Kerry King is a legend in metal, his work with Slayer is immortal and his contributions to music are eternal. Kerry has said multiple times that he felt that Slayer had retired too early so this new solo project will act as the logical continuation of Slayer. The debut Manchester show of this project also featured Fear Factory performing their landmark album, Demanufacture.
Fear Factory opened the show with the mechanical grinding and pounding of ‘Demanufacture,’ a massive declaration that Fear Factory is not only at the height of their powers but has the ability to elevate material that has made them titans of industrial metal. Guitarist Dino Cazares still has some of the tightest rhythm playing around with a treasure trove of ‘Syncopated’ guitar riffs under his belt, like ‘H-K’ and ‘Self Bias Resistor’.
As mentioned previously, the set was dedicated to the 30th anniversary of Demanufacture, a legendary record that has proved itself to have a lasting influence even today. You would struggle to find a modern metal band today that doesn’t have at least a tertiary connection to Fear Factory. Having seen the 20th anniversary tour of Demanufacture, it’s unquestionable that this new lineup is better.
All support to former vocalist Burton C Bell, but Milo Silvestro just has that punch that Burton didn’t have in his later years in Fear Factory. The way he hits the clean choruses on tracks like ‘Therapy For Pain,’ a track that was dedicated to Ozzy, and ‘Dog Day Sunrise’ shows off a range and sombre element that Fear Factory have been missing for quite some time. This also complements the blinding aggression on display with crushing tracks like ‘Flashpoint’ and ‘New Breed’ which still pack an incredible punch due the savage yet precise drumming of Pete Webber.
Their set ended with a bit of a surprise for the audience, not for me, though, because they did the same thing at Bloodstock; they finished the set with Kerrang and Scuzz staple, ‘Linchpin,’ a groovy and bouncy banger that still dominates rock clubs across the world.
After a brief intermission, Kerry King took to the stage with an all-star lineup including Mark Osgueda from Death Angel, Phil Demmel, Kyle Sanders (formerly of Hellyeah) and fellow Slayer alum Paul Bostaph on drums. From the very start, you can feel that the soul of Slayer is very much still with the band as they rip through ‘Where I Reign’ and the Seasons in the Abyss-tinged ‘Trophies of the Tyrant’.
Kerry King and his band have mastered the art of playing fast, but it’s when they slow down that they become interesting with brooding tracks like ‘Residue’ and ‘Tension’, which make the faster moments all the more impactful and add a bit of variety to what could potentially be a rather dull set. ‘Two Fists’ is a track that brings out a lot of Kerry’s punk influences and shows off a more primal and simplified side of the band, with the iconic wild flailing whammy solos and breakneck drumming taking a backseat to just pure blind aggression.
It’s hard to disconnect this project from Slayer, but that’s by design. It does make it a bit confusing, considering the actual Slayer is back at the moment for festival appearances, but that’s a different conversation. The band has all the same intensity as Slayer, but it really just feels like the same band with a fresh lineup that knows how to channel the soul of Slayer and also happens to have our beloved bald King taking the throne.
This band knows how to cover classic Slayer tracks extremely well, with vocalist Mark Osgueda capturing the raw and abrasive rasp of Tom Araya. Classic Slayer tracks like ‘Disciple’ and ‘Chemical Warfare’ perfectly encapsulate the blind fury of Slayer faithfully without drawing attention away from the tracks from From Hell I Rise, while at the same time satisfying Slayer fans.
The set featured tributes to the recently departed Paul Di’Anno of Iron Maiden in the form of ‘Purgatory’ and a tribute to Ozzy in the form of ‘Wicked World’ by Black Sabbath, a cover that was performed by Slayer at the Back to the Beginning show in July. These covers fit the Slayer style very well while also paying tribute to the two incredibly important performers who have done so much for the world of metal.
The end of the set was made-up of certified Slayer classics, the mighty thunderclap of ‘Raining Blood’ still hits just as hard as it did back in 1986 and its collage of wild riffs still makes for an absolute masterclass of thrash metal. The transition between the end of ‘Raining Blood’ and the intro ‘Black Magic’ is fairly seamless, but it loses something without the crazy flailing whammy solo nonsense outro of ‘The Flood’ (Guitar Hero fans will know). ‘Black Magic’ is another classic Slayer track that is a welcome addition to the setlist but hopefully Kerry adds some deeper Slayer cuts from albums like God Hates Us All and Christ Illusion.
The set ended with ‘From Hell I Rise’, which has a ‘God Hates Us All’ vibe with its down-tuned guitars and wild, unhinged screaming, which made for a brilliant last chance for the audience to go completely insane.
Kerry King may not be reinventing the wheel, but helping keep a form of Slayer alive for future generations is a respectable goal considering thrash is becoming less interesting to younger people. Some bands don’t need reinvention; they just need a new audience to experience what we’ve all been enjoying for decades, and Kerry King is set on doing exactly that as he sits upon the fiery throne of a thrash dynasty he helped create.
