In a surprising twist, SLAYER has announced a series of reunion shows just weeks after guitarist Kerry King declared in an interview that a comeback was unlikely. According to Blabbermouth.net, the legendary thrash metal band will play at Aftershock, Riot Fest, and Louder Than Life festivals in September and October, five years after their farewell tour ended in 2019.

King expressed his shock at the news, stating in a Guitar World interview, “I was very surprised. I made my comments [about SLAYER being finished] based on [bassist/vocalist Tom Araya] not wanting to play anymore. As far as I was concerned, we were done and never going to play again. To be honest, I don’t know what switched.”

For the past three years, SLAYER had turned down offers to perform, but a recent proposal changed Araya’s mind. “One came up that, I guess, enticed Tom to the point where he wanted to roll the dice and try a couple,” King said. Despite the reunion, King made it clear that there are no plans for a full-scale tour or new music. “There could be an instance where there’s another one-off,” he said. “But touring, no, I don’t see touring.”

Currently touring with his solo band, King admitted the timing of SLAYER’s reunion caught him off guard. “Do I wish the timing was different? Absolutely, but that’s completely out of my hands,” he told Total Guitar magazine.

King emphasized that these shows are a commemoration of the band’s last tour. “We’re not going to record anymore,” he reiterated. “That final tour was definitely our final tour. This is just a reason to have some fun with the guys, play a few shows, and then jump back in the coffin.”

SLAYER’s lineup for the reunion will remain the same as their 2019 tour: Araya, King, guitarist Gary Holt, and drummer Paul Bostaph. Reflecting on the upcoming performances, King said, “It’ll be fun to play with Gary Holt for a few gigs; I haven’t seen him in almost five years. And it’ll be cool to get together with Tom Araya and spit some hate out at people, but don’t get used to this being a yearly event.”

The reunion announcement has sparked mixed reactions among fans, but King assured that this is not a new beginning for the band. “This is just a blip on the radar,” he said. “We’re never gonna tour again. We’re never gonna record again. But to do commemorative shows, I think that’s kind of fun.”