Jon Wiederhorn from AOL's Noisecreep spoke with SLAYER bassist/vocalist Tom Araya recently. A few excerpts from the chat follow:

Noisecreep: The Big Four Live From Sofia, Bulgaria DVD is a great showcase of thrash metal at its best. Its great to have the show available for home viewing. But the question remains: Why didn't the Big Four play a North American tour as well?

Araya: "That was entirely scheduled and decided on by Metallica. That was their decision. But there's a rumor going around that we might bring it out to the States."

Noisecreep: Would that happen in 2011?

Araya: "I can just tell you that rumors are flying and that's usually a good sign. I haven't talked to (Lars Ulrich or James Hetfield of METALLICA) or anybody. I don't usually communicate with band members like that. I talked to all of them on the tour, but I don't have anyone's personal numbers or numbers where I can communicate with them when we're not on tour. Maybe one day I'll sit there and ask them for their numbers. But unless someone offers me their number, I don't ask for it unless there's some reason I need it."

Noisecreep: You've done a lot of touring with MEGADETH and probably will continue to do so. Are you friends with Dave Mustaine now. Have you put the bitterness of the past behind you?

Araya: "He's another human being who lives on this planet, and that's about it. He comes across as a nice guy, but I keep my guard up around him. He's courteous to me and my wife and my kids. So I'm courteous in return."

Noisecreep: What's the plan for the new year?

Araya: "We'll be busy from February through May. We'll be heading to Australia, there are some shows we're going to be doing in Europe and South America is in there also. As far as who the shows are with, I don't know. I think some of those shows might be with Megadeth, but I'm not sure. We're booked up until May. After that, I don't know."

Noisecreep: Are Slayer working on any new material?

Araya: "I don't know. No one has sent me anything in reference to anybody getting together to work on anything. Nobody has sent me that memo yet. So if they're getting together and working on material, I don't know. They're in L.A., I'm in Texas. So we really don't communicate."

Read the entire interview here.