The “Big Four” have spoken, and they aren’t holding back. In a blistering new interview released today, Exodus and Slayer guitar titan Gary Holt has taken a flamethrower to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, calling the institution “f***ing lame” and “stupid” for its long-standing refusal to prioritize heavy metal pioneers.
Despite the news earlier this week that Iron Maiden has finally been inducted into the Class of 2026 after 20 years of eligibility, Holt says the damage to the Hall’s credibility is already done.
Gary Holt: “It’s a Popularity Contest”
Speaking with The Mistress Carrie Podcast (Episode #303), Holt was asked if the induction of a band like Iron Maiden is necessary to give the genre the respect it deserves. His response was vintage Holt.
“I personally couldn’t give a shit, ’cause the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame is f***ing lame,” Holt said. “The obvious ones get in, and if you had, like, three Motown hits, you’re pretty much guaranteed of getting in. Iron Maiden‘s still selling out stadiums, and isn’t in [until now]. Thin Lizzy pioneered twin guitar rock harmonies… they probably will never get in.”
Holt continued his rant by highlighting the genre-bending nature of the Hall’s recent inductees. “Missy Elliott is in. F***ing N.W.A.’s in… and Thin Lizzy‘s not in there. Judas Priest got in through a back door. Motörhead should be in there. It’s a popularity contest.”
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Kerry King: “Forty Years Isn’t Enough?”
Holt’s sentiments echo those of his Slayer bandmate Kerry King, who questioned the Hall’s logic in an interview earlier this year.
“We’ve never even been on the nomination list, so I don’t know what they’re waiting for,” King previously told Billboard Brasil. “How many more decades do we have to play? Forty years isn’t enough, I guess. I don’t know. We’ll see.”
While King admitted the museum memorabilia is “way cooler than I ever imagined,” he remained skeptical of the “faulty” election process that ignores bands that literally “ripped the world a new f***ing asshole.”
OUR PERSPECTIVE: Why the Rock Hall is a Joke
Let’s call this what it is: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is a corporate mausoleum run by people who wouldn’t know a Riff from a Raff. Gary Holt is 100% right. You can’t claim to be a “Hall of Fame” for Rock & Roll while leaving Motörhead and Thin Lizzy out in the cold. It’s an elitist club that treats Heavy Metal like the red-headed stepchild of the music industry. They finally let Iron Maiden in this year, but only after two decades of fans screaming at them. It wasn’t an “honor”; it was a surrender.
Metal doesn’t need a trophy in Cleveland to be valid. We have the mosh pits, the stadium tours, and the most loyal fanbase on the planet. If the Rock Hall wants to be relevant, they should stop chasing pop trends and start respecting the legends who actually built the “Rock” they claim to represent. Until then? In the words of Gary Holt: It’s fing lame.
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TL;DR
Gary Holt of Exodus/Slayer has slammed the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as “f***ing lame” and “stupid” in a brand-new podcast interview. Despite Iron Maiden finally getting the nod for 2026, Holt points to the continued exclusion of Thin Lizzy and Motörhead as proof that the Hall is a “popularity contest” that doesn’t respect the roots of heavy music.
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