Metal Legend Reveals His Mount Rushmore of Guitar Gods – And One Is “Totally Overlooked”
In a fascinating revelation, Slayer’s Kerry King has named his all-time favorite guitar players, with one particularly surprising choice. During a recent podcast interview, the metal icon shared his top five picks, highlighting some unexpected selections that might surprise even hardcore fans.
The legendary guitarist opened up about his choices on the Lipps Service With Scott Lipps podcast, writes Blabbermouth.net. “I would have a hard time numbering them, but I can come up with five. (Deep Purple and Rainbow’s) Ritchie Blackmore, (Black Sabbath’s) Tony Iommi, (Van Halen’s) Eddie Van Halen, without question.”
“Probably my favorite of one all time is (Judas Priest’s) Glenn Tipton. And I think he’s the most overlooked. ‘Cause if you look at the leads he was doing and when he was doing ’em, he kind of innovated a lot of that stuff”, King explained, before completing his list with close friend Zakk Wylde.
The State of Modern Guitar Playing
King has strong feelings about today’s guitar scene. He shared a revealing story about watching a modern band perform at a South American festival. “I pulled (Exodus and Slayer guitarist) Gary Holt aside. I pointed at the screen, and asked him, ‘Hey, Gary, would you aspire to be these guys?’ He said, ‘Not at all.’ It was because they were the most boring and lethargic guitar players I had ever seen.”
The metal veteran is currently preparing for an exciting 28-date North American tour starting January 15, 2025, in San Francisco. His new band will join him, featuring Mark Osegueda on vocals, Phil Demmel on guitar, Kyle Sanders on bass, and Slayer member Paul Bostaph on drums.
