9 years after the final Slayer album and 5 years after their announced retirement and final tour (and 3 minutes after their announced comeback) the thrash world awaits what Kerry King has up his sleeve for us after teasing us he was going solo. And to his credit, not only has he assembled a thrash supergroup with certain Slayer alumni within its ranks, the actual music within his debut ‘solo’ record is rather quite decent too.
Obviously, the accusations will be flying around that ‘From Hell I Rise’ is just a lazy Slayer 2.0 – to be expected as King was responsible for much of Slayer’s output – but there are curveballs present that maybe would not have been suitable for the band he was a main part of for 38 years. There are fast songs (unmistakeably Slayer-esque), slower and groovier songs plus also some tracks have a hardcore punk feel to them, evoking memories of their punk cover’s album ‘Undisputed Attitude’.
After the short instrumental intro of ‘Diablo’, the album bursts into life with ‘Where I Reign’. What’s apparent is that he seems to be having fun with these tunes – a pummelling battery from Paul Bostaph, some of his best lead work in years and also that vocal delivery from Death Angel’s Mark Osegueda. And this is where the praise or criticism will be aimed at – it must be difficult not trying to sound like Tom Araya when the thrash is delivered like this, but he does put his own stamp on the whole affair to give it some stamp of identity.
‘Residue’ is next, and it’s one of the slower songs on the album and displays melodies that have been missing from latter Slayer albums. It’s fair to say that Mr King has matured in his songwriting and approach and he’s curated an album that not only appeases older Slayer fans (‘Trophies Of The Tyrant’ could’ve come from Seasons In The Abyss), newer Slayer fans (‘Everything I Hate About You’) and even non-Slayer fans (‘Two Fists’ being a particular standout track complete with groove and attitude and sounding the most Death Angel track on the album).
The album is sure to be a polarising one with people expecting a bigger departure from KK and those who are still clamouring after Reign In Blood II. What he has created though is a very enjoyable thrash record with lots of replay value. Over 4 decades of aggression, Kerry King is still showing no mercy.
Words by Neil Not
