Slayer is finally at work on its new album that is scheduled to be released in 2013.

Before leaving the music festival, Mayhem Festival, Slayer finished two songs that need to be mixed. Two of their other songs now need to be fully mixed with leads and vocals, and two additional songs need to be demoed with producer, Greg Fidelman.

Greg Fidelman joined the team in 2009 and worked on World Painted Blood.

Guitarist Kerry King is excited about Slayer’s future:

If I get off my ass and start writing again on the road – since we’ve been in Europe, I keep trying to work on lyric ideas, maybe some leads, and fixing songs that didn’t work correctly – it should be a real quick process.

Currently, the band has been working without guitarist, Jeff Hanneman, who is recovering from a devastating attack of flesh eating necrotizing fasciitis caused by a spider bite.

King describes Hanneman as a “fucking badass”.

Hanneman unfortunately could not make it to the recent recording sessions due to his condition. According to King, Hanneman records all the guitar parts himself anyway, so it doesn’t even make a difference that he is gone. The band is still not 100% certain if he will be able to perform the solos on the upcoming album.

King states:

After Mayhem we’ll reevaluate and see if he’s any closer…We’re planning for him to come back and the door is open, because it’s his fucking gig. If he can play, Jeff Hanneman is going to fucking be here, and I’m stoked about that. I love playing with Gary, and he’s doing a killer job, but if Jeff came back and said ‘I’m ready,’ I’ll check him out to see that he’s ready, and off we go.

Marv Watson