Photos and Review by Max Stewart
Kerry King is a metal icon. Founding member of the legendary thrash metal band Slayer, his newest solo outfit has not lost a step of momentum from his years of influential headbanging (and even shown his evolution as a guitarist). The metal community is such a tight-knit and oftentimes misunderstood scene. From the outside, casual fans hear the high decibel tunes and mosh pits and assume metalheads are angry and closed-off. But that could not be farther from the truth, which was clear at Kerry King’s show at Atlanta‘s Buckhead Theater alongside Municipal Waste and Alien Weaponry. Sure, there were massive mosh pits throughout the night for all bands, but every person in the pit was quick to lend a helping hand if necessary and there was even a fan dressed in referee garb. And there was not an ounce of snobbery for Slayer fans seeing King spread his musical wings, all in attendance were pumped and excited for his newest venture and the opportunity to see metal royalty live.
Kerry King’s band includes Paul Bostaph on drums (also from Slayer), Kyle Sanders on bass, Phil Demmel on guitar, and Mark Osegueda on vocals. If you squinted you may have thought you were actually seeing Slayer in their prime, the band was that tight and in sync at every note. King’s debut album, From Hell I Rise, is truly unique and has elements of punk in addition to obvious face-melting metal. The album really emphasizes his work-horse guitar ability and it is amazing to see him shred live. The king of the riffs, King continues to master the distorted guitar fury that makes thrash metal so timeless.
Before King took the stage, Richmond VA’s Municipal Waste was a head-banging hell of a time. Clearly the band has fun while taking the musicianship seriously, Municipal Waste are a classic yet modern take on the 80s thrash sound. Newcomers Alien Weaponry out of New Zealand also bring a unique groove to the thrash sounds (not unlike ATL metal band Sevendust) and were a high-energy way to kick off the night. The band members have mix of Māori ancestry and they even have a few songs performed in the Māori language.
It is incredible seeing King thrive in a solo environment and have a tour that shines a light on other top tier bands in the metal community.
