Ah, the 90s metalhead. Such a persecuted group of people — at the least that’s based on former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson. Apparently, for those who preferred metallic and loved the brand new hotness on the time, grunge, you had been in for a world of damage.
Ellefson’s admittedly odd recollection got here throughout an interview on the X5 Podcast (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). In it, he stated issues had been method completely different again then, citing apparently deep divides amongst folks based mostly on their musical preferences.
“I lived in L.A. So, coming off Rust In Peace — that is in 1991; we’re beginning to write Countdown To Extinction, and I bear in mind driving down the freeway, and KNAC was the massive rock station. And I bear in mind listening to — is it a track known as ‘Breed’? And I used to be, like, ‘That’s fucking badass. What an excellent track.’ After which it seems it was Nirvana. And I preferred Nirvana. I assumed they had been cool. I cherished their sound. I completely received it.
“And it was mainly unlawful for a metallic man to say you preferred Nirvana. I imply, you could possibly be mainly crucified and shot execution-style for those who stated that. So it was not allowed for any of us to say that.”
Now, it ought to go with out saying that grunge by no means killed metallic, nevertheless it positively wounded it within the 90s. With the meteoric recognition of bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, and Alice in Chains, there positively was a slowing down of types for bands like Megadeth and Slayer.
And as it’s possible you’ll all bear in mind (or have heard out of your elders), some metallic bands tried to adapt to the altering instances. Metallica fucked with their model and picture, Slayer put out shit like Diabolus In Musica… bands noticed what was coming and tried to adapt.
“I assume we received caught somewhat bit in it. After we put out the Youthanasia report, our first single ‘Practice Of Penalties’ was properly acquired. ‘À Tout Le Monde’ was not. After which they only mainly turned the channel. In fact, Metallica reduce their hair. They began altering their sound somewhat bit — largely their picture. They remained a metallic band for essentially the most half.
“Metallica and Megadeth, for positive, survived it. We tailored and survived it. A few of our contemporaries simply stayed the course and, in consequence, their enterprise received smaller for an additional 10 years, till the 2000s got here round.”
Talking of bands that tailored, one act actually stood out to Ellefson throughout that point interval — Alice In Chains. Due to their potential to function a bridge of types between metallic and grunge, Ellefson stated he noticed nice potential of that band and bands like them.
“I feel going again to the grunge factor, the band that we are able to all agree on, I feel anyone, however particularly metalheads and guitar-player form of bands, was Alice In Chains. They had been simply cool it doesn’t matter what. They kind of received everybody over, whereas Soundgarden, I preferred them. I didn’t love them. I really like Temple Of The Canine. Cornell, him, and Eddie Vedder dueting on that observe. And in addition, earlier than Pearl Jam, Mom Love Bone. What a cool band that was.
“And, in fact, they solely had that second, after which it was over as soon as the singer died. However I assumed Pearl Jam Ten was nice. I imply, that was a type of nice, nice albums. Prime to backside, it’s only a nice report. I feel most likely for our style, it’s important to kind of take your metallic hat off and simply take heed to it as music.”
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