I got in my car and headed on a three-hour drive to Sunshine Theater in Albuquerque, NM. One of the oldest theaters in the New Mexico capital city, Sunshine theater is a small, open-space venue with a full performance stage bordered by neon lights. The slanted floor at the back of the auditorium flattens out as you get past the sound and lighting control boards, offering an intimate viewing experience. The entertainment for the night was Kerry King, with him was Alien Weaponry and Municipal Waste.
Alien Weaponry is a New Zealand groove thrash metal band consisting of three members of M?ori ancestry: drummer Henry de Jong, guitarist Lewis de Jong, and bass player T?ranga Morgan-Edmonds. Formed in 2010, the band is known for performing most of their songs in M?ori language.
The band has released two albums since 2018 and is gearing up to release their third album, Te Ra, in March 2025. They opened their set with “Raupatu” and “Ru Ana Te Whenua” from their 2018 album, T?, before performing several tracks from their upcoming release. Alien Weaponry has proven you do not need to know their language to enjoy their musical message.
You can find more about Alein Weaponry by following these links.
https://www.instagram.com/alienweaponry
https://www.facebook.com/AlienWeaponry
Municipal Waste is a crossover thrash metal band from Richmond, Virginia. The original members of the band, vocalist Tony Foresta and rhythm guitarist Ryan Waste, are joined by Philip “Land Phil” Hall on bass, Dave Witte on drums, and Nick “Nikropolis” Poulos on lead guitar. The band has released seven albums since forming in 2000, including their latest album 2022, Electrified Brain.
This five-piece band stormed the stage with a 13-song setlist spanning their career. They opened with “Garbage Stomp” from their 2002 split album Crucial Unit/Municipal Waste, followed by fan-favorites “Sadistic Magician” and “Slime & Punishment.”
You can follow Municipal Waste at the following links:
https://www.municipalwaste.net
https://www.facebook.com/Municipalwaste
https://www.instagram.com/municipalwaste
Kerry King, an iconic American musician who made his name in metal history as the co-lead guitarist and songwriter of thrash metal band Slayer. He co-founded Slayer with Jeff Hanneman in 1981, performing for 44 years before disbanding in 2024. But Kerry King was not done performing and creating yet, so he decided to start up his own band. In mid 2024, he released his first solo album, From Hell I Rise.
The band is a supergroup of metal veterans, featuring Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph, Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda, Hellyeah bassist Kyle Sanders, Vio-lence and former Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel, and, of course, Kerry King on guitar. They opened the show with three songs from the debut album, “Where I Reign,” “Rage,” and “Trophies of the Tyrant,” followed by the rest of the album and a few surprises in between.
I got to see Kerry King last year right after the release of his solo album, when he opened for Lamb of God’s tour. Almost year since then, Kerry King and his band have become solid rockers and even more of a driving force forward for the thrash metal genre.
If you want to follow Kerry King in the future you can check out these links on social media.
https://www.instagram.com/kerrykingmusic
https://www.facebook.com/KerryKingOfficial
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