Speaking with VillageVoice.com about their upcoming album, Repentless, Slayer guitarist Kerry King says he does not feel the spirit of long-time friend and band co-founder, the late Slayer guitarist and lyricist Jeff Hanneman - who died in May 2013 from alcohol-related cirrhosis - guiding the band.

“Jeff is worm food,” King states in his blunt-yet-likable fashion. “When you die you go in the dirt. There is no doubt. Doubt’s called agnostic. I’m not agnostic.”

Over its 34 years of existence, as the album title flatly states, Slayer has remained unrepentant, both lyrically and musically. That said, in an ode to sentimentality, or perhaps just musicality?, Hanneman has a song, completed for the last album, but not included, that now appears on Repentless. It’s called “Piano Wire”.

“I didn’t know this until Tom [Araya, singer/bassist] told me recently," King says of the track. "I didn’t talk to Jeff about that song, because I didn’t really have to police Jeff. If he wrote it, I was pretty sure it was all right. It was about sometime in World War II, because he was a big World War II history buff. I don’t know the exact instance, but apparently the Germans would hang people from buildings by piano wire as a warning to people not to go against them. That’s a very general description.”

Read more at VillageVoice.com.

Slayer have announced the special contents of the Metal Eagle Edition of their upcoming album, Repentless. Made of aluminum alloy, measuring 15” X 17” X 3” and weighing in at a hefty 7.8 pounds, the Metal Eagle Edition will house a deluxe digipak of the new Repentless CD plus bonus material detailed below. The limited (only 3,000 copies worldwide) and numbered Metal Eagle Edition will be a direct-to-consumer item and available exclusively via the Nuclear Blast mailorder online stores.

The Metal Eagle Edition will include the following exclusive items:

- Deluxe digipak (folds out into “inverted cross“)
- Bonus BluRay & DVD incl. Slayer Live At Wacken 2014 & Making Of Repentless Documentary
- Bonus live CD Slayer Live At Wacken 2014
- Fold-out poster
- Album sticker
- Numbered certificate

Pre-orders are available at this location, head over for purchasing info.

In the eerie YouTube clip below, Slayer announced the first details of the band's 11th album and first new effort since 2011's Grammy-nominated World Painted Blood. Repentless, which marks the first Slayer release without Jeff Hanneman - was produced by Terry Date and features bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, guitarist Kerry King, and returning drummer Paul Bostaph, along with touring guitarist Gary Holt.  

Slayer will tour extensively to support the new album, headlining this summer's Mayhem Festival as well as playing other major outdoor festivals and several "An Evening With..." Slayer-only concerts. The confirmed itinerary is below.

Following Slayer's studio sessions in March 2014 that yielded the track "Implode” (streaming above), offered by the band as a free download, Slayer recorded on and off between September and mid-January at L.A.'s Henson Studios, and is currently mixing the album. Eleven songs have been recorded, but what will end up on the final tracklisting is yet to be determined. Early reports indicate that Slayer fans have a lot to look forward to - the new music is a sonic assault of brutal, ominous, lightening-fast and heavy-as-hell music with lyrics that unmask what Slayer knows best - the terror, the corruption and the societal turmoil that dominates our world.

"The new songs have that iconic Slayer feel," said Nuclear Blast America's General Manager Gerardo Martinez. "Tom's vocals are probably the best I've heard in two decades, and Kerry, Paul and Gary are playing their asses of with powerful, intense performances and riffs and beats that are absolutely lethal."

Fans got a second preview of the new album this past Saturday when another one of the new songs, "When The Stillness Comes" (streaming below), was released as a limited-edition (only 5000 copies worldwide), seven-inch vinyl picture disc exclusive for Record Store Day.

The new album marks the first time Slayer has worked with producer Terry Date (Slipknot, Soundgarden, Deftones), Bostaph's return to the Slayer recording lineup since 2001's God Hates Us All, and Holt's first appearance on a Slayer album. It's also the first Slayer album without the presence of founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman, athough a Hanneman-penned song is on the final track listing.

According to Araya, "Jeff had always been writing and demoing songs, even up until shortly before he passed. You can tell by the quality of his songwriting that this was his passion. There will be a song written by Jeff on the new album. Everything but the vocals had been completed, so we did the vocals and it's done. And there are a few more of Jeff's songs that we might record and release in the future."

"With this new album," added King, "Tom, Paul and I put all of our ideas out on to the table, working in a more collaborative way toward the ultimate heavy outcome. And I've got to give big props to Gary who played lead on several of the new songs. I think he got all of his leads done in one day - he's a maniac!"

Slayer have added seven UK dates for their upcoming European tour with special guests Anthrax, and support act Kvelertak.

Confirmed dates:

October
25 - Tilburg, Netherlands - 013
26 - Paris, France - Le Zenith

November
7 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
21 - Newport, UK - Centre
22 - Plymouth, UK - Pavilion
24 - Manchester, UK - Apollo
25 - Glasgow, UK - O2 Academy
27 - Birmingham, UK - O2 Academy
30 - London, UK - O2 Brixton Academy

Other Slayer tour dates include:

June
13 - Bonnaroo - Manchester, TN
16 - Paramount - Huntington, Long Island NY*
17 - Paramount - Huntington, Long Island NY*
19 - State Theatre - Portland, ME
20 - Amnesia Rock - Montebello, Montreal

(Mayhem headline dates):
26 - Sleep Train Amphitheatre - San Diego, CA
27 - San Manual Amphitheatre - San Bernardino, CA
28 - Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, CA
30 - White River Amphitheatre - Seattle, WA

July
1 - Idaho Center Amphitheatre - Boise, ID
3 - Ak-Chin Amphitheatre - Phoenix, AZ
4 - Isleta Amphitheatre - Albuquerque, NM
5 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Denver, CO
7 - Harrah's Council Bluffs - Council Bluffs, IA
8 - Eagles Ballroom - Milwaukee, WI
10 - Kilpsch Amphitheatre - Indianapolis, IN
11 - DTE Energy Amphitheatre - Detroit, MI
12 - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre - Chicago, IL
15 - TD Echo Beach - Toronto, ON (NEW VENUE)
17 - Susquehanna Bank Arts Center - Camden, NJ
18 - First Niagara Pavilion - Pittsburgh, PA
19 - Xfinity Theatre - Hartford, CT
21 - PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ
22 - Meadowbrook (Bank of NH Pavilion) - Gilford, NH (CANCELLED)
22 - Erie Insurance Arena - Erie, PA (with King Diamond, Hell Yeah, The Devil Wears Prada and White Chapel)
24 - Jiffy Lube Live - Bristow, VA
25 - Xfinity Center - Boston, MA
26 - Nikon at Jones Beach - Wantagh, NY
29 - Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood - Atlanta, GA
31 - Whitewater Amphitheatre - San Antonio, TX

August
1 - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion - Houston, TX
2 - Gexa Energy Amphitheatre - Dallas, TX

* An Evening With... headline dates

Guests on the second annual Motörhead's Motörboat will experience once-in-a-lifetime events with two ultimate heavy metal icons.

On the first night of the cruise, one of the most heavy metal moments of all time will occur when headliners Slayer perform outside on the deck stage of Norwegian Sky under a red blood moon. September 28th at 10:47 PM, Eastern Time marks the fourth and final lunar eclipse (sometimes referred to as a “blood moon”) of the current lunar tetrad (a series of four consecutive lunar eclipses with six full moons in between). It is one of only eight tetrads during the 21st century. Some believe this occurrence is a fulfillment of the “Blood Moon Prophecy” and signals “The Rapture,” as described in the Bible in Acts 2:20 and Revelation 6:12. Few bands come close to matching the intensity that Slayer brings to its live shows, with songs that mirror the turmoil and aberrations of our society, so the performance could not be more apt.

In the spirit of the evening, while waiting to see if the “end of the world” prophecy comes true, guests will celebrate “Blood Red Night” by donning something crimson, while enjoying Slayer’s intense performance during this rare astrological phenomenon.

Motörhead's Motörboat - fueled by Monster Energy - will embark on its second voyage from Port Miami September 28th on Norwegian Sky, with stops in Nassau and the private picturesque island of Great Stirrup Cay in The Bahamas before returning to Miami on October 2nd. Visit MotorheadCruise.com to reserve a stateroom.

The full lineup for Motörhead's Motörboat is as follows: Slayer, Motörhead, Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies, Hatebreed, Exodus, Corrosion of Conformity, Phil Campbell’s All Starr Band, Crobot, Motor Sister, KYNG, Brian Posehn, Fireball Ministry, Huntress, Big Jay Oakerson, The Shrine, Others, No Words, Budderside, Sonia Harley, and The Dead Deads.

Motörhead's Motörboat offers guests a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to share an experience with their favourite bands and to see unforgettable performances on various stages throughout the ship and on the island of Great Stirrup Cay.

Norwegian Sky offers 13 complimentary and specialty dining options, 12 bars and lounges, a coffee bar, an outdoor pool, and five hot tubs. While onboard, guests can try their luck in the Sky Club Casino, relax in the onboard spa and get their heart pumping in the fitness center or full basketball court.