Ex-Machine Head guitarist on Exodus "kill poser" stunts, Slayer slam dancing, Forbidden feuds, more
photograph by Scott Diussa
March 16, 2021
The mid-Eighties glory days of San Francisco's Bay Area thrash scene have come and gone, but its legacy continues to grow stronger with each passing decade. Thanks to the contributions from its venerated list of alumni — Metallica, Testament, Exodus, Possessed, Megadeth, to name just a few — the movement is now regarded as one of the most significant eras in American metal history.
Phil Demmel — then a high-school age guitarist growing up outside of Oakland, California — had a front-row seat for the birth of this impactful scene. While metal fans will certainly know Demmel from his 16 years with Machine Head (2002 – 2018), it was his period with Vio-lence — one of the breakout bands during the second wave of Bay Area thrash — that gave the guitarist his start as a professional musician. "There were definitely some strong swimmers in that pool back then … Just a lot of talent," says Demmel, who is currently writing and recording with a reformed (of sorts) Vio-lence.