Summer is fast approaching and Slayer have their plans mapped out for plenty of touring in the coming months. But what about a follow-up to 2015's Repentless album? Guitarist Kerry King stated last summer that with plenty of touring ahead of them, it would likely be 2018 before they'd be back in the studio. In a new interview with Chilean radio station Futuro, Tom Araya was a little less committal on the future plans.

When asked about the next album and when we might see it, the vocalist stated, "I don't know. I know that when we recorded the album itself, there was a lot of music ... Once we get done with what we're doing, we'll have to sit down and discuss it and talk it out."

Araya added that before they get down to the business of music they also needed to figure out the business of the band. "Me and Kerry are still trying to put the final touches on the business aspect of things, as far as the band goes," says the singer. "Cause of Jeff [Hanneman]'s passing, we still haven't put closure to all of that, so we're still working on that, and we'll see. We'll see how things go and we'll see if there's a new album."

The vocalist also addressed the death of Hanneman, explaining, "I miss him. Every now and then, I think about him. We were collaborators, we worked together on ... He allowed me to work with him on his ideas. I think about what he had probably went though the last two years. I wish he was out here with us. I wish he was here, period. I feel that he was a big part of the band. I wish he was here. It would make what I'm doing a lot easier."

After Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis in 2011, the band utilized Exodus guitarist Gary Holt as the fill-in. Holt recorded on the Repentless album, but was not part of the songwriting. However, King has stated in previous interview that his "ears are open" to having Holt be a songwriting contributor moving forward.

Slayer Albums Ranked

Slayer's Tom Araya Plays 'Wikipedia: Fact or Fiction?'

 

More From KZCD-FM