Slayer are getting really close to finishing their new album. Revolver Magazine got an update from frontman Tom Araya that appears in the new issue of the magazine.

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Araya stated that the band are in the "beginning stages of the finishing stages" of completing the album:

"We’re om kind of the beginning stages of the finishing stages, if that makes any sense,” says Slayer bassist and vocalist Tom Araya of the legendary thrash band’s forthcoming full-length. “We’re doing the mixing and mastering now, but we still need to sit down and figure out the album title, the album cover, the song titles, and the song list. We’ve recorded 13 songs for it; we’ll probably put ten on there, but who knows? Maybe you’ll get lucky and we’ll put all 13 on there!”

Araya had some exciting news for fans of Jeff Hanneman. While the late Slayer guitarist tragically passed away during the recording process due to an alcohol related cirrhosis, he did manage to complete one song and Araya makes it seem like the track will make the final cut of the album:

“Ever since his passing, it’s been like that—just odd and strange, because he’s never gonna be there again, you know?” he says, with a noticeable sadness in his voice. “Even when we were doing stuff without him while he was still alive, that felt strange. Yeah, I missed him during the process. But the way things turned out, I think he was definitely a part of it, even if he wasn’t there physically.” Hanneman is physically present on one unnamed track, however. “The whole process of this album started three years ago, when Jeff was still a part of it,” says Araya. “There is one track on there that we recorded with him, that he did play on, which was completely done except we hadn’t finalized the vocals for it. So we were fortunate to have something that he had participated in.”

Previously, the band have stated there were two unfinished Hanneman tracks but I guess only one of them cut the mustard. We're really looking forward to hearing what Slayer have up their sleeve.

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They will certainly be busy the next few months. Slayer have spring tour dates lined up, a cruise and are all-but-confirmed for this summer's Mayhem Fest.