Gary Holt from Exodus to Fill in For Slayer Guitarist

SLAYER - guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, and drummer Dave Lombardo - have announced that Gary Holt from the band EXODUS will be Slayer's guest guitarist, temporary filling in for Hanneman who is currently recovering from surgery. Holt will immediately join Araya, King and Lombardo for their five-date Australian Soundwave Festival tour that begins February 26.

Hanneman underwent emergency surgery on his right arm late last month after contracting a serious infection, possibly caused by a spider bite. He is now recuperating at home and is expected to make a full recovery. He will return to the Slayer line-up as soon as he has fully recovered.

"Jeff is our brother, we've all been friends and together as a band for almost 30 years," said Araya, "so we just want him to completely recover as soon as possible."

"After everything that happened last year," King added, "we all agreed that we just can't let our fans down again," referring to Araya's severe back and neck pain that prompted his January 2010 surgery, unfortunately leading to the band's postponement or cancellation of numerous shows in 2009 and 2010. "Jeff is totally on board with this decision, so we will tour as planned. At this point, we can't pinpoint exactly what day he'll be back, but he'll be back as soon as he possibly can. And we can't wait for Jeff to get better and get his ass back on the road."

Read More News

Tags:  Slayer, Exodus, Gary Holt, tour 

Jason Fisher    February 15, 2011