Metal Assault recently caught up with guitarist gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER). An excerpt from the interview is available below:

MA: In terms of your involvement in Slayer, you’ve said in the past that you were not trying to imitate Jeff Hanneman. Before his death, you were the fill-in guitarist, but then he passed away and you continued playing in the band. Did you feel scared at all that people would react negatively to seeing you on stage as Jeff’s replacement?

Holt: "No, I’ve been fortunate and very lucky. In three years now I’ve had like may be two hecklers (laughs). I can’t understand why someone would pay money just to come and flip someone off the whole show, you know. But yeah, I had just two hecklers in countless shows and I had one who had a good spirit about it. We were having fun with it. He wasn’t out there saying, ‘Fuck You!’ We were just laughing and flipping each other off back and forth, and at the end of the show he complimented me. So, it is what it is, and I think most people understand my role in the history of this genre. They understand that I’m not some new metal dude who’s stuck in this band playing these parts. They understand that I was there at the very beginning, if not the beginning of this whole genre, but that’s up to debate. Exodus in its earliest incarnation goes back to 1979."

Go to this location for the complete interview.

Slayer manager Rick Sales has released the following statement clarifying reports that the band was seeking a new label home and was no longer working with American Recordings, the label led by producer guru Rick Rubin.

"With Jeff's (Hanneman) tragic passing and Slayer's eventual hectic touring schedule over the past several months, there has been a bit of mutual 'holding off' on jumping into any new long-term recording commitment, but we would like to clarify the comments that Tom and Kerry made in the Fuse interview.

It is true that Slayer is currently out of contract, as they delivered their final required album to American Recordings some time ago. Rick Rubin began a new distribution agreement with Universal last year and American/Universal absolutely has made a significant proposal to re-sign the band.

Both parties had been in substantial negotiation over that proposal at the time of Jeff's passing; and in fairness to everyone, a little space has been given on all sides in terms of closing any new deal.

We are excited about the possibility of re-signing with Rick Rubin's venture, and are also considering several other options that have been presented since the previous long-term contract with American expired.

The band has been taking much needed time to regroup and consider their various options for the future, and looks forward to a new beginning, wherever that may be."

BraveWords recently had the opportunity to sit down with singer Tom Araya to talk about Jeff Hanneman’s tragic passing, the current status of the band with “new” recruits Gary Holt (of EXODUS fame), returning drummer Paul Bostaph and of course, his comrade in arms - and only other original member- Kerry King.

Regarding a timeline for the new album, Araya told BraveWords: “No timeline. But I’m sure you understand this, that it is something that has to be amazing and extraordinary. This is after-the-fact, but I hope we put time and energy into it and we are in no hurry of a release date. I want to make sure that it’s the best and do it justice, because this can’t be just another record. And as I said, there’s a lot of communicating that Kerry and I are going to have to sit down and do. I feel strongly about having to put some serious time and energy into making it the best that it can be, because it just can’t be another average record.”

Read the entire story at Bravewords.com.