- Country: USA
- Style: Thrash metal
- Label: Reigning Phoenix Music
- Release date: 17 May 2024
Kerry King’s first record since Slayer packed it in is exactly what you would expect, and that is both its strength and its problem. Recorded at Henson Studios with producer Josh Wilbur, it brings Paul Bostaph back behind the kit, adds Phil Demmel on second guitar and Kyle Sanders on bass, and hands the mic to Death Angel’s Mark Osegueda.
Osegueda is the best decision here. He spits out “Residue” and “Idle Hands” with real venom and does not try to be Tom Araya, which keeps the album from sounding like a tribute act. “Where I Reign” kicks in right after the “Diablo” intro and sets the speed-and-chaos tone, and the Demmel/King trade-offs in “Trophies of the Tyrant” are a blast.
Thirteen songs in 46 minutes is lean, but the middle stretch blurs together. “Toxic”, “Two Fists” and “Rage” recycle the same chromatic ideas, and a few lyrics are pure Slayer-by-numbers. Still, as a debut it hits hard and delivers more than many feared.
Best tracks:
Where I Reign
Residue
Idle Hands
Trophies of the Tyrant
Author’s rating: 7.5/10
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