Kerry King recently spoke about his debut solo album From Hell I Rise, claiming it represents the next chapter for Slayer fans, in a statement shared on Instagram.
King reflected on the album’s release process and the reception it received from fans on the road. He noted that the record had been completed well before it was officially unveiled.
“I think it was finished like a year before it came out,” King said. “So that weight, that keeping the lid on it was the hardest thing. Because you get all the people in my band, you got everybody that worked on the record, and they all had to stay quiet because you wanted it to be a surprise whenever the big release was happening. So that was super hard and difficult.”
King then described the relief that came once the album was finally out. He also spoke about how audiences quickly embraced the new material during live shows.
“But when it came out, it was a relief because everybody could tell all the people they wanted to tell that they hadn’t told yet,” he continued. “We started touring pretty early on it. You know, people didn’t know it. Some people didn’t know it at all. But by the time we were done with our live US run, everybody was singing the lyrics back at us like they have known them 20 years, like an old Slayer song.”
King went on to explain why he believes the project resonates so strongly with the Slayer fanbase. He also expressed pride in how the album came together.
“There’s so many Slayer fans into what I’m doing because it’s the next thing,” he said. “How do I think about From Hell I Rise now, you know, I’m super proud of how the guys came together. Guys from different bands, different environments made this project what it was.”
From Hell I Rise marks King’s first major musical output since Slayer’s disbandment. Its reception suggests the project has found a strong footing among longtime fans of the band.
The pride King expresses in his bandmates is well-founded, given the caliber of musicians he assembled for the project. The lineup reads like a who’s who of the thrash and heavy metal world, drawing talent from some of the genre’s most respected acts.
American Songwriter reported that King enlisted former Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph to anchor the rhythm section. Phil Demmel of Machine Head and Kyle Sanders of Hellyeah also joined the fold, with Death Angel frontman Mark Osegueda rounding out the lineup as vocalist — bringing a wealth of thrash metal experience to the record.
The album features all 13 tracks written solely by King. It was released in May 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music. The fact that King penned every song himself further reinforces the deeply personal nature of the project and its direct ties to his creative identity within Slayer.
Critical reception aligned closely with King’s own assessment of the record. Metal Injection highlighted drummer Paul Bostaph and vocalist Mark Osegueda as particular standouts. Osegueda was described as truly finding his place on the record, with the familiar-sounding guitar solos noted as a fitting element throughout.
Broader critical consensus echoed similar sentiments. Bearded Gentlemen Music noted that several reviews described the album as a clear continuation of Slayer’s style. This characterization aligns directly with King’s own framing of the project as the natural next step for fans of his former band.
