01.26.25 – Photos and Review by Dylan Long

The Fillmore was a packed house on Sunday, January 26th. The occasion? To witness Kerry King and his band rock the roof off the place with their 2024 debut album From Hell I Rise. Kerry King, a guitarist best known for co-founding the band Slayer, took advantage of his band’s retirement to forge a new group of metalheads to shred alongside while touring the country. To warm up the audience, they brought along New Zealand alternative metal band Alien Weaponry and the American thrash legends Municipal Waste. 

Alien Weaponry kicked off the night with drummer Henry Te Reiwhati de Jong entering the stage behind his drums with an amazing performance of a haka, a Māori war dance. His brother, lead vocalist and guitarist Lewis Raharuhi de Jong entered the stage in order with bassist Tūranga Morgan-Edmonds to launch into the band’s intro song “Raupatu,” a single from their 2018 debut album, Tū. On Henry’s left, Lewis shined with his whiny electric guitar riffs while on the opposing side of the stage Tūranga was head banging to the rhythm of his bass lines while showing off his tribal face tattoos basking under the flickering lights. Halfway through their set they thanked the crowd for their early attendance and ramped up the intensity with their brand new single, “Mau Moko” from their upcoming album, Te Rā. The crowd erupted with full force into a mosh pit as Henry began to bang on his drums with an exciting rhythm. They carried this energy through their set and eventually finished with their hit song “Kai Tangata,” about the ancient Māori tradition of eating the flesh of their enemies after battle in order to insult them – a brutal end to their set. The crowd roared as they bowed their way off stage, praising thankfulness for the fan’s impressed reception of their performance. 

The mood darkened as green bins marked with toxic warning signs held skeletons on stage while the crowd anticipated the upcoming performance from Municipal Waste. The band took charge with some haunting keys backing their walk on before performing their raging hit “Sadistic Magician” from their punk-infused 2007 album, The Art of Partying. Bassist Philip Hall started the performance out front with his bass line, immediately followed by the slashing sounds of guitarists Ryan Waste and Nick Poulos with relentless drumming support from Dave White. Lead vocalist Tony Foresta chimed in with his aggressive, savage-like vocal performance with chant-like backing from Hall and Waste on the chorus. This group of hardcore punk metalheads continued their onstage antics to grace the audience with their unforgiving energy, taking up as much space as they could, jumping off speakers and bumping into each other to show their shared chemistry and love for performance. Fitted in spiked denim jackets and long hair, they confidently embraced their strength in fast paced rock being mirrored by the uptempo light show overhead. Between songs, Foresta would occasionally showcase his humor, adding a lighthearted touch to the carnage. Before jumping into their song “Poison The Preacher,” from their 2017 album, Slime and Punishment, Foresta jokingly dared a fan to jump from the second floor onto the ground level as the crowd began to mosh with unrestrained chaos. To finish the night, they gave the crowd one last chance to open the pit with their crowd pleaser “Born To Party.” The crowd spread open and crashed as Foresta’s screaming entered the party. The five members, drenched in sweat, eventually put a pin in the night and thanked the crowd for their outstanding energy and love given.

Finally, the time had come. Bright red lighting had filled the room as Kerry King and his bandmates had taken stage ready to annihilate with the night’s introductory track, “Where I Reign,” from their 2024 debut album, From Hell I Rise. Drummer Paul Bostaph anchored the backline as bassist Kyle Sanders and guitarists Kerry King & Phil Demmel took position up front, followed by lead vocalist Mark Osegueda stepping into the light. Dressed in all black, the band took stage with a fierce presence, riling up the crowd for their headlining set. Throughout the set, Osegueda’s screaming vocals tore through the speakers as he engaged the audience, encouraging them to release their pent-up rage. Due to the band’s limited discography, they kept things interesting by diving into a few covers. The crowd erupted as they began to play the title track from Slayer’s final 2015 album, Repentless, the only album to release after the death of co-guitarist Jeff Hanneman. The pit immediately grew and they shook the floor as King shredded a viscous guitar solo midway through the track. The band also worked into the set list a couple of classic Iron Maiden tracks, with one of them being “Purgatory,” a track from their 1981 album, Killers. King and his band would eventually go on to finish the showcase of their debut, and close the night with its title track, “From Hell I Rise.”

The night was jam packed with bruising riffs from the alternative and thrash metal forcing the crowd to walk out of the party with their ears ringing from exhausting euphoria. Each band brought their best, never letting the intensity fade. The crowd showed rebellion, energy, and the joy of letting go – everything that metal stands for.