SLAYER's KERRY KING Says DAVE MUSTAINE Is 'A Cocksucker'

In the latest issue of Metal Edge magazine (dated April 2005, with Dimebag on the cover),SLAYER guitarist Kerry King talks about his long-running "feud" with MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine.

Mustaine and King have been trading barbs since the Clash of the Titans tour in 1991, when the bands argued over who should be credited for coming up with the tour package. Another source of contention from that tour was the fan feud over who came out on top. Regardless, Mustaine has been very vocal about his associations with METALLICA lately, and hasn't forgotten to lob a few volleys in King's direction about guitar playing abilities.

"The first thing I heard recently was when some guitar mag came out and we were on Ozzfest and Zakk Wylde got hold of it, and he was pissed off because we're cool friends and shit," King said. "'Did you see this fucking shit this guy said about you?' I'm like, 'I don't give a shit, it doesn't matter.' He was more pissed off at it than I was, because I knew it was just Dave being Dave.

"Somebody asked me recently, 'What do you have to say about Mustaine ragging on you?' You know, it don't mater, because if you let Mustaine talk long enough, he'll bury himself. It has nothing to do with me — ask anybody in the biz about Dave Mustaine. If they have an opinion, he's a cocksucker. I take it for what it is. I have no vendetta against him," King said, insisting that his comments are made as nothing more than a response. "I could give a fuck. He's just a miserable person. Let's put it in perspective: His bass player from Day One is suing him [this interview was conducted before David Ellefson's lawsuit against Mustaine was dismissed by a Manhattan Federal Court judge — Ed.]. I hope he wins. I felt bad for the guy having to put up with him all those years — Ellefson's a great dude."

One oddly interesting twist in this Mustaine/SLAYER connection occurred when SLAYER fans tuned into a recent "Headbanger's Ball" that had advertised SLAYER as the hosts, and got Mustaine instead. Despite their past, King says there was no connection between SLAYER's appearance and SLAYER's absence, he just refused to be on the MTV2 program. "They've been trying to get me on 'Headbanger's Ball' for a long time, and I won't do it," he said. "I didn't pull the plug on that one as early as I should have, so they already put out advertisements the week prior that we were going to be on it. I just don't believe in the show. It has nothing to do with Jamey [Jasta, 'Headbanger's…' host and HATEBREED frontman] and I tell him that all the time.

"The first time he heard me bagging on it, he was all bent and fucking bitter about it. 'Jamey, it has nothing to do with you. Your program director is a fucking moron…' I don't want to marry it. I don't want to sit next to it. Sure, they can help me out, they can play my videos, but I think it's better for me to just say, 'I don't believe in this fucking show.'"

As for Mustaine as the fortuitous fill-in? "He just irritated me the way he talked to Jamey," King said. "The way he talked to the fucking camera… When did you become a professor? It's like he hung out with somebody who's really influenced him, and he's become that guy. That's not who Mustaine used to be."