KERRY KING Says He 'Covers All The Bases' Musically On His Debut Solo Album

SLAYER guitarist Kerry King has launched the first in a series of interview videos to promote his recently released debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise". Check it out below.

Asked what fans can expect to hear on "From Hell I Rise". Kerry said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Fans could expect basically anything from my personal history, which includes [influences from BLACK] SABBATH, [JUDAS] PRIEST, [IRON] MAIDEN, thrash, punk, hardcore. I think I cover all the bases on this record, so 13 songs of, basically, what you're used to Kerry King doing."

On the topic of his favorite track on the new LP, Kerry said: "That would probably change daily and what kind of mood I'm in, 'cause… I think 'Crucifixation''s one of my favorite songs, which is super thrashy. I like 'Shrapnel' because it's a completely different feel. But it's the first time I've written everything, so I got some money in the game on every song. So, probably my go-to, if I was gonna play a song for somebody and say, 'This is my new album,' probably would be 'Crucifixation'."

Regarding which song on "From Hell I Rise" was "most challenging" to write, Kerry said: "I'm not sure 'challenging' is the right word, but one song that sticks out to me is a standalone track in a different way that we talked about is 'Two Fists'. Because I wrote 'Two Fists' to be basically like if you stuck your hand in the 1980s and picked out a punk song. I wanted it to sound just like that. I wanted it to sound like a heavy, groovy punk song. And I went about writing the lyrics the same way, as if one of the punk singers wrote those lyrics in the '80s as well, 'cause I wanted it to be an individual music period piece, so to speak. It wasn't difficult; it was just getting my time frame musically and my time frame lyrically to work together for that particular song."

All material for "From Hell I Rise" was written by the 60-year-old SLAYER guitarist, who was accompanied during the recording sessions by the rest of his solo band, consisting of drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH),guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD) and Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) on vocals. Helming the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles last year was producer Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BAD RELIGION, among others.

In an interview with Martha Wingen of the Bleeding Metal podcast, King was asked to name "the most important message" on "From Hell I Rise". He said: "I don't know that there's a message on the album. I'm not that kind of person. I like to bring things to a conversation. Say, for instance, I've been talking today about, I think a lot of people are born into a religious belief based on being handed down from their parents, friends, whatever. What I like to present to people is ideas that if that makes them question what they believe, what they were taught… I think everybody should make up their own mind. And at the end of the day, that would be my message. Make up your own mind, be it politics, be it religion. Just be your own self."

Asked if he was able to realize something in his music he always wanted to do, like new influences or new styles, on "From Hell I Rise", Kerry said: "Realistically, my influences were influences 40 years ago and they still are my influences. And along that way, did I pick up more? Yeah, absolutely. But I think in doing this project, it's just the next record for me. I didn't have anything that I wanted to achieve that necessarily I hadn't achieved. I just wanna make up the next batch of music for people that I think are my fans, that I think they would like, because SLAYER has a gigantic amount of fans, and if I make 95 percent of them happy with what I do, I think I had a good day."

In a separate interview with with France's Loud TV, Kerry said about the prospect of launching a solo career: "It's kind of funny, right? It's kind of funny to have 40 years in this business at all, let alone be starting a new band."

Referencing the fact that SLAYER hasn't released a new studio album since 2015 and hasn't played any live shows since 2019, King added: "I'm obviously not done. I've got lots more music and lots more things to say, a lot more people to piss off and argue about. So, let's start this new endeavor now. Move on."

When the interviewer noted that it takes "courage" to launch a new project several decades into his career, King concurred: "It is a lot more difficult than I thought. I've been kind of pampered for the last at least three decades. And starting over, even though I have a gigantic history in SLAYER, starting over, you're still starting over — you're lower on the bills, you're not making the [same kind of] money. Having to figure out how to make sure everybody in my band makes money so it's worth their time. But, yeah, never for a second did I consider not going on, because at this point in life, any record could be your last. I don't think this is my last record, but I have to move on like it is. So put it out, hope the fans like it, hope the fans show up. I like it. I think the fans are gonna like it, and I think we're gonna have a lot of good times."

Asked if the lineup for his solo band is made up of "friends", Kerry said: "Absolutely. The thing that meant the most to me about moving forward in this project was getting my friends. I could get anybody in the biz — I can get people I don't know, people I've never met, but I have enough friends in this business to know that I could put a band together of outstanding musicians that are friends that, after the show, we can get on the bus and have a drink and just have fun. No drama. Nothing weird is gonna happen that we don't foresee. I look forward to getting out on the road with these guys and having a good time."

Pressed about which member of his solo band was "the most surprised" when Kerry called him to offer him a spot in the group, Kerry said: "I think the most surprising moment was when I finally gave Mark the gig. Mark put his name in the hat very early, and he's the only one that did demos with me and Paul. We had him come down every six weeks or so, and he would just come down and sing the songs he'd already sang and just every time he'd come down, make 'em better. But I didn't tell him until, like, 14 months ago that he got the gig. And I was super nonchalant about it. He was at my place in [Las] Vegas, and I said, 'Dude, if you still want the gig, I guess you can have it.' And he was super excited, super excited, like almost fan excited. He was so excited, he texted his mom and texted me by accident. [Laughs] And I said, 'I love you too, man. It's cool. It's cool.' So we went in and recorded, like, two months after that."

When the interviewer remarked that Mark sounds like he is really pushing himself vocally on "From Hell I Rise", Kerry said: "Like I said, we did demos, and we always made the demos better. And then we got to the studio in Hollywood, and I was in another room doing something, and he sang 'Residue'. And the producer got me and says, 'Hey, I want you to hear where the song is.' And I went, 'Okay, cool,' expecting to hear what I was used to hearing. And I hear the first verse and I'm going, 'How did you guys get to this register?' It's, like, I'd never heard that before. He was, like, 'Well, that's where he started singing and felt comfortable.' So I went to Mark immediately and I said, 'Hey, dude, you can recreate this, right?' It's, like, 'You're not setting yourself up to fail the first show and blow your voice out and be canceling shows all over the place.' And he assured me he can do it. So, he carried on and went on and did even crazier performances on the later songs that he sang. So, apparently, he's very confident in what he can do. And I think it sounds great. So, I'm anxious to get out and start doing it."

King told Rolling Stone about the decision to call the band KERRY KING: "It was going to be KING'S REIGN for a long time, which is really cool. But even with that one, I went to the guys, like, 'I'm not a vain dude. I don't want my name to be a part of it.' We talked about BLOOD REIGN for a while, but it didn't work. Every time I came up with anything remotely cool, it was taken by some obscure band in Eastern Europe. It became KERRY KING because I love that logo."

King said the album is about "various religious topics, some war entries, heavy stuff, punky stuff, doomy stuff, and spooky stuff, with Herculean speeds achieved," adding, "If you've ever liked any SLAYER throughout any part of our history, there's something on this record that you'll get into, be it classic punk, fast punk, thrash, or just plain heavy metal."

King added there's more to come, too. "Even with a record in the can, I've still got so many songs that need to be finished," he said. "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."

KERRY KING will be special guest on the upcoming LAMB OF GOD/MASTODON North American "Ashes Of Leviathan" co-headline tour. The six-week run will launch on July 19 in Grand Prairie, Texas and will wrap on August 31 in Omaha, Nebraska.