As part of a recently uploaded exclusive footage in the official Death Angel YouTube channel from the 2024 Another Death Angel Xmas Show livestream, host Daniel Dekay asked Mark Osegueda about being invited to audition for Anthrax in 1992, right after the first split with Joey Belladonna. Speaking to a crowd that already knows how weird the early ’90s were for thrash, he laid it out without ego, just facts and a grin.
“Well, when they had their parting of ways the first time with Joey back when, I was living in New York, and they called me. And I was no longer in Death Angel, and they called me and asked if I was interested in auditioning. I remember at one time they had a large cattle call for everyone, but there were certain people they flew in. I was one of ’em. I went down to Burbank, I believe, and auditioned. It was a great hang. It was a great jam. I know at one point, from what I heard from other people, they narrowed it down to me, John Bush [from Armored Saint], and this guy, at the time, Spike [Xavier] from the band Mind Over Four. That’s what I heard. And then I also heard from people in the band that they narrowed it down to me and John Bush. Yeah, and to tell you the truth, I think they made the right decision. For the era and the time, they made the absolute right decision going with John Bush,” Osegueda recounted (via Blabbermouth)
For a lot of vocalists, “you almost fronted Anthrax” would be a lifelong punchline or a chip on the shoulder. Osegueda treats it like what it is: a crossroads in thrash history that played out exactly how it should. He doubled down on the respect behind it.
“I’m friends with all the Anthrax guys, I’m friends with all the Armored Saint guys, and I love John. And that era was perfect. What they were looking for, that was the guy they were looking for.”
The story gets even more metal once Scott Ian’s memoir enters the picture. In it, Scott Ian recalled Mark‘s audition and why they felt he wouldn’t be the perfect fit. And the reason may baffle you.
“I’ve signed that page in Scott‘s book, and he even says, ‘We got down to Mark, and he was too metal for us. He sounded too metal for us.’ And I was, like, ‘Well, there you go.’ That’s a compliment. I’ve signed that page at signing sessions, that I was too metal for ’em,” Osegueda added.
In an April 2024 conversation with Argentina’s Rocktambulos, Osegueda revisited how surreal that era was — both for him and for thrash itself.
“That was a long time ago. Gosh, that was maybe ’92 or ’93. I left San Francisco after I quit Death Angel. I moved to New York, and I was living in New York. And I think that was the first time that Joey and Anthrax had parted ways. And they did a big open call with people they were auditioning, I know that. But I was one of the few people they called to actually jam with them. And I flew out to L.A., like Burbank area, and met them at a studio out there. And we jammed for a couple of hours. They gave me some songs, some Anthrax songs to jam. What could I remember was there? Maybe ‘Death From Above’. God, I’m trying to think. I know ‘Indians’ was one, ‘Time’ was one. Maybe ‘Metal Thrashing Mad’, maybe. Yeah. But we did that, and then we did a bunch of cover songs, just jamming — not ones that we rehearsed or anything. Like, ‘Hey, try this one.’ ‘Cause we were all metal fans, so we grew up on the same stuff. So it ended up being a great afternoon and we jammed, had a blast.”
“I’m friends with those guys, and much more so now. We were kind of friends then, acquaintances more, and since then we’ve become really, really, really good friends. And it’s funny, but apparently I made it down to the top two. And eventually it got down to me and John Bush, and they picked John Bush, which I think was a great choice. I love John Bush. He’s another friend of mine. Fantastic voice. And I think they made the right decision to go with Bush, for sure. But just knowing that they chose me to come fly there and sing with them and knowing that I made it to the top two, I think that’s awesome,” Osegueda continued.
“And it’s funny ’cause now, in one of Scott Ian‘s books, it mentions my audition, and at the time they said, ‘We auditioned Mark and we didn’t go with Mark ’cause he was a bit too metal for us,’ which I love. I had a fan at a signing session have me sign that page of Scott Ian‘s book. And I never knew that. I love that. I think that’s pretty hilarious, because I’ll take being too metal. [Laughs] Apparently, I’m not too metal for Kerry King. [Laughs]”
“Time’s interesting. Everything happens in due time. And when that was happening with Anthrax, it was an odd time for thrash metal in general, like early ’90s. That was an odd time for all thrash bands. And I think they made the absolute right decision, for sure. And I love Anthrax and I love Slayer, and I love the fact that I’m friends with all the guys. And I really look forward to my opportunities and all the adventures I’m gonna have with Kerry King. And I look forward to all the adventures and upcoming stuff I have with Death Angel, for sure.”
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