In the ever-twisting history of heavy metal, there are few stories as intriguing as the one involving Armored Saint frontman and former Anthrax vocalist John Bush — the man who almost became Metallica’s lead singer. In a recent appearance on Get On The Bus, Bush opened up about the moment he was offered the chance to join the now-legendary band in the early 1980s, and why he believes turning it down was the right decision — not just for him, but for the entire genre.
Back in 1983, Metallica was just beginning their ascent to the top of the metal mountain. The band had just released their now-iconic debut album Kill ’Em All, which would later be hailed as a defining moment in thrash metal history. At the time, Metallica’s manager, the late Jon “Jonny Z” Zazula, saw something in Bush’s voice and stage presence that made him believe Bush could be the frontman to take the band to the next level.
However, Bush didn’t feel the same way.
“It was an honour to be asked to sing in Metallica,” Bush recalled. “But it just wasn’t my fate. That wasn’t the path I was supposed to take.”
Bush, who had already committed himself to Armored Saint — a band he helped form in Los Angeles — felt a deep loyalty to his group and wasn’t ready to abandon ship. Beyond that, he admitted that the idea of stepping into the Metallica spotlight felt daunting. In his own words, the pressure of being the voice of Metallica could have been overwhelming.
“I could have ruined metal,” Bush joked, though with a clear hint of seriousness behind the humor. “That’s just too much, man — that’s too much pressure.”
While the thought may seem exaggerated to some, Bush makes a compelling point. Replacing James Hetfield — who eventually grew into one of metal’s most recognizable and commanding frontmen — would have radically altered the course of Metallica’s sound and identity. In hindsight, Bush admits he couldn’t imagine anyone else singing those songs.
“I could never imagine anybody singing those songs other than James Hetfield,” he said. “That would’ve been a big loss for heavy metal.”
Indeed, Hetfield’s raw energy, growling tone, and deeply personal songwriting became inseparable from Metallica’s rise to superstardom. Had Bush taken the gig, it’s impossible to say whether Metallica would have become the same global powerhouse that revolutionized heavy metal.
Looking back, Bush has no regrets about the decision. His career flourished in its own right. As the voice of Armored Saint and later Anthrax, Bush cemented himself as a respected figure in the metal scene. Rather than dwell on what might have been, he seems content with the path he chose.
In the end, it was a fork in the road that helped shape the future of two major metal acts. And for John Bush, the knowledge that he followed his instincts — and possibly helped preserve the legacy of metal — is more than enough.