Kerry King has officially announced the details of his first solo project since Slayer’s retirement in 2019.

King had previously shared his frustration at the retirement – which he called “premature” – and had said that he was not ready to stop making music. After creating enough material for two full albums, King is now set for the next chapter.

• READ MORE: “I really have no desire to do anything different”: Kerry King says his new project is “an extension of Slayer”

King’s debut solo record, From Hell I Rise, is due for release 17 May this year, and all material has been written by the guitarist himself. The album would likely have landed in 2020, but a press release states that the COVID-19 pandemic caused delays. It was recorded at Henson Studios in Los Angeles within roughly two weeks and was finished this past June.

For this new era, King remains on guitar, and has enlisted drummer Paul Bostaph (Slayer), bassist Kyle Sanders (Hellyeah), and Phil Demmel (formerly of Machine Head) also on guitar, along with vocalist Mark Osegueda (Death Angel). Josh Wilbur, who has worked with the likes of Korn, Lamb of God, Avenged Sevenfold, and Bad Religion, serves as producer.

“I didn’t know what to think, you know, it’s Kerry King from Slayer, who I’ve heard a million times,” says Wilbur. “He’s a very strong presence. I wouldn’t say that Kerry has an ego, but he has confidence in himself, which is a good thing.  That’s what you want in your rock stars and in your band.

“He never comes off as a jerk or mean guy. But he does know exactly what he wants. He doesn’t beat around the bush. He’s like, ‘I don’t want to do that, but I want to do this.’  Very direct, but it comes from a place of confidence, and not from a place of anything else. I really enjoyed working with Kerry.”

According to King, the forthcoming music consists of “various religious topics, some war entries, heavy stuff, punky stuff, doomy stuff, and spooky stuff, with Herculean speeds achieved. If you’ve ever liked any Slayer throughout any part of our history,” he says, “there’s something on this record that you’ll get into, be it classic punk, fast punk, thrash, or just plain heavy metal!”

King’s ferocious first single, Idle Hands is out now. You can listen below:

And good news for King fans, as this is merely just the beginning: “Even with a record in the can, I’ve still got so many songs that need to be finished. This is what I know how to do… Number one being music, number two being metal. It’s been a part of my life for 40 years, and I’m nowhere near being done.”

You can pre-order From Hell I Rise now.