Hanneman stopped playing live with Slayer in 2011, two years before his death from alcohol-related illness. The band have just completed work on their 11th album, their first to feature Holt's work. It also marks the return of drummer Paul Bostaph, who replaced Dave Lombardo in 2013.

Asked whether he hesitated to continue with Slayer after Hanneman's death and Lombardo's departure, Holt tells Metal Insider: "No, well by the time of Jeff's tragic passing I'd already been doing it for a while. We all hoped, no one more so than myself that Jeff would be recovering, reclaiming his throne.