Kerry King‘s comeback is set for May 2024.
Known as the emblematic guitarist of the (almost) defunct Slayer, the man hasn’t given up on music, far from it. Paul Bostaph (drums, Slayer, ex-Testament), Mark Osegueda (vocals, Death Angel), Phil Demmel (guitar, ex-Machine Head, ex-Vio-lence) and Kyle Sanders (Hellyeah) join forces to bring From Hell I Rise to life.
The album opens with Diablo, a short composition that reassures us that the sound is rooted in Thrash, and the few ominous leads are a perfect introduction, before Where I Reign reassures us that King‘s direct touch has lost none of its superbness. The addition of Osegueda‘s furious vocal parts is particularly successful, giving the composition an Old School feel despite the relatively clean mix, benefiting from rhythmic explosions where solos burst forth before giving way to Residue where the first riffs darken. The chosen approach is much more jerky and heavy, but also quite unifying, especially on the break, then the sound becomes energetic again with Idle Hands where the five musicians unleash themselves in unison, guaranteeing a boiling pit during live performances. The sharp leads fit in well with the charge, which continues with Trophies Of The Tyrant and its martial atmosphere punctuated by more ethereal touches and small accelerations, as on the final that leads to the long Crucifixation and its virulent Hardcore roots that only subside to let the guitars answer each other. Darkness returns with Tension, the next composition, where you can hear the oppression that characterized Slayer‘s emblematic tracks, then the very short Everything I Hate About You finally lets rage explode for just over a minute of full-throttle violence. Toxic follows with a slightly more subdued but still aggressive rhythm, which also fits in with the protest vociferations and the final double kick that leads into Two Fists, which is the perfect track for any kind of crowd movement, with its obvious, catchy Punk influences. Rage kicks things off again with a name that says a lot about the content of this belligerent composition, then the musicians turn to slower suffocating riffs with Shrapnel, where a heavy atmosphere reigns and develops slowly, especially on the screeching harmonics. We also have a touch of violence, then From Hell I Rise closes the album with a touch of Death Metal, thanks to a final fix of raw power that serves as a battlefield for the guitars, who don’t hold back in deploying their bloody arsenal.
Kerry King‘s signature style remains intact, but her collaboration with the other musicians makes From Hell I Rise a slightly different album from what you might expect. If you miss the energetic, jerky riffs, you won’t be disappointed!
75/100