Kerry King has delivered yet another brutally honest assessment that’s bound to stir debate amongst thrash metal enthusiasts.
The Slayer guitarist recently weighed in on the eternal Metallica versus Megadeth rivalry, and his verdict is characteristically direct.
During a recent interview with Reigning TV alongside Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda (as per Metal Injection), King was asked to choose between the two metal titans. Without hesitation, the guitarist delivered his candid response: “I’m gonna be brutally honest. Metallica has a singer. Sorry Dave [Mustaine].”
King’s preference extends beyond just vocal capabilities, as he explicitly favoured James Hetfield over Dave Mustaine. “James Hetfield. Sorry Dave, I know played in your band, but, I’m going with James,” King stated. This commentary carries additional weight given King’s brief stint in Megadeth during 1984, before committing fully to Slayer.
The guitarist’s remarks shouldn’t be interpreted as disrespect towards Mustaine’s abilities. In a 2023 interview with Metal Hammer, King praised Mustaine’s guitar prowess extensively. “Still to this day, he’s a fucking great guitar player,” King acknowledged, reflecting on early encounters with Metallica when Mustaine was still their guitarist.
King recalled witnessing Metallica’s formative performances with vivid detail, describing how he and drummer Dave Lombardo were “blown away” by what they experienced. “It was very awesome, it wasn’t big clubs, you could see from anywhere, and I was very enamoured with seeing Mustaine play these insane leads and James playing these insane rhythms and barking out these lyrics,” King reminisced.
Those early Metallica shows left a lasting impression on the future Slayer icon. King noted that Metallica were ahead of Slayer by “at least 16 months to a year” developmentally, performing original material while Slayer were still covering other bands’ songs.
“It was way more extreme than what I thought metal was or could be, it was like another arm of it, so to speak,” King reflected on those pivotal club performances.
