Iron Maiden Criticized by Slayer Guitarist Kerry King Over Recent Albums
Slayer guitarist Kerry King has expressed his disinterest in Iron Maiden’s recent albums. In an interview with RIFFX, transcribed by Ultimate Guitar, King shared his thoughts on Iron Maiden’s latest releases when asked about Bruce Dickinson’s solo album ‘The Mandrake Project’.
King stated, “I haven’t heard Bruce’s new album, but a friend told me it’s better than [Iron] Maiden’s recent work. I wouldn’t be surprised—nothing against Maiden, but their songs have gotten so long, I just can’t be bothered with it. My attention span isn’t that much.”
King’s remarks likely refer to Iron Maiden’s recent double albums: ‘The Book of Souls’ (2015) and ‘Senjutsu’ (2021). These albums feature some of the band’s lengthiest songs, including the 18-minute ‘Empire of the Clouds’ from ‘The Book of Souls’ and three tracks over 10 minutes from ‘Senjutsu’.
In the interview, King also commented on Judas Priest’s new album ‘Invincible Shield’, saying he hasn’t heard the entire album but enjoyed a few songs on satellite radio, particularly ‘The Serpent and the King’. King mentioned he plans to listen to the full album and will be performing with Judas Priest in a few weeks.
King recently released his debut solo album, ‘From Hell I Rise’, on May 17, and is currently touring to promote it. He will reunite with Slayer for the first time in five years this September for a series of US festival performances.
