Photos: Slayer's Kerry King brings the fury to Mesa's Nile Theater

For decades now, Kerry King has helped steer Slayer toward global metal domination. But King is just as much of a force on his own, and last May he released his excellent debut solo album, “From Hell I Rise.”

Fans of Slayer will clearly love the sheer virtuosity and menacing heft that defines the bulk of the 13-track LP. Where other artists may have leaned solely into the past, King never once rests on his laurels. This drive or emphasis, presented as a steady technicality and newfound level of ferocity, positions the guitar virtuous as being more hungry, excited and confrontational than perhaps he has in several years.

In support of the record, King embarked on a North American tour starting in mid-January. The jaunt saw him joined by two rather fitting opening acts: Municipal Waste, which helped defined thrash metal’s evolution in the early 2000s, and Alien Weaponry, a New Zealand-based alt metal band with heaps of momentum and potential. More than being loud, each act added to and extended King’s own mission to further innovate and drive all of metal forward.

One of the final stops for the King-led tour was Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Mesa’s own Nile Theater. Our own Mike Bengoechea was there to document and capture the entire show, and the noisy, extra raucous metal celebration was certainly one for the books. As King has proven across this solo run, it’s about sharing the fury and power with the bands and audience members alike, and forging connections through the endless might of metal.