Murder in the Front Row is a 2019 documentary that tells the story of the San Francisco Bay area thrash scene of the eighties and how those bands looked out for each other, evolved, and would eventually take over the world.
I’ve always been open to listening to all kinds of music, but my tastes have always predominantly been punk and metal. I was lucky enough to have grown up in a time when thrash metal was basically being born. I was a bit too young for the punk revolution. Many of these thrash bands were influenced by them, which in turn, would eventually lead me down that rabbit hole.
Directed by Adam Dubin, a popular music video director who helmed popular music videos for songs like Beastie Boys’ “Fight for your Right (To Party!)” and Metallica’s mega-hit “Nothing Else Matters.” Access to a band like Metallica (arguably the biggest metal band in the world) helps give this film unexpected completeness, a full circle look, if you will.
In addition to Metallica, members of Slayer, Megadeth, Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, and more recollect their time playing small clubs, honing their skills, and building a community of people where an outsider could feel like they were part of a family.
Murder in the Front Row is loosely based on a book of the same name by photographers Harold Oimoen and Brian Lew, who are a major part of this documentary. They took tons of photos of their favorite bands when they were teenagers. Little would they know, those pictures captured the birth of modern thrash, with many of them being featured in the film. It is all quite interesting to see.
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The doc also features stories about the formation of these bands, how members were taken from other bands, or even hearing how members were replaced. So yes, there’s some talk of how Dave Mustaine ended his relationship with the guys in Metallica and started his own powerhouse group, Megadeth. It’s also interesting to hear how Kirk Hammett started with Exodus.
Previously released on DVD and digital, the Blu-ray is an excellent addition to any music lover’s collection. MVD Visual has done a fantastic job with it, including 92 minutes of bonus footage. While the extra scenes are fun to watch, they’re still mostly extended interviews or maybe give a bit more insight into things discussed in the finished film.
While I wouldn’t recommend Murder in the Front Row to everyone due to being niche, it’s mandatory viewing for anyone into metal.
