THE BEAST

Image Credit: Antje Naumann (AllSystemsRed) on Wikimedia Commons

Since its formation in 1981, Slayer, an American thrash metal band comprising bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King, and drummer Dave Lombardo, has made significant contributions to the metal genre. With their aggressive musical style and Grammy award-winning hits like “Eyes of the Insane” and “Final Six,” Slayer joins other bands Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax as the “Big Four” of thrash metal.

Although the group formally disbanded in 2019 after twelve studio albums, the members of Slayer remain musically active. One of them is guitarist Kerry King , who first announced his solo plans in 2020. In 2024, King released his solo debut album, “From Hell I Rise,” with the track “Idle Hands” as the lead single. King has shared that the album serves as an extension of his creative journey with Slayer, for which he has written and co-written iconic songs like "Raining Blood," "Hell Awaits," and Mandatory Suicide."

However, in addition to his passion for songwriting and performing, the 60-year-old guitarist and co-founder of Slayer has shared his love for many other things throughout the years. Below are some of Kerry King’s favorites that also make him the thrash metal icon we know today.

Los Angeles Raiders jersey

With both fields characterized by raw passion, aggression, and intensity, it almost comes as no surprise that a lot of metal stars are also huge sports fans, particularly of the National Football League. While fellow metal icons like Ozzy Osbourne show support for the Patriots, King’s alliance lies with the Oakland Raiders even after they moved and renamed the team to Los Angeles Raiders. 

In fact, King has been spotted wearing the silver-and-purple Raiders jersey at various concerts and live performances to embody his love for the franchise. He also shared in a 2019 interview with New York Magazine that one of the items he can’t live without while on tour is the No. 25 Oakland Raiders throwback jersey from 1994.

Oakley sunglasses

Metal stars are also commonly associated with sunglasses, not only for practical reasons like protecting their eyes from harsh stage lights but also for creative purposes, such as communicating their public persona. Thus, King also has his own signature eyewear, which is a pair of Oakley sunglasses he wears at concerts, interviews, and other public appearances.

While King's most frequently used Oakley pair is the sleek and lightweight Pit Boss, fans looking to emulate his look can find similarly cool and metal styles on OPSM’s online selection. The retailer offers the half-rim Half Jacket and square-shaped Batwolf, both with bold, wraparound silhouettes and available in black colorways to capture King’s heavy metal vibe. 

Judas Priest albums

Throughout his career, King has acknowledged the musical acts that got him into metal music and influenced his songwriting and overall creativity. Judas Priest albums frequently appear on his lists, including the 1978 album “Stained Class,” which he considered to be perfect from start to finish. Since King considers Judas Priest the musical ‘catalyst’ he grew up with, he also included the record in his list of tour essentials, according to the same 2019 interview mentioned earlier.

Snakes and other reptiles

Lastly, there’s nothing that says metal more than King’s evident love for snakes. In 2014, the guitarist even gave a tour of his snake farm and herpetology nursery, Psychotic Exotics, which houses various reptiles like carpet pythons, reticulated pythons, and Madagascar ground boas. The South California-based reptile house also functions as his snake-breeding business and was the first in the US to produce variants like Super Zebras and Caramel Zebras.

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