Kerry King at The Rave in Milwaukee, Lighting up the Local Metal Scene

Gabriella
Feb 4, 2025
2 min read

Last Tuesday, on 1/28/25, thrash-metal guitarist Kerry King played with his band in Milwaukee at The Rave, lighting up the local metal scene.

The American musician is best known for his position as co-lead guitarist and songwriter of the popular thrash-metal band Slayer, which he co-founded with Jeff Hanneman in 1981. Now, Kerry King is pursuing his own solo career and has been currently touring with metal bands Municipal Waste and Alien Weaponry.

The concert itself was insane, the building being packed to the brim; it was difficult to get around for anyone. Once inside the venue, you could tell exactly what kind of music you were in to hear. Almost everyone donned battle jackets, studded bracelets, and hair longer than you've ever seen. As someone who is into this scene, it was exciting to see everyone getting so into it, even if I had to hold my gear a little tighter as people threw themselves around.

New Zealand metal band Alien Weaponry was the first to walk on stage, and while many seemed unaware of their songs other than a few hits, the crowd screamed just as hard. After their short set, American thrash band Municipal Waste came on stage, and the energy exploded, literally, as a trash can (???) was chucked straight against the stage from the pit. Fans started moshing and crowd surfing towards the barricade, with a handful making it into the gap just to be dragged off by security (after proceeding to kick me in the head), just to jump right back into the crowd with the same amount of enthusiasm.

As Municipal Waste played their final song, the excitement for Kerry King seemed to grow. Fans of the musician were cheering for the guitarist to come on stage, and at around 9 (2 hours after the show began), Kerry King began to play. Fans screamed, danced, and headbanged; whatever they could do to show their excitement for the music, although deafening, I had to agree with them.