Written: 12th May 2024
It has been a little over four and a half years since Slayer’s last show and even before the final notes faded away, it was clear that Kerry King was unhappy with the band’s decision to retire. Unhappiness with different situations is not a new feeling for King or his fans; he has been one of the most outspoken members of the metal community for the last forty years. From Hell I Rise is the culmination of several years of work and King is relishing the chance to release music under his own name. “It’s the best feeling I've ever had. There will be some faces punched in. I think people are going to compare it to Slayer. I'm not afraid of that because I think it stands up to anything we've done in our history, musically, performance-wise. That said, there will be people complaining, ‘Why does it sound like Slayer?’ And ‘why doesn’t it sound more like Slayer?' That's just what people do.”
As Kerry King has alluded to himself, those who are familiar with his compositions from latter day Slayer albums will find much that they recognise on From Hell I Rise in terms of attitude and approach. Opening introductory instrumental Diablo sets the scene with some crunchy riffs and a melodic guitar solo leading into the first song Where I Reign, which is structured largely as a relentless assault, weaving in some intricate melodies with the raw power that has defined King’s career. Vocalist Death Angel’s Mark Osegueda has the ability to shift from guttural growls to piercing screams. On occasion during From Hell I Rise, he tries a little to hard to ape Tom Araya at this most belligerent, with Where I Reign being one such example.
Initially, Residue adopts a slower tempo and is more in keeping with the style that Slayer employed on South of Heaven or Seasons In Abyss. The level of ferocity grows throughout the track as the message of anger and retaliation against oppression and betrayal falls with a snarling venom from Osegueda’s lips. Your deranged, insane, tirade will incite / Flash flood of blood feeds the parasite / Words sting, hate clings just like residue / I know tenfold it comes back to you. With residue symbolising the lingering effects of negativity and lies, there is also suggestion of karmic justice within the lyrics. Paul Bostaph’s drums are a primal force of commanding intensity and interplay effectively with Kyle Sander’s rapid-fire bass work. First single from the album Idle Hands is a rampaging stomp and while Phil Demmel’s explosive guitar work does add some fervour to proceedings, the main riff sounds like any number of Slayer tracks from the past. Perhaps that should come as no surprise, as some of the album dates back to the time of Repentless. “I was writing most of the music anyway, especially at the end. Things I wrote during Slayer’s lifespan are showing up on From Hell I Rise, which you’ll see later, on the next record.”
Trophies of the Tyrant fares much better with Osegueda’s delivery full of unashamed bile as King produces a track that is reminiscent of material such as Dead Skin Mask or Spirit In Black. During the recording of the album, the guitarist was so taken with the vocalist’s power that he felt momentarily uneasy. “By the second song Mark finished singing, I went into the studio and asked him, ‘Is this sustainable? Because I've never heard you sing like this. I want to make sure you're not blowing your load in the studio and can't reproduce this live.’ Mark said, ‘I can totally do it.’ So, I asked him again in about an hour. And again, in another hour. Then I figured, ‘Alright, I guess he means it.’” During the closing minute, Trophies of the Tyrant reaches truly blistering speeds, which continue during the first half of Crucifixation. Being the longest song on the album and a little over five minutes, Crucifixation allows the band time to explore differently musical ideas in the slower central section.
Tension adds another element to the album, bubbling with a brooding, ominous atmosphere throughout. There is the feeling that something incendiary is about to take flight and indeed it does as Tension leads directly into the eighty second high-speed riot that is Everything I Hate About You. The effervescent aggression continues on Toxic, the lyrics to which were written when King had COVID and was stuck in his hotel. “It was when Roe v. Wade got shot down. I was just really pissed off.” Musically, it manages to be both polished and raw, balancing the intensity of King’s playing without sanitising the inherent grit of his sound. There seems to be an attempt by Kerry King to vary the approach on the From Hell I Rise, particularly during the second half of the album. Two Fists strays between punk infused inflexions and groove metal embellishments, while Rage roars with an unrestrained, rabid fury and Shrapnel evokes, at times, a feeling of 1970s Black Sabbath in the first half, albeit it later filtered through a tableau of brutality. However, closing the album with the title track, King re-visits extremely familiar musical territory and this familiarity extends to the lyrics, with another vehement attack on organised religion.
Kerry King has put together an excellent band and each member makes a significant contribution to the things that are successful on the album. Bostaph is reliably tempestuous; Sanders is a more than adequate foil for the former Slayer drummer; and King displays his usual savagery. Nevertheless, much of the praise should be directed to Phil Demmel, whose solos are uninhibited and fervent and to Mark Osegueda who – despite my comment about occasionally aping Araya – is assertive and potent throughout. Plans are already in place for a second album and it will be interesting to see how much involvement the other members of the band will have in its composition. For now, From Hell I Rise is a solid album - although it never threatens to be a great one - and while there are some small attempts to add variety, King has made it clear that he does not have any real interest in writing anything vastly different to his work in Slayer. Fans of the later work of that particular member of the Big Four will find much of this album enjoyable without finding anything that is unexpected.
From Hell I Rise is released on 17th May 2024.
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