Slayer

[Vyn]

Since this thread has been brought back to life, and related to what Jack posted last year:

When I was growing up, I was very narrow-minded as to what music I bought, the bands I saw, etc. That would have been in the seventies.  There came a point when I realized that if you like a song, it's good music. Regardless of genre. This is the part where I will confess to enjoying a few of Barry Manilow's songs despite how vapid and soulless they are.

The first Slayer record I bought was Live Undead. I had picked up that disk one day due to peer pressure about Slayer and it paid off. Fantastic stuff, even if I was a bit late to the train. The last Slayer record I bought was Christ Illusion, so they've been in my listening world for a long time, and they have never disappointed me. I need to check out there last two!

[Charger]

World Painted Blood is bit of a mixed bag I'd say just like Christ Illusion, some great tracks some not so good ones.

Repentless on the otherhand is quite good indeed.

[Jack the Stripper]

Repentless was a disappointing way to finish their career if it is to be their last album. Christ Illusion was a proper Slayer record to anyone that truly understands their sound. Jeff and Dave brought the punk influence/attitude to Slayer which truly set them apart from most other metal bands and that was sorely missed on Repentless.

[Jack the Stripper]

Cool Slayer discussion and reminiscing on lock horn’s first episode of the season.

[Vyn]

That was pretty cool, thanks for posting it Jack!
 

[Jack the Stripper]

So the persistent rumour that seems to be going around is that Kerry King is keen to continue Slayer on without Tom. Instead enlisting Phil Anselmo to take the vocal duties along with Gary Holt, Paul Bostaph and a yet to be named bass player. Which would leave Kerry as the only original Slayer member.

It’s only a rumour at this stage but it was reported a few weeks back that Kerry was planning on putting a band together with the above names which has now turned into this rumour about it actually being Slayer.

 If this is in fact true, how do you feel about this?

[Charger]

I haven't heard anything like that.

I did however hear about Kerry wanting to put a band together with Phil.

Phil is one of the busiest people in the biz right now with his solo band and several other projects. DOWN was going to do some shows this year to celebrate the 25th anniversary of NOLA but obviously that didn't happen but I also heard from Pepper that they are considering doing some new material instead since the tour can't happen.

I think people are reading bit too much into this. Kerry himself has said that Slayer is done, but that he wants to carry on with music so I am sure we'll hear something from him in the near future. But it won't be Slayer...

I would love to see Kerry work with Phil but I am not sure if that'll happen...

As for Gary Holt I think Gary just said that he'll be 100% focused on Exodus now and doesn't want another project, but then again they got close with Kerry so who knows....

[Thelemech]

If it is true I will not be supporting it. There is no Slayer without Tom IMHO.

[Jack the Stripper]

I don’t think it will happen either but I wouldn’t put it past Kerry. He was desperate to to keep Slayer going but Tom has no desire to continue on which apparently caused some friction between the pair to the point they barely spoke on the final tour.

I’d be all for Kerry forming another band with those guys and possibly covering some Slayer, Pantera and Exodus song’s but in no way under the name of Slayer unless Tom is involved.

[Zzzptm]

So I saw some chatter as well. The biggest push to keep Kerry on the road and recording: a deal with Dean guitars...

The question about the Slayer name will come down to who owns it. As it would happen, there was a lawsuit in the early 80s over that very issue:

https://metalinjection.net/editorials/back-in-the-day/two-bands-enter-one-band-leaves-the-battle-of-slayer-vs-slayer-1984

So would it be Slayer's management that owns the name?

And, at the end of the article, is a recording of the infamous Slayer vs Slayer show:

[Charger]

Yeah I don't think Kerry owns the Slayer name...it's not like Tony Iommi with Sabbath.

But I honestly don't know how the ownership there goes...I know Lombardo owns nothing... Jeff might have owned some part so if that was the case his heirs would then own a part...Kerry would own a part and Tom a part. Paul and Gary ofcourse were just hired guns. Then ofcourse the management might own a healthy chunk...or maybe Slayer is a business with multiple owners...who knows...an interesting question though...

But I seriously doubt Kerry would even be legally able to go out and preform under the Slayer name...UNLESS ofcourse he'd buy it for himself or maybe with Paul and Gary...but again...doubtful.

[Zzzptm]

There are more than a few bands that are "BAND_NAME featuring PROMINENT_MEMBER" that have more than one version active and touring.

It could come down to whoever gets to the courthouse first winning out. That was the case in 1977 when Randy Bachman and Burton Cummings gave permission to Jim Kale to use the name "The Guess Who" for a one-off performance that included Garry Peterson, their original drummer, and their mid-70s guitar players. After the concert, Kale realized the band name wasn't trademarked. So he drove to Winnipeg, trademarked it, and now can play as The Guess Who even if his only bandmate is a 10-year-old kid with a kazoo.

So I did find this:

https://trademarks.justia.com/871/04/n-87104253.html

The stylized logo got trademarked in 2017, it seems.

[Zzzptm]

Also found this... https://www.uspto.gov/trademark/laws-regulations/rockin-trademark

So if the band trademark is not held by a member, but by a management group, then that management group can get a grade school glee club and have them tour as Slayer.

The "juristic organization" can also edge out other members through voting processes. That happened to Mark Farner of Grand Funk. The three-piece band collectively owned the name Grand Funk and Grand Funk Railroad and couldn't tour without all three agreeing to it. Don Brewer and Mel Schachter wanted to tour when Mark didn't, so they pressed him to incorporate the band, ostensibly for tax purposes. Farner agreed and then, under the corporate bylaws, Brewer and Schachter could out-vote Farner at any time, essentially using the corporate structure to kick him out of the band.

The band Slade, on the other hand, did a bunch of tours after their main songwriters retired. The songwriters, Holder and Lea, made plenty of money from royalties (especially their "Merry Christmas Everybody") and the other performers, Lea and Powell, had nothing coming in. Holder and Lea gave permission to the others to keep doing shows as Slade out of goodwill and charity. Lea eventually fired Powell, but that's another story, there.

And now we've gone from Slayer to Slade.

[Jack the Stripper]

I would’ve thought the only ones allowed to use the Slayer name as a touring/recording act is Kerry or Tom. Kerry always said Dave gave up any rights when he left the first time in the early 90’s. Jeff’s estate would still receive songwriting and performance royalties and would have claim to his likeness and image being used but would have no claim over the name. If either Kerry or Tom wanted to use the name as a touring act they’d be free to do so and seeing Tom is done with that side of the business that leaves Kerry to carry on with it if he so desires.

I find it hard to believe that the stylised logo was only registered for trademark in 2017 though, unless the trademark had expired at one time and had to be re trade-marked. That management company could’ve been set up by the band or Kerry also. He practically runs the business side of things. 

[Zzzptm]

If Kerry runs the business side, it's likely he's got control of the trademarks. But I doubt he'd tour as Slayer featuring Kerry King. He can just as easily tour as Slayer's Kerry King Live in Concert or something like that.