Slash on the band that was “the pinnacle” of metal
There has always been some debate on whether or not Guns N’ Roses really count as a metal band. While they may have come up in the same streets that birthed hair metal giants like Poison and Van Halen, Slash and Axl Rose were always more concerned with making balls-to-the-wall rock and roll whenever they made songs, becoming the punk rock answer to a group like The Rolling Stones. Slash could certainly appreciate metal, though, and he thought that thrash legends Metallica hit the nail on the head when they went mainstream.
At the same time hair metal was dominating the cultural landscape, Metallica were in the same clubs in Los Angeles in the early 1980s… and hated every minute of it. Not liking the same glam aesthetic populating the scene at the time, the entire band moved up to San Francisco, bringing with them the kind of audience that gravitated towards the heavy sounds of Judas Priest and Venom rather than the knockoff versions of T. Rex.
After moving to New York to sign a record deal, they would become one of the biggest names in underground metal throughout the decade, making albums that could go toe-to-toe with the Black Sabbaths of the world, like Master of Puppets. By the time they reached the 1990s, though, change was in the air for the outfit going into working with Bob Rock.
Looking to bring themselves back to their roots, The Black Album became the unofficial model for what a metal album was supposed to be, taking the roots of the band’s hardcore thrash sound and putting a radio-rock sheen on top of everything. While fans were enraged that their favourite metal act dared to play songs people might actually enjoy, Slash thought they had created a masterpiece.
Since Guns N’ Roses had already become one of the biggest bands in the world with Appetite for Destruction, The Black Album hit shelves when Guns were on the cusp of releasing their landmark double album, Use Your Illusion. Considering how many bloated ballads were on his own record, Slash could appreciate Metallica making an album that was all killer from start to finish.
Discussing the group years later, Slash believed that any one of Metallica’s records was the absolute peak of what metal was supposed to be, telling Spin, “I think any Metallica album is a given for a hard rock/metal record collection. They are the pinnacle of that style of music, and they were among the first bands to revolutionise that particular style and sound. But The Black Album crossed over in a way that made them a household name.”
Both outfits would even become friendly on the road, touring together during their glory years in one of the most gargantuan co-headlining tours of the 1990s. Then again, it would be marred by controversy as well, with Hetfield being badly burned at one of the shows and Rose indirectly causing a riot once Guns N’ Roses refused to fill the void by playing a little bit longer.
Since most of it is water under the bridge now, Slash was able to appreciate the band as his musical friends who changed the world every time they made a record. Slash might shy away from the spotlight whenever he can, but when you leave your mark on the world as much as Metallica has, it’s almost impossible to ignore.
