Writing and Photography by Bobby Talamine Edited by Fiza Javid Reggie's Chicago - Tuesday - May 7, 2024 Lots of things definitive of rock shows, especially of the metal kind, that make things memorable. One offs, limited short runs of dates, reunions, and on and on. Special, truly special shows, of the magical kind, even before a note is played, and prior amped up energy of the "I can't wait" kind- those are rare. Let alone anything intimate venue related. Made evident even more so where said band wants to make its debut in the heart of the Midwest, such as Chicago. Gives you chills when you think about it- the kind where you have to arrive a bit early to take it all in, along with your metal brethren faithful, all lined up in their traditional black attire, also feeling the same said excitement. That it revolves around a guy such as Kerry King, debuting his solo project "From Hell I Rise", at Reggie's in Chicago- well let's just say there's magic in the air, eagerly awaiting entry into all things "mighty". By the looks of things from the exterior of Reggie's- Not your typical load in for a typical and intimate metal show. The semi parked to the north of the venue- the kinda freight that you would see arrive for a larger venue- which tells you lots of things- that this show is gonna be downright special, up to Kerry King standards, minus the typical heavy fire and pyro. But excluding that- the lighting- the stage schematic- the fact that Paul Bostaph's drumkit is not on a riser of any sort, that' it's ground level, also says lots. This is a full fledged band alright. A five piece, ready willing and able. What you have: A fierce and dynamic vocalist in Mark Osegueda, from the band Death Angel. Phil Demmel on guitars- from Vio-Lence and also Machine Head. Kyle Sanders on bass- from Hellyeah. And of course Paul Bostaph on drums - from Testament, Forbidden , Exodus and of course Slayer. So Kerry King has surrounded himself with men that think like him, punishing and unforgiving- elevating the mood in everything. You can tell that they've rehearsed a shitload. Nothing seemed out of place whatsoever- however I'm not privy to any band pow wow / huddle after- knowing full well that in accordance to this level of thrash musicianship, mistakes do happen, and there's need to tweak or correct a few things. To play at this level of might and fortitude requires serious attention and physical attributes. The metal faithful knows this full well. That's why the metal faithful are a solid bunch, especially of the rough and tumble Chicago kind. The setlist- seventeen songs total, mostly reflecting the solo release from Kerry King- "From Hell I Rise", but also punctuated throughout with heavy hitters from the Slayer canon, such as "Repentless", "Hate Worldwide", "Chemical Warfare", amongst others. But the crowd was eager to hear the new stuff as well- to see and hear if they deliver. Oh man, do they ever deliver. Eleven new songs in total- all tight, all fierce, all in your face. Of course we've heard the first single from the long awaited album from back in early February- "Idle Hands"- a fast and oh so punishing barn burner of a song- worthy of many repeats. To hear "Idle Hands" live, which come along as song number eight in the setlist- by this time, a couple of months after its debut- it feels like it's part of the core and family of Slayer- old school, refreshing, full of might and piss and vinegar when played live, with amped up steroid attitude. Matter of fact, all the songs played "From Hell I Rise"- the same feels. With so many nuggets and gems to choose from- you leave Reggie's scatterbrained- more so than your typical metal show, simply because the new material is so damn good, and like you've never heard any of this before, everything starts anew, and of course, where the fuck do you go from here. Look at it this way- The first three songs of the evening- opening with "Where I Reign", into "Toxic", and then into "Rage"- all bangers- from the latest release- unrelenting, concrete block pulverizing. Now you get the gist of all things Kerry King / solo project. Definitive. Exclamation point observatory- throughout. A five piece with serious bona fides. The whole set- level upon next level of brutality, followed by a PA that could whoop your ass, and a tightknit approach to minimal clutter onstage, making the music all things front and center. Deeply honest, this approach- this fast and concise riffage of thunder with blistering intent. I know I'm throwing around words that are gushing with praise, more so than usual. But it's not like there's a question and answer period after a show like this, with some amount of definitive closure. I guess in some aspects, that's necessary, all well and good, with lots and lots of questions left unanswered, figure it out yourself and make do. But I've come into this live review with Kerry King with my head still spinning, finding it hard to decompress, and make some seminal thoughts of what the fuck I just witnessed. But damn if the whole night, even prior to the show was downright magical, and just so special. This is beautiful and frightful heavy thrash, of the no bullshit kind. Played live- even more so. Again- the band is tight. The songs are tight. The venue- the perfect debut for such a release as this, even on a weekday night. Easily, easily, one of the best most unforgettable shows of the year. Bobby Talamine - JBTV Music Television Chicago Kerry King, From Hell I Rise, Paul Bostaph, Mark Osegueda, Kyle Sanders, Phil Demmel, JBTV Music Television, Fiza Javid, Bobby Talamine.
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