See Metallica, Slayer Recall 80s Bay Area Thrash Scene in New Documentary Trailer | Revolver

See Metallica, Slayer Recall 80s Bay Area Thrash Scene in New Documentary Trailer

'Murder in the Front Row' doc sees genre icons open up about early days of influential California scene

The new documentary titled Murder in the Front Row (after the Exodus lyrics in "Bonded By Blood") presents interviews from nearly all the early thrash greats — including members of Slayer, Metallica, Exodus, Testament, Anthrax, Possessed, Death Angel and more — along with with images and footage from the early 1980s Bay Area scene to build a history of how and when that scene exploded, and what its lasting effects have had on heavy metal ever since. 

Kicking off with Metallica's Kirk Hammett joking, "I just wanna say one thing first: Poseurs must die!" with a spirited finger pointing at the camera, the trailer shows the raucous, carefree attitude behind the early days of extreme metal. Following up with several introductions from obvious legends and their respective takes on what their creative output represented in the Bay Area thrash heyday. "This is the music you don't want your parents to hear," claims on off-camera voice, possibly that of David Ellefson from Megadeth, who introduces himself a few seconds later. 

The film is based on a 2012 book of the same name, authored by  Brian Lew and Harald Oimoen that received widespread praise from both fans and the musicians included themselves. Former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo claims the work, "captures the true essence of thrash metal in its embryonic stage," while the band's guitarist and founder Kerry King called it simply "fucking awesome." 

Murder in the Front Row: The San Francisco Bay Area Thrash Metal Story will premiere in San Francisco at the AMC Kabuki 8 on April 20th at 1PM, followed immediately by a performance from thrash supergroup Metal Allegiance across the street at The Forum. Follow the documentary's official Facebook for upcoming news regarding a wider release.