In a recent chat with YouTube channel RichardMetalFan (posted on Dec. 13), Shadows Fall drummer Jason Bittner revealed why he “hated” both Metallica and Slayer when he first heard them (and what led to him changing his mind).
Bittner’s Discovery of Heavy Metal
At the start of their conversation, Bittner is asked, “Growing up, what were the first band that got you into metal and made you want to start playing drums?”
Bittner responds:
The band that got me into “heavy metal,” technically, is Iron Maiden. Maiden’s my favorite metal band of all time as well. That was the first band I saw of that genre in 1980, the day that MTV came on the air. I was 10 years old, and I was, like, “What in God’s name is this?” And that just sent me on my trajectory [with] Maiden and Judas Priest.
Aside from Bittner’s minor timeline mistake (MTV debuted in 1981), his love for Iron Maiden and Judas Priest isn’t surprising. What is more shocking, however, is that he follows by confessing that he was far less impressed by Metallica and Slayer when he first heard them.
“I wanna say, I think [in] ’84, a friend of mine let me borrow a record [Ride the Lightning],” Bittner reflects. “He’s like, ‘Oh, you gotta check out this band.’ And I’m, like, ‘Who’s Metal-licka?’ And he goes, ‘No, it’s pronounced Metallica, man!’ I’m, like, ‘All right, cool. Metallica.’ And I took it home and I hated it.”
READ MORE: Shadows Fall Vs. Haunted Prison
Why Bittner Originally Didn’t Like Metallica or Slayer
Interestingly, it’s related to his love for Bruce Dickinson and Rob Halford. Bittner explains:
I was like, “God, what the hell is this?” ‘Cause I was used to Bruce Dickinson and Halford, and all of a sudden, you have James Hetfield, and I’m, like, “What on earth is this?” Maybe, like, a week later, I taped the album just in case I might like it one day, and I gave the record back to my friend. And, like, a week later, I’m doing my paper route and I was humming [a guitar riff]. And I’m, like, “What is this that I’m singing to myself?” And it was the riff from “Fight Fire With Fire.” And I’m, like, “Oh, that’s that Metallica band. I didn’t think I liked that.”
He continues:
A lot of the heavier bands – even bands I’ve been in – when I’ve heard [them] the first time, I didn’t care for [them]. Like Slayer. I hated Slayer at first. I’m, like, “No way I’m gonna like this.” [Now] Slayer’s my favorite thrash band of all time. Anthrax and Megadeth were the only two that, when I first listened, I wasn’t, like, “Aargh!” Like, with Anthrax, I was just, like, “Holy shit!” That was, like, the — no pun intended — the “be all, end all” for me right there, because [drummer] Charlie [Benante] was . . . one step beyond [Slayer drummer Dave] Lombardo for me at that point, because, like, Lombardo was feet, but Charlie was the whole fucking package.
What Made Him Change His Mind on Metallica and Slayer
Bittner add that he was introduced to Metallica first (followed by Megadeth) because a classmate mentioned that “there’s this dude [Dave Mustaine] that was in Metallica before Kirk Hammett.”
He explains:
I didn’t know about anything pre-‘Kill ‘Em All‘ . . . [and] he was, like, “Nah, this dude [Mustaine] was in the band before [Hammett], and he’s got this other band and it’s called Megadeth. . . And the first thing I heard was ‘Killing Is My Business,’ but that was so raw at the time. I was, like, “All right . . . it’s kind of cool. It’s fast and stuff.” But, once ‘Peace Sells‘ came out, I was, like, “Oh, all right. Now I get it.” . . . Maybe a year after that or within that year, I got into Slayer.
A friend of mine had Show No Mercy and he had let me hear that. And I wasn’t really that impressed, but then Reign in Blood came out . . . and I bought that . . . went on a spring break vacation my sophomore year of high school to Florida with my mom, and all I did was just I had Reign In Blood . . . I listened to that record just incessantly for a week straight.
From there, Bittner came to appreciate “how hard thrash metal drumming was” as he tried to play certain parts himself. “So, it was Slayer, then Anthrax, and it was basically through the “Big 4” and then everything else under the sun,” he remarks.
Interestingly, he admits that he’s “always been . . . a thrash metal drummer,” adding:
I’m not an extreme metal drummer. I like that stuff, but . . . it’s out of my wheelhouse. It’s not what I do. But I like a lot of those drummers and went through that whole phase in the mid-’90s. [I was] immersed into Death and Morbid Angel and that stuff. Listening to Pete Sandoval and Sean Reinert and Gene Hoglan. So, my influences go across the board, really. And let’s not forget Van Halen, either.
That’s quite the musical journey, right?
Of course, Shadows Fall recently released a new single and music video, “In the Grey,” which marks their first piece of new music in over a decade. It also signifies their new partnership with MNRK Music Group.
As for Metallica, they were ranked no. 9 in Pollstar’s recent tally of the Top 10 Worldwide Top Touring Artists of 2024. Likewise, they remain one of the top ten most popular choices for tattoos, and Kyuss’ Brant Bjork acknowledged that he didn’t like having the band labeled as “the next Metallica.”
Meanwhile, Slayer’s Kerry King cited Sabotage as his favorite Black Sabbath LP.
Also, you can watch the full interview with Bittner below:
Shadows Fall’s Jason Bittner Discusses His Musical History With RichardMetalFan
Five Nice Things Dave Mustaine Has Said About Metallica (Over the Past Decade)
Gallery Credit: Lauryn Schaffner