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Kerry King Announces Debut Solo Album Release Date, Reveals Band Lineup And Shares First Single, "Idle Hands"

The Los Angeles Forum, just before midnight on Saturday, November 30, 2019. Slayer’s Kerry King stood center stage, his signature chains hung from his belt, he walked over to stage right, unhooked the chains and held them high, dropped them onto the stage floor, turned around and walked off the stage.

"I knew early on that I wasn’t done, and I had no intention of not continuing to play."
— Kerry King

With enough new material for two full albums, all written by King, if it hadn’t been for the COVID pandemic, his long-awaited solo project would likely have emerged back in 2020. For his debut album, "From Hell I Rise," due out May 17 on Reigning Phoenix Music, King, on lead guitar, enlisted drummer Paul Bostaph (Slayer), bassist Kyle Sanders (Hellyeah), Phil Demmel (formerly Machine Head) on lead guitar, and vocalist Mark Osegueda (Death Angel). Working with producer Josh Wilbur (Korn, Lamb of God, Avenged Sevenfold, Bad Religion), the vast bulk of King’s solo album was recorded at Henson Studios in Los Angeles in about two weeks, and was finished this past June.

"I didn’t know what to think, you know, it’s Kerry King from Slayer who I’ve heard a million times," said Wilbur. "He’s a very strong presence. I wouldn’t say Kerry has an ego, but he has confidence in himself, which is a good thing. That’s what you want in your rock stars and in your band. He never comes off as a jerk or mean guy. But he does know exactly what he wants. He doesn’t beat around the bush. He’s like, ‘I don’t want to do that, but I want to do this.’ Very direct, but it comes from a place of confidence, and not from a place of anything else. I really enjoyed working with Kerry."

Also announced today is the release of “Idle Hands,” the debut track from King’s upcoming solo project. It’s fast, it's aggressive, it will smash you up against a brick wall, leave you breathless…and wanting more. You can check it out below.

"All of us at RPM are very excited to be working with Kerry King, and it's an honor to be working his first solo album," said RPM's co-founder and President, Gerardo Martinez. "The joy of working on Slayer's last album, Repentless, and to be reunited with my brother on his new musical journey doesn't get any better!"

As King admits, "Even with a record in the can, I’ve still got so many songs that need to be finished. This is what I know how to do…number one being music, number two being metal. It’s been a part of my life for 40 years, and I’m nowhere near being done.”"