KERRY KING TORE THE FONDA THEATRE IN HOLLYWOOD APART PIECE BY PIECE
Last week, legendary Slayer guitarist Kerry King stormed through the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood, CA. This trek marked King’s first proper headlining tour with his new band of metal miscreants, aptly named Kerry King and boasting former members of Slayer, Machine Head, Death Angel, and Hellyeah. Supporting King’s debut solo album, 2024’s bombastic From Hell I Rise, the band crisscrossed North America with the crossover thrash heroes in Municipal Waste and the Kiwi metal warriors in Alien Weaponry before wrapping things up out West, in LA, then Las Vegas, the following night.
When we arrived at the venue, Municipal Waste turned the Fonda into a veritable sauna. The band’s high-energy set prompted scores of amped-up crowd surfers to fly over the barricade at such an alarming rate that security booted all the photographers out of the photo pit far earlier than usual. This stream of bodies was reminiscent of the last time we caught Municipal Waste at the Fonda, supporting At The Gates in 2022, where waves of metal fiends sailed over the crowd and into security’s arms like a choreographed ballet. Kerry King’s dedicated Slayer fanbase naturally took to The Waste’s breakneck tempos and chugging mosh parts quickly and was officially warmed up for the night’s main event.
Kerry King hit the stage, and the sold-out crowd went ballistic. Opening with From Hell I Rise’s first track, “Where I Reign,” King’s fresh ensemble quickly proved their bonafide. Despite being a “new” band, this crew of grizzled metal veterans showed Los Angeles that old dogs could learn insanely awesome new tricks. Vocalist Mark Osegueda [Death Angel screamer] commanded the stage. At the same time, fellow lead guitarist Phil Demmel [ex-Machine and Vio-lence] and bassist Kyle Sanders [ex-Hellyeah] headbanged the night away. Longtime Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph manned his post behind his massive double bass drums and walls of cymbals, ripping through the band’s new 21st thrash anthems like “Idle Hands” and “Crucifixion” as well as some familiar old school tunes that prompted the crowd inside the Fonda to lose their minds.
Kerry King played a series of old-school Iron Maiden covers alongside memorable Slayer tunes sprinkled throughout the set. The moment the audience heard the first notes of songs like “Disciple” or “Raining Blood,” the venue felt less like a theater for concerts and more like a powder keg primed to explode. This mania makes sense when you remember that Slayer spent the better part of 40 years sitting at the top of the metal world, and most of the fans inside the Fonda thought they’d never hear these songs live again. Watching Kerry King, the man, alongside his new band of shredders, was nostalgic and invigorating. Slayer might have stepped down from active duty, but Kerry King, the band, proves that the metal doesn’t have to stop!
