At a recent Lipps Service With Scott Lipps podcast, Slayer guitarist Kerry King listed his top five guitar heroes, including those who shaped his career and thrash metal. After acknowledging, “I would have a hard time numbering them, but I can come up with five,” King listed the following:
Kerry King’s Top 5 Guitarists:
Rainbow, Deep Purple: Ritchie Blackmore Thrash was influenced by Blackmore’s revolutionary Deep Purple work, according to King. He said, “Blackmore was way before Sabbath in terms of speed.” Machine Head (1972), especially “Highway Star,” had faster rhythms.
King has long admired Tony Iommi, especially his later Black Sabbath work under Dio. It took Sabbath a bit to go anyplace quick, and I find ‘Neon Knights’ thrashy. He described presenting Iommi with an award at the Classic Rock Awards as nerve-wracking but noteworthy.
Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen): King said Eddie Van Halen an innovator who established the standard for guitarists.
Glenn Tipton (Judas Priest): King said Tipton “probably my favorite one of all time,” praising his inventive leads in metal’s nascent years.
Zakk Wylde (Pantera, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society): King concluded his list with the “super-heavy hitter” and friend.
King remarked that Blackmore’s rhythmic innovations in Deep Purple paved the way for thrash, inspiring bands like Slayer to push tempos to new extremes. In contrast, Iommi’s transition from slower doom riffs to faster tunes in Sabbath’s Dio era was crucial.
After touring with Lamb of God and Mastodon, Kerry King and his new band will perform a 28-date North American tour in 2025 with Municipal Waste and Alien Weaponry. The tour will feature King’s fierce energy from San Francisco on January 15 to Las Vegas on February 22.
King’s influences show his love for heavy metal pioneers and their influence on thrash metal.