Tom Araya quotes

Tom Araya is a Chilean-American musician, best known as the bassist and lead vocalist of the thrash metal band Slayer. His powerful voice and distinctive bass playing have greatly influenced the heavy metal genre. He continues to be celebrated as a legendary figure in metal music. Here are 30 of his quotes:

I follow politics, but I don't like to discuss it.

Tom Araya

I am not an atheist; I believe in God. But my religion ends there. I have my own personal belief system that is so strong it allows me to do what I do. I don't have to worry about going to Hell because of Slayer, you know? Everyone has a personal belief system and believes in life somehow.

Tom Araya

I was born and raised Catholic, so it's in my blood. I don't go to church... I was born and raised Catholic, which is about the extent of my religion. My parents made one request: that I have my first Holy Communion.

Tom Araya

A good wine has many qualities, I think. If drunk moderately, it is healthy and good for your heart.

Tom Araya

From the heaviest of the heavy to classical to country, that's what I listen to, I listen to a variety and I enjoy good music, good songs.

Tom Araya

We did like 12 shows, then we did the entire Ozzfest with the first half completely booked; then we did the second half with a couple days off here and there.

Tom Araya

Whatever had been on the radio in the '60s; I mean we were always listening to the radio.

Tom Araya

I had to be at least 8 or 9; I was listening to everything on the radio. You name it, I heard every song.

Tom Araya

I read a book recently by a psychiatrist who was able to interview a few serial killers and she had a thesis on how you could figure these people out. And she thinks that there are things that could tell you whether someone has the potential to do that.

Tom Araya

No, I have to really focus, especially when I'm writing because I wanna be good at it.

Tom Araya

We just bought a new house, so my wife's been doing all the moving and other stuff, so I would like to go home and just sit and enjoy all that for a couple months before I gotta start playing again.

Tom Araya

I was born and raised Catholic.

Tom Araya

I write, I write, I always write.

Tom Araya

I just don't write musically, but lyrically, yeah I write.

Tom Araya

I read true crime books, and I read when people do case studies of stuff. I'm into books like that. Case studies or forensics or murder - all that good stuff.

Tom Araya

Venom was a band that strongly influenced the image and the idea behind Slayer.

Tom Araya

I try to incorporate melody. Even though I'm screaming, I still like to think I bring melody into screaming.

Tom Araya

Fortune is either with you or it's not.

Tom Araya

Oh yeah, our first tour in Europe they wouldn't give me the time off from work.

Tom Araya

I would have to work on the song and figure out how they wanted the song done, because they're such high-intensity songs. We figure that out first, then I go back and listen to it and go over and rehearse stuff with it and try to get a feel for the words.

Tom Araya

Yeah, yeah I think that's one of the biggest misconceptions towards the band. The biggest one is that we're Satan worshippers, but next to that just the fact that we're normal.

Tom Araya

As long as it's good music, that's what's important.

Tom Araya