Kerry King‘s debut solo album, From Hell I Rise, is out now, and the Slayer guitarist is celebrating with a video for the song “Toxic.”
The clip, streaming now on YouTube, reflects the political nature of the track’s lyrics, which go, “Toxic rhetoric/ Toxic government/ Toxic politics /T oxic hypocrites.”
“We’re at a point where political fatigue has set in and become an issue for most people who live in our country no matter what side of the coin they land on,” says co-director Jim Louvau. “The lyrics and energy of the song showcase that sentiment, so I wanted to create something visually that almost feels like a trailer for what we are about to experience. I also wanted to address PTSD for people who have serviced in the military and how the increased political landscape affects their mental health which often goes unnoticed.”
King will embark on a European tour in June, followed by a U.S. run opening for Mastodon and Lamb of God‘s joint trek, beginning in August.
Slayer, meanwhile, will be playing the upcoming Riot Fest, Louder than Life and Aftershock festivals in the fall, marking their first live performances since playing what they called their final show in 2019.
That Slayer reunited surprised many people, including Scott Ian of Anthrax, who opened up for dates on the “Raining Blood” metallers’ final tour. Ian told Classic Rock magazine that he was convinced that Slayer was actually done after that tour and that he texted King, “Thanks for making me look like a liar” after the reunion news broke.
In case you thought Ian was actually mad about Slayer getting back together, he later posted on Instagram, “I wrote a lighthearted text to Kerry and said, ‘Thanks for making me look like a liar’ as a joke.”
(Video contains uncensored profanity.)