KERRY KING

First released two years ago, Kerry King's debut solo album arguably deserved more attention than it received. Vicious, aggressive and fully in keeping with the music that SLAYER made on their final few albums, it was exactly what most of us expected: in the best possible way. King's refusal to sit around and wait for his former bandmates to leap into action made perfect sense, and thanks to the backroom continuity of having Paul Bostaph on drums, "From Hell I Rise" was as close to an authentic follow-up to 2015's "Repentless" as we are ever likely to get. In truth, the songs on King's solo debut were significantly more exciting than anything SLAYER had been offering for some years, and while it is questionable whether there is a real need for this expanded, "deluxe" edition to exist, it does give latecomers a second opportunity to embrace King's new era.

When it comes to evil riffs and bug-eyed hostility, KERRY KING wrote the rulebook. "From Hell I Rise" is a nails hard and gloriously gnarly metal record that has the guitarist's personality etched into its skin. Songs like "Where I Reign", "Idle Hands" and "Shrapnel" bring a grittiness and hardcore-like simplicity to the SLAYER formula, as an endless succession of killer riffs collides with the feral energy generated by a hand-picked lineup of badasses, ex-MACHINE HEAD guitarist Phil Demmel and ex-HELLYEAH bassist Kyle Sanders included. But the real star of the show is frontman Mark Osegueda. Always one of thrash metal's most dynamic vocalists, the DEATH ANGEL man's performance on "From Hell I Rise" is nothing short of revelatory. A monstrous display of power and personality, his scabrous tirades elevate these songs to a higher level of intensity. From the ominous "Trophies Of The Tyrant" to the psychotic outburst of "Everything I Hate About You", Osegueda's vocals are more than equal to King's imperious riffing, while also cementing the idea that this is a real band, and not just some indulgent sidestep.

It may take some effort to persuade fans that "From Hell I Rise" is worth buying a second time, but there are at least a handful of intriguing bonus tracks here to soften the financial blow. This is a glimpse into King's creative process, demo versions of five of the album's songs are presented here, each with the man himself providing vocals. Not surprisingly, King is really good at shouting his head off and sounds brilliantly pissed off throughout. Whether alternative versions of "Crucifixation" and "From Hell I Rise" truly justify the price of another admission is open to debate, but if the prospect of Kerry King singing doesn't interest you, you should probably relinquish your heavy metal license.

A solid stopgap to keep us entertained until King stops being distracted by SLAYER shows and makes another record, "From Hell I Rise" will still smash your face in, expanded or not.