Original Metallica Manager Says ‘Terrible’ Grunge ‘Made Everybody So Chronic & Horrible’: ‘Look What It Did to Poor Metallica’

“…and really did terrible things to people’s lives,” Jon Zazula added.

During an appearance on Talk Is Jericho, original Metallica manager Jon “Jonny Z” Zazula looked back on the early-’90s grunge explosion, saying it “made everybody so chronic and horrible.”

You can check out Zazula’s book here via Amazon.

Asked about the rise of the Seattle movement, Jon replied (transcribed by UG):

“Look what it did to poor Metallica… It made everybody so chronic and horrible – and really did terrible things to people’s lives.

“I was so depressed. I couldn’t stand their music. I said, ‘I’ve had enough of this shit, I’m gone.’ That’s the way it was.

“I even managed Tad, the big guy, lumberjack, had him signed to I think Electra records – oh my goodness.

“1992, that was the peak for Lollapalooza No. 2 where we had Soundgarden and Pearl Jam and Ice Cube opened for us, Ministry, and the closing band was Red Hot Chili Peppers.

“And that was a great story – the Red Hot Chili Peppers story – because… who’s that great producer? Rick [Rubin]. Rick was chasing me all over to produce an Al Jourgensen record, he and Jourgensen were interesting.

“But you know, to Al Jourgensen, who’s a producer, if another producer is gonna produce his stuff, it doesn’t work at all, that’s a bad one.

“But one night in Chicago we go to a diner and we’re eating, and who’s sitting right at the next table? Rick Rubin. So Rick Rubin comes up to the table.

“Two weeks later, Al was in a studio producing ‘Give It Away.’ ‘Give it away now,’ the Red Hot Chili Peppers, that’s your single.

“Your single of ‘Give It Away Now’ with five other mixes, Al Jourgensen. By the way, I don’t even talk about Al Jourgensen because he’s in his own world, his own story.

“But it was the craziest time of my life, the best time of my life. Al Jourgensen, enough said about Al. [Laughs]”