Clash of the nap times
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There have been recent rumblings about a possible Big Four tour: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax. Bring up those names to metalheads, and the typical responses are heartfelt anecdotes and punctuations of “_______ rules!” Mention the original Clash of the Titans tour (which was Metallica-less and featured Alice in Chains as openers), and you’ll see grown men blink away tears of remembrance. A new one would likely be the highest-grossing metal tour of the decade and introduce a new generation of fans to these bands.
I couldn’t care less. The fact that I love Kill ‘Em All and Spreading the Disease does not translate into buying a ridiculously-priced ticket and sitting in a stadium full of jackasses. Are these bands still good live? Slayer and Anthrax are, and from what I’ve heard, so are Metallica and Megadeth. But it’s not enough to make up for decades of mediocrity and embarrassment. What these bands were and what they’ve become are completely different.
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On message boards, those who bring up these points are met with hostility and “schooling.” An oft-repeated response goes something like this: “Without these bands there would be no modern metal, (insert metal band names) wouldn’t even exist! Go back to listening to shitty deathcore/shitty metalcore/Disturbed!” What leads people to hold these bands in such high regard? Is it simply the fact that they’re the O.G.’s of thrash and therefore are exempt from criticism?
I’m not condemning all the old metal geezers. Some of my favorite live experiences over the last decade include Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Testament, and Kreator. The difference is that these bands were never pretentious. They have no Mustaines, no Kings, no Ulrichs. They never accosted their fans for downloading or did VH1 reality shows. Whereas the thrash “titans” can’t put together a decent album between them, their peers continue to turn out great music. The Big Four would do well to take a listen.
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For press coverage of the original Clash of the Titans tour, see here.
