you to do your best Bill Ward.’ And I think we did that. And I’ll pick that riff for now because it’s a big part of a super-thrashy song, but it’s very heavy and slow and very Sabbath-influenced.”
READ MORE: Kerry King Admits He’s Not a Fan of Slayer’s ‘Diabolus in Musica’
Kerry King Speaks With Metal Hammer Germany
Subscribe to Loudwire on Youtube
