The man, the myth, the legend, Kerry King is back and he’s bringing Hell with him. On May 17, Kerry unleashes his first solo album called From Hell I Rise. Featuring 13 tracks of explosive and devastating metal music. Kerry has assembled a heavy metal death squad with Mark Osequeda (vocals), Phil Demmel (guitar), Kyle Sanders (bass), and Paul Bostaph (drums). Together they are unleashing a firestorm of metal music.

Since we are talking about Kerry King, one of the pillars of Slayer, we have to address the 800lb gorilla when talking about his solo work. There can be no doubt that Slayer’s retirement left a hole in the metal universe. The supremacy of Slayer, particularly when the late great Jeff Hanneman was part of the arsenal, cannot be recreated. Early reviews of the “Idle Hands” single ranged from “This is Slayer-Lite” to “This is Replentless (Slayer’s last album) 2.0”. Both of these early impressions suffer from an incomplete picture of this new album.

While the playing style and riff-mastery of King was a hallmark of Slayer, on From Hell I Rise, he is exposing his penchant for metal, hardcore, and punk in both new ways. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of familiarity in the way that King writes. However, I think he’s done a masterful job of creating his own unique voice. A big part of that has to do with the players he has partnered with on this album. Let’s dig into a few tracks to explore more.

The fuse is lit with the triumphant opening instrumental of “Diablo”. From here on out From Hell I Rise is a relentlessly vicious onslaught. The true tone of this album lies in “Where I Reign”. The music is full-throttled and muscular with the guitars sounding sharp and deadly. The guitar solos mix the slashing speed and dive-bombing of King with the slightly more melodic edge of Demmel. Driving a freight-train of punishing rhythm, Kyle Sanders and Paul Bostaph keep the music roaring with power and intensity.

The real treat here is hearing Mark Osequeda at his most venomous. His raging vocals spit with malignant hate on each syllable. Mark’s tortured screams are just as fierce and savage. This may create a bit of controversy, but Osequeda’s vocals outshine anything on prior Slayer albums. The vocal performance on From Hell I Rise elevates the entire album and is a key feature of what makes it great.

One of the best songs on this album is “Crucifixation”. Brimming with rapid-fire guitars, bass, and drums this tune is all about neck-wrecking speed. A classic Kerry King breakdown with a sadistic single-note progression on top of cascading drums sets you up for a frenzied guitar solo. Another fun and frantic tune full of hardcore roots is “Everything I Hate About You”. It is a blazing tirade set to music. In other words, a short sharp shot right in the kisser.

Not everything is perfect with From Hell I Rise. While the hardcore punk song structure of “Two Fists” makes for a good listen, the lyrical subject matter falls flat and uninspired. The title track suffers a bit as well with the down-tuned guitars. The muddiness saps this song of strength. To my ear, keeping the tuning in Eb would have more fist-clenching fury.

From Hell I Rise by Kerry King is an extremely powerful and crushing new chapter for one of the founding members of Slayer. The songs on this album are cohesive, pummeling, and snapping with aggression. The band’s performance is spectacular with each member adding key elements that make for a terrific recording.