Photos and Review by: Alan Welding
Edited by: Abby McNatt
The term “supergroup” is so often thrown around that it’s hard to give any weight to the phrase. But the line-up that Kerry King has put together for his solo effort is nothing less than super, it is more like an ultra-group. With vocalist Mark Osegueda (Death Angel), guitarist Phil Demmell (Machinehead, Vio-lence), Kyle Sanders on bass (Hellyeah), and Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph, there really is no way to go wrong.
Opening for the likes of Mastodon and Lamb of God on their “Ashes of Leviathon Tour” KFK not only fit perfectly on the bill, but they also added a must-see performance. The band took the stage at 6:50 and wasted no time in melting everyone’s face off. The Pittsburgh crowd packed in early to see what Kerry was up to and the band and the crowd did not disappoint.
The majority of the tunes were straight from KFK’s solo debut release, From Hell I Rise, released in May. Check out the first single, “Idle Hands” for a little taste. The arrangements and lyrical content are just what you would expect with it’s familiar Slayer-like sound. Certainly, Kerry understands the phrase, ‘give the people what they want’. His album is solid through-and-through and the band, of course, was flawless in its execution. As a bonus to the fans, KFK also played “Raining Blood” and “Black Magic” from the Slayer catalog.
Besides the obvious guitar work from King, Phil Demmel put on a metal axe clinic. His prowess is the perfect match for King’s heavy crunch. Osegueda’s voice is as menacing as ever, and Bostaph and Sanders held the low end down with a fervor that lit up everyone in attendance. No doubt these guys will be back to the Steel City, hopefully in more of a headliner capacity.









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