As a part of a just lately uploaded unique footage within the official Loss of life Angel YouTube channel from the 2024 One other Loss of life Angel Xmas Present livestream, host Daniel Dekay requested Mark Osegueda about being invited to audition for Anthrax in 1992, proper after the primary cut up with Joey Belladonna. Chatting with a crowd that already is aware of how bizarre the early ’90s have been for thrash, he laid it out with out ego, simply info and a smile.
“Properly, once they had their parting of the way the primary time with Joey again when, I used to be dwelling in New York, and so they known as me. And I used to be not in Loss of life Angel, and so they known as me and requested if I used to be serious about auditioning. I bear in mind at one time they’d a big cattle name for everybody, however there have been sure folks they flew in. I used to be one in every of ’em. I went right down to Burbank, I consider, and auditioned. It was an important cling. It was an important jam. I do know at one level, from what I heard from different folks, they narrowed it right down to me, John Bush [from Armored Saint], and this man, on the time, Spike [Xavier] from the band Thoughts Over 4. That is what I heard. After which I additionally heard from folks within the band that they narrowed it right down to me and John Bush. Yeah, and to let you know the reality, I believe they made the precise determination. For the period and the time, they made absolutely the proper determination going with John Bush,” Osegueda recounted (by way of Blabbermouth)
For lots of vocalists, “you nearly fronted Anthrax” could be a lifelong punchline or a chip on the shoulder. Osegueda treats it like what it’s: a crossroads in thrash historical past that performed out precisely the way it ought to. He doubled down on the respect behind it.
“I am buddies with all of the Anthrax guys, I am buddies with all of the Armored Saint guys, and I really like John. And that period was excellent. What they have been on the lookout for, that was the man they have been on the lookout for.”
The story will get much more metallic as soon as Scott Ian’s memoir enters the image. In it, Scott Ian recalled Mark‘s audition and why they felt he would not be the proper match. And the rationale might baffle you.
“I’ve signed that web page in Scott‘s e-book, and he even says, ‘We obtained right down to Mark, and he was too metallic for us. He sounded too metallic for us.’ And I used to be, like, ‘Properly, there you go.’ That is a praise. I’ve signed that web page at signing classes, that I used to be too metallic for ’em,” Osegueda added.
In an April 2024 dialog with Argentina’s Rocktambulos, Osegueda revisited how surreal that period was — each for him and for thrash itself.
“That was a very long time in the past. Gosh, that was perhaps ’92 or ’93. I left San Francisco after I give up Loss of life Angel. I moved to New York, and I used to be dwelling in New York. And I believe that was the primary time that Joey and Anthrax had parted methods. They usually did a giant open name with folks they have been auditioning, I do know that. However I used to be one of many few folks they known as to really jam with them. And I flew out to L.A., like Burbank space, and met them at a studio on the market. And we jammed for a few hours. They gave me some songs, some Anthrax songs to jam. What might I bear in mind was there? Possibly ‘Loss of life From Above’. God, I am making an attempt to assume. I do know ‘Indians’ was one, ‘Time’ was one. Possibly ‘Steel Thrashing Mad’, perhaps. Yeah. However we did that, after which we did a bunch of canopy songs, simply jamming — not ones that we rehearsed or something. Like, ‘Hey, do that one.’ ‘Trigger we have been all metallic followers, so we grew up on the identical stuff. So it ended up being an important afternoon and we jammed, had a blast.”
“I am buddies with these guys, and far more so now. We have been form of buddies then, acquaintances extra, and since then we have turn out to be actually, actually, actually good buddies. And it is humorous, however apparently I made it right down to the highest two. And finally it obtained right down to me and John Bush, and so they picked John Bush, which I believe was an important alternative. I really like John Bush. He is one other pal of mine. Implausible voice. And I believe they made the precise determination to go along with Bush, for positive. However simply figuring out that they selected me to return fly there and sing with them and figuring out that I made it to the highest two, I believe that is superior,” Osegueda continued.
“And it is humorous ‘trigger now, in one in every of Scott Ian‘s books, it mentions my audition, and on the time they stated, ‘We auditioned Mark and we did not go along with Mark ‘trigger he was a bit too metallic for us,’ which I really like. I had a fan at a signing session have me signal that web page of Scott Ian‘s e-book. And I by no means knew that. I really like that. I believe that is fairly hilarious, as a result of I will take being too metallic. [Laughs] Apparently, I am not too metallic for Kerry King. [Laughs]”
“Time’s attention-grabbing. All the pieces occurs in due time. And when that was taking place with Anthrax, it was an odd time for thrash metallic generally, like early ’90s. That was an odd time for all thrash bands. And I believe they made absolutely the proper determination, for positive. And I really like Anthrax and I really like Slayer, and I really like the truth that I am buddies with all the fellows. And I actually stay up for my alternatives and all of the adventures I am gonna have with Kerry King. And I stay up for all of the adventures and upcoming stuff I’ve with Loss of life Angel, for positive.”
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