Guitarist Kerry King recently said he thinks Slayer quit too early, following that up by admonishing himself and his decision with "Fuck us. I know. Fuck me. I hate fuckin' not playing." Now Slayer live guitarist Gary Holt has chimed in via an interview with Metal Hammer, saying the band was at the top of their game when they quit.
"I'd have to agree. We were still playing at the top of our game, we were totally killing it. The band had a lot of years left in it, but I guess when it's time, it's time. When you decide to walk away from something, walk away. I can't tell anybody they made the wrong decision. Better to go out on top than go out unable to play your own songs, and this shit isn't easy. Playing 'Angel Of Death' at 70 years old would be fucking hard. But it was time for me to come back [to Exodus], let's put it that way. I was really missing my first family."
While it would be nice to have Slayer around still, I'd argue that going out at the top of your game is much better than calling it quits when it's obviously over.
Now that Slayer is put to rest, Holt is back with Exodus and will release their new album Persona Non Grata this month. King has reportedly teamed up with Holt and Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph, alongside vocalist Phil Anselmo, for a new band that should activate in 2022.
