The Early Days of Slayer + Metal Blade

In the latest episode of the Beardo and Weirdo podcast with comedian Craig Gass and Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael, the co-hosts were joined by legendary heavy metal figures — Slayer’s Kerry King and Metal Blade Records founder Brian Slagel.

Naturally, the talking points are endless with such prominent icons in the metal world and, in the clip below, the focus is on the early days for both King and Slagel.

Gass asks King what the musical turning point was in his childhood, where interest in music intensified. As many fans know, he’s a massive Judas Priest fan and that’s the band he singles out in this case. “I had two older sisters and they weren’t into metal. They were into rock, but not into metal. So, I really didn’t have a way of finding it out. I lived in a very Spanish neighborhood that wasn’t into metal,” he explains. Once he bought a Judas Priest record, he learned that there’s “way heavier” material than radio staples such as “Breaking the Law” and “Living After Midnight.”

Next, Slagel is asked when he met King and he recalls seeing Slayer open for the Los Angeles band Bitch, who were also among Metal Blade’s earliest signings… and he had no idea who Slayer were! “I should go out there early and see what these [opening] bands are like.” He watched Slayer play a mix of covers and originals, acknowledging that “they were really good” and went on to introduce himself to the band’s 18-year-old manager and drummer Dave Lombardo.

READ MORE: Kerry King Names His Favorite Black Sabbath Album

More early chatter continues, including the all-important Metal Massacre compilation released by Metal Blade in 1981, famously featuring the first Metallica recording.

As for when King felt that Slayer had truly made it was when they released Reign in Blood and graduated from toughing it out on the road to traveling in a tour bus and staying in separate hotels. “You finally got to see that little hill where you can see that there might be a future.

Watch the entire clip and get more historic stories below.

About the Beardo and Weirdo Podcast

The Beardo and Weirdo podcast stars comedian and big time rock and metal fans Craig Gass and Five Finger Death Punch bassist Chris Kael. Together, they share a lot of laughs as well as personal stories that hit on serious topics such as addiction and recovery.

New episodes every Thursday.