Kerry King began teasing his solo project all the way back in 2020. Rumors swirled about who would be a part of the band, with Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo being a name that would constantly pop up. Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda ultimately took the microphone and is clearly crushing it based on all the live footage that's been surfacing.
So was there any truth to Anselmo being in King's band? According to King in an interview with Glide Magazine, not really. King said everyone around him was very into the idea of Anselmo being in the band, but it was never gonna happen.
"Well, the Phil connection that was loved by all the suits. And by suits, I mean the booking agents, the promoters, and my manager because they all see dollar signs. And, you know, I'm not upset with that. That's what they get paid to do. But I told them all along, I'm, like, 'Phil's not the guy.' I said, 'I've got the guy,' and they fought me tooth and nail all the way through. But at the end of the day, you know, I'm in charge."
He continued: "We had conversations with Phil, but it never even got to a point where we played in a room together. He was dragging his feet for a long time because I don't think he really wanted to do it. And he got some music and I think he realized it was probably too thrashy for him and what his style is these days. So, you know, the Pantera thing came around and that just flew right out the door. Never thought of it again."
Anselmo has certainly show off his ability to keep up with faster music over the years (see Pantera, Scour, and Superjoint Ritual), but yeah – Osegueda was a great choice. Especially considering the guy cut his teeth in the thrash world for decades.
