With his solo debut album, From Hell I Rise, set for a May 17th release via Reigning Phoenix Music, today Kerry King unveils "Residue", the project’s second single, and first music video. Co-directed by Jim Louvau and his partner Tony Aguilera, who have made videos for Jerry Cantrell, Sebastian Bach, Exodus, and Killer Be Killed, the video was shot at their downtown Phoenix studio in early April, and features King's new band - Mark Osegueda (vocals), Phil Demmel (guitar), Kyle Sanders (bass), and Paul Bostaph (drums).
Discussing the video, King states: “I come from a big fire pedigree and my music works with fire. I’ve always written horror-type music, so it made sense to incorporate fire into the first video where you get to see the entire band, which I think is just awesome. I think fire goes hand-in-hand with the devil, and I’m no stranger to talking about the devil...”
Said Louvau: "I knew this would be the first time that the world was going to see the band performing together, so I wanted to create a fast moving visual assault. Pyrotechnics and Kerry King clearly go hand in hand and seemed to fit like a glove, so Tony and I wanted to create something that felt familiar, but also something new and exciting. I also knew I could get away with certain visuals like a burning pentagram, because it's important to keep pissing parents off and keeping the spirit of metal alive."
With enough new material for two full albums, all written by King, if it hadn’t been for the COVID pandemic, his long-awaited solo project would likely have emerged in 2020. For his debut album, From Hell I Rise, King on guitar, enlisted drummer Paul Bostaph (Slayer), bassist Kyle Sanders (Hellyeah), Phil Demmel (formerly of Machine Head) on guitar, and vocalist Mark Osegueda (Death Angel). Working with producer Josh Wilbur (Korn, Lamb of God, Avenged Sevenfold, Bad Religion), the vast bulk of King’s solo album was recorded at Henson Studios in Los Angeles in about two weeks and was finished this past June.
“I didn’t know what to think, you know, it’s Kerry King from Slayer, who I’ve heard a million times,” said Wilbur. “He’s a very strong presence. I wouldn’t say that Kerry has an ego, but he has confidence in himself, which is a good thing. That’s what you want in your rock stars and in your band. He never comes off as a jerk or mean guy. But he does know exactly what he wants. He doesn’t beat around the bush. He’s like, ‘I don’t want to do that, but I want to do this.’ Very direct, but it comes from a place of confidence, and not from a place of anything else. I really enjoyed working with Kerry.”
According to King, the new music consists of “various religious topics, some war entries, heavy stuff, punky stuff, doomy stuff, and spooky stuff, with Herculean speeds achieved. If you’ve ever liked any Slayer throughout any part of our history," he adds, "there’s something on this record that you’ll get into, be it classic punk, fast punk, thrash, or just plain heavy metal!”
"Idle Hands", the debut track from King’s upcoming solo project, can be found below.
"All of us at RPM are very excited to be working with Kerry King, and it's an honor to be working his first solo album," said RPM's co-founder and President, Gerardo Martinez. "The joy of working on Slayer's last album, Repentless, and to be reunited with my brother on his new musical journey doesn't get any better!"
As King admits, “Even with a record in the can, I’ve still got so many songs that need to be finished. This is what I know how to do…number one being music, number two being metal. It’s been a part of my life for 40 years, and I’m nowhere near being done.”
From Hell I Rise tracklisting:
"Diablo"
"Where I Reign"
"Residue"
"Idle Hands"
"Trophies Of The Tyrant"
"Crucifixation"
"Tension"
"Everything I Hate About You"
"Toxic"
"Two Fists"
"Rage"
"Shrapnel"
"From Hell I Rise"
"Idle Hands" visualizer:
Find Kerry King's live itinerary here.
(Kerry King photo - Andrew Stuart)
