WITH NAMM OVER, KERRY KING AND SLAYER POISED TO CONTINUE RECORDING

One of the largest trade shows and certainly the loudest trade show in the world, N.A.M.M. officially wrapped up it’s winter show in Anaheim, Ca on January 14th, 2009 and it certainly built on the record breaking show from 2008 which included over 1,500 exhibitors and over 88,000 attendees. Although N.A.M.M., which stands for the National Association of Music Merchants isn’t open to the public, it is a place to catch the some of the biggest names in music trying out the latest gear the industry has to offer. With music industry heavy weights like Marshall Amps, Gibson Guitars, Fender, Boss, Korg and Roland setting up shop for the extended weekend, N.A.M.M. has evolved into ‘The’ place the industry descends upon each year.

Where else can you find Mick Mars of Motley Crue doing an autograph signing a few booths down from P-Nut of 311 giving a bass demo a few booths down from Kerry King of Slayer doing a guitar clinic a few booths down from bassist Victor Wooten jamming with a few friends. And that was just in the span of an hour or two. We caught up with Kerry King, guitarist of Slayer just after his autograph signing to get his thoughts on being a part of N.A.M.M. once again this year.

“First of all, I want to say did you know that you can get cocktails at Starbucks? I don’t know how I pulled it off. It’s kind of exciting. It’s a cup of tolerance for N.A.M.M. I love doing this. I don’t like signing my name for three days but I enjoy who I am and I’m going to keep rolling.”

So now that N.A.M.M. is over, King talked about how he finally has time to concentrate on song writing for Slayer’s upcoming new album.

“I’ve been making up riffs. I myself don’t have any songs done but now that N.A.M.M. is over I can just sit in my room all week and finish them. I got a lot of great ideas, it’s just not finished material.”

Slayer will begin recording their follow-up to 2006’s “Christ Illusion” which entered the Billboard 200 at number 5, which is the band’s highest U.S. chart position to date. “Christ Illusion” includes the Grammy Award-winning songs “Eyes of the Insane” and “Final Six”, and was the band’s first studio album to feature original drummer Dave Lombardo since 1990’s “Seasons in the Abyss.” Slayer hope to have the album completed in the next several months, just in time for a Co-Headlining Tour that the band will be announcing on January 26th.