During a recent appearance on Reigning TV, Slayer guitarist Kerry King chose Metallica over Megadeth when asked to pick between the two thrash metal giants. He highlighted James Hetfield’s vocal talent as the key reason for his choice. “I’m gonna be brutally honest. Metallica has a singer. Sorry, Dave,” King said, referring to Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine.
King was joined by Death Angel vocalist Mark Osegueda during the interview. The two play together in King’s solo band, and both agreed that Hetfield is the better singer.
King’s history with Mustaine goes back further than many realize. He briefly joined Megadeth in 1984 but left to join Slayer. In fact, King played at Megadeth’s first five shows when Slayer’s future was uncertain. He first saw Metallica perform in 1982, when Mustaine was still on guitar. King was impressed by the band, sitting between Hetfield and bassist Ron McGovney at a show in Anaheim, California, alongside Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo.
Despite his comments about Mustaine’s vocals, King respects his guitar skills. He acknowledges that Mustaine wrote many of Metallica’s early riffs. Their friendship is complicated but remains cordial. King has said he loves Mustaine but knows their personalities would clash in the long run.
Interestingly, Mustaine recently praised Hetfield’s singing while discussing Megadeth’s upcoming cover of “Ride The Lightning,” a song he co-wrote during his time with Metallica.
Metallica and Megadeth are two of the biggest names in thrash metal, part of the “Big Four” alongside Slayer and Anthrax. Their rivalry dates back to Mustaine’s firing from Metallica in 1983, making their relationship one of the most talked-about in metal history.
