8 Metal Artists That Were Very Rude
There are metal artists with a lot of different personalities and quirks. The genre is filled with characters and unique individuals who make this music so wonderful. However, this also comes with metal artists who have created reputations for being extremely rude and difficult. To some, this adds to the allure while others get annoyed with these antics.
Regardless, there are some metal artists who are both equally brilliant and combative. Extremely gifted and stubborn as a mule. These musicians fit that bill perfectly and have produced some of the best music in the genre. Moreover, they have also conceived some of the genre’s greatest feuds.
1. Ritchie Blackmore
With the name Ritchie Blackmore comes enormous talent and creativity. There’s no doubt about that. But there’s also no doubt that he’s a difficult guy, to say the least. Several people who have worked with Blackmore describe him with words that are best not repeated here. And the guitarist often has similar words for those people.
The problems with Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan were very famous at the time, and the protagonists acknowledged it. Creative differences, strong personalities, and tense dynamics were some of the causes. Blackmore referred to Gillan as Oliver Rude (a pun on the name of the English actor Oliver Reed). “He’s an intelligent man, but he just used to being so coarse. I didn’t like to be around the guy because I felt that he was doing things for shock value, to be talked about, for the hell of it.”
Blackmore‘s personality, along with the power he wielded in his bands, allowed him to do as much as he could as an artist. However, this also earned him many enemies, something that, on the other hand, didn’t seem to bother him. One of the greatest metal artists and one of the most combative personalities in the genre.
2. Axl Rose
The explosion of Guns N’ Roses at the beginning of their career was a phenomenon that has placed its members among stellar figures among metal artists, beyond what has been the rest of that career. Such a status achieved so quickly may have affected the egos of some, as seems to have been the case with Axl.
This often resulted in him arriving late to concerts or even leaving early, basically due to a tantrum or because he didn’t like something minor. Likewise, at the time, the hiatus of Guns N’ Roses in the mid-90s was, in part, the responsibility of Axl and his relationship with the rest of the members. It wouldn’t be until 2008’s “Chinese Democracy” that the band would return with new music and band members.
There is no denying that Axl Rose is one of the most peculiar metal artists out there. And his peculiar personality made him clash with a lot of people. It is something that has become part of the entire mythos of the genre.
3. Dave Mustaine
Continuing this series of metal artists with complicated personalities, it’s Dave Mustaine‘s turn. His feud with Metallica for several decades is quite well-known. It all stemmed from Mustaine‘s departure from that band in 1983. For a long time, the public became polarized, and this simply led to the problem growing and growing. For several decades, Mustaine used to say terrible things about Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield whenever he had the chance.
In recent years, those differences seem to have resolved. Additionally, he has had many problems with other musicians he has worked with in Megadeth, something reflected in the constant turnover of band members as well as with other bands. He has even had issues with an entire subgenre, as he recently declared that he was glad nu metal was dead. And if that weren’t enough, he has gotten into some trouble for controversial political comments at his concerts in countries like Ireland.
Mustaine is a genius, one of metal’s all-time greats, but he also has a difficult personality. However, much like Blackmore, that doesn’t seem to bother him. In many ways, perhaps that even has influenced in his success.
4. Kerry King
Throughout his long career, Kerry King has been involved in many disputes with other musicians. For example, his personal differences with Tom Araya, which ended up greatly affecting the band dynamics of Slayer. In 1985, he was briefly a member of Megadeth and, as expected, had problems with Mustaine, who, as we’ve seen, isn’t easy either.
He said of Mustaine, “He’s cool, but that he can’t help but stick his foot in his mouth.” Interestingly, despite his differences with Mustaine, the two seem to have similar opinions on nu metal. King said he “never liked Limp Bizkit and bands of that era. It just bummed me out and turned me off.” The Slayer guitarist said that the success of those bands affected his work in the 90s with Slayer, which, now, he admits he didn’t like.
5. Robb Flynn
I’m starting to think there’s something wrong with guitarists, and for some reason they have difficult personalities. This is where Robb Flynn, founder and frontman of Machine Head, comes in. While they seem to have a good relationship now, Flynn once said that Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman were “dicks.”
He also said that in the ’80s and part of the ’90s, he was so immersed in Metallica and Exodus that Slayer simply didn’t appeal to him. Another issue with Flynn is his marked political stance, which, unlike other metal artists, he doesn’t tend to hide and professes openly. All of this combined was a perfect one for the several different controversies he has been a part of.
6. David Lee Roth
David Lee Roth is one of those metal artists who, in a way, symbolizes the genre’s rebelliousness with his crazy and energetic on-stage personality. However, he has also carried it off-stage. His most famous conflict was with his longtime bandmate, Eddie Van Halen.
As usual, the problems were a mix of different visions they had for the band along with strong personalities that ended up clashing. The issue was never really resolved when Eddie died in 2020. Alex Van Halen, Eddie‘s brother, tried to organize a tribute tour for his recently deceased brother, in which David Lee Roth was going to participate. However, he refused to pay tribute to Eddie in any way.
7. Yngwie Malmsteen
Well, a list of this kind wouldn’t be complete without good old Yngwie. Technically and artistically, there are many good things to be said about the Swede. However, his personality, well, that’s a different topic. Yngwie has developed a reputation (quite justified) for being arrogant. To the point of having no shame in speaking ill of other guitarists.
In fact, he’s even been called an egomaniac. The Swede often mixes a self-praising attitude with hurtful comments toward other musicians, even those he’s worked with. He is a generational talent, one of the finest guitar players to ever live, but it is also true that he is equally conflictive. This is a prime example of how genius can be extremely difficult to work.
8. James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich
This spot brings Metallica‘s main duo together. Their relationship with Dave Mustaine, which for many years was ugly, especially on both sides, has already been covered. But we also have that time they messed with the band Winger in the video for “Nothing Else Matters”. There, Lars is playing the drums, using a photo of Kip Winger as a target. That small feud started because of the duo’s disdain for 80s glam metal. This moment in the video even considerably affected Winger‘s image.
Another moment where James and Lars were very rude was when they mocked Layne Staley‘s (Alice in Chains singer) heroin addiction onstage. Furthermore, during the 90s, Ulrich claimed that metal was no longer viable for them, which angered the fans. There is also the situation with Napster, which vindicated the drummer in recent years but caused him problems in the metal community.
Hetfield‘s issues with former bassist Jason Newsted also need to be highlighted. The former Flotsam and Jetsam wasn’t allowed to write music with Metallica and couldn’t do it in other projects either. This caused a rift with the vocalist and Newsted would leave in the early 2000s. It was the nature of the beast at the time and highlights Hetfield and Ulrich‘s combative personalities.
