Still suffering from a bout of what should definitely become a song title on the band’s next album, Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman’s continuing recovery from necrotizing fasciitis will keep the Bay Area thrash quartet out of the studio for at least a while longer, according to frontman Tom Araya. Hanneman contracted the flesh-eating bacteria syndrome from a spider bite.
"There’s no way we’d go into a studio without him," Araya said. "We require his musical skills, his writing skills. He’s an integral part of the band. So we’re going to hold off until he’s at 100 percent and can join that process and be part of it."
Hanneman has missed over six months of Slayer shows, and Gary Holt of Exodus and Alex Webster of Cannibal Corpse have taken turns filling in during his absence. He made a surprise appearance at the Big Four show in California with Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax, joining his longtime band onstage for renditions of ‘South of Heaven’ and ‘Angel of Death.’
Araya commented on Hanneman’s special appearance at the gig:
"We thought that would be a nice surprise for everybody and also make everybody aware that he’s still there. It’s pretty severe what he’s going through. He’s had skin grafts, and he’s got to rehabilitate his arm and get it back in shape again. It’s going to require a lot of time."
