Kerry King (Slayer)

Artists Who Play Red Monkey

Kerry King

Kerry King is one of the defining guitarists in heavy metal history. As a co-founder and principal songwriter of Slayer, King helped shape the sound, speed and visual identity of thrash metal from the band's formation in 1981 through its original farewell run.

Known for his aggressive rhythm playing, chaotic lead work, unmistakable stage presence and decades-long association with extreme metal, King remains one of the most recognizable guitarists in the genre.

He also has a direct connection to Red Monkey through the KFK Upside Down Cross, his signature Red Monkey leather guitar strap.

Kerry King and Slayer

King co-founded Slayer in 1981 alongside Jeff Hanneman, Tom Araya and Dave Lombardo. Over the decades that followed, Slayer became one of the central bands of American thrash metal and one of the most influential heavy metal acts of its generation.

King's guitar style was fundamental to that sound: tightly controlled rhythm work, abrupt tempo changes, dissonant lead playing and an uncompromising approach to tone and attack.

Across Slayer's career, King helped create a body of work that influenced generations of metal guitarists while establishing a visual language built around aggressive guitars, dark imagery and confrontational performance.

The KFK Upside Down Cross Guitar Strap

Kerry King plays the KFK Upside Down Cross , his signature Red Monkey guitar strap.

The design reflects King's unmistakable stage identity, combining heavy leather construction with an inverted-cross motif that fits naturally alongside the darker visual language associated with his guitars and performance style.

More importantly, it is built as working stage equipment. A guitarist performing at King's intensity needs a strap that can handle long sets, heavy instruments and constant movement without becoming a distraction.

That balance between durability, comfort and visual identity is exactly what Red Monkey guitar straps are designed to deliver.

Kerry King's Guitar Style

King's playing is built around precision and controlled aggression. His rhythm parts are often fast, tightly articulated and physically demanding, while his lead work favors dissonance, rapid phrasing, whammy-bar movement and deliberately chaotic textures.

Rather than chasing conventional melodic guitar-hero technique, King developed a style that serves the tension and violence of the music itself. That approach became one of Slayer's most recognizable sonic signatures.

His guitar sound and playing style helped define what modern thrash and extreme metal guitar could be, influencing generations of players across metal, hardcore and heavier forms of rock.

Kerry King's Solo Era

Following Slayer's original farewell run, King began building the next phase of his career under his own name.

His debut solo album, From Hell I Rise, was released in 2024 and continued many of the musical traits associated with King's work in Slayer: rapid-fire riffing, heavy rhythmic attack, aggressive vocals and uncompromising metal songwriting. citeturn761031search0turn761031search8

The Kerry King band includes vocalist Mark Osegueda, guitarist Phil Demmel, bassist Kyle Sanders and longtime Slayer drummer Paul Bostaph. By late 2025, the band had completed extensive touring across North America, Europe, South America, Australia and Japan while beginning work on a second album. citeturn761031search2

In 2026, King moved into the studio to begin recording the follow-up to From Hell I Rise, extending the solo project into a continuing body of work rather than a one-off release. citeturn761031search4

Kerry King and Red Monkey

Red Monkey has been building handmade leather guitar straps in Los Angeles since 1995, creating gear for professional musicians whose equipment has to survive the realities of touring.

Kerry King represents that philosophy at its most extreme: loud stages, heavy guitars, aggressive movement and a visual identity that has been consistent for decades.

The KFK Upside Down Cross is not simply a strap associated with a famous guitarist. It is a Red Monkey design built around a specific player, a specific aesthetic and the demands of professional heavy metal performance.

More Slayer Artists

See Tom Araya and Jeff Hanneman in the Red Monkey artist roster.

Follow Kerry King

Follow Kerry King on Instagram for current music, touring and solo-project updates.

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