Two of the most famous Japanese sci-fi/horror figures ever, Haruo Nakajima, the original Godzilla, and Bin Furuya, the original Ultraman, took part in the "There Goes Tokyo" panel at Kirk Von Hammett's Fear FestEvil, a three-day horror convention founded and hosted by METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, which was held February 6-8 in San Francisco, California. Check out the clip below (courtesy of Bay Area Backstage) and listen in as the two icons discuss what it is like to battle some of the most feared (loved?) creatures of all time.Kirk Von Hammett's Fear FestEviL included musical performances by Nuclear Blast artists EXODUS, CARCASS, DEATH ANGEL and ORCHID.In addition to hosting the convention, Hammett joined EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL for their encores.Hammett told NBC Bay Area that Fear FestEviL drew attendees from as far away as Norway and Australia. Many looked like fans one would see at a METALLICA show, while others dripped with zombie makeup and gore. "Heavy metal and horror are cousins," Kirk said. "There's a lot of horror elements that have been used in heavy metal for a long time ago. I mean, BLACK SABBATH was named after a movie. And that was the amazing thing. I was a horror fan and then I became a music fan and then I discovered hard rock and heavy metal and I'd see all these little pieces of imagery or song titles or lyrics borrowed from horror films throughout all these heavy metal bands. They're made up of the same ingredients. For me, a good horror movie is fun, dynamic, exciting to watch, peaks and valleys. A good heavy metal song, for me, is the same way exciting to listen to, peaks and valleys, really fun and energetic."Kirk told KTVU.com his love for the horror genre came from watching "Creature Features" with Bob Wilkins on Channel Two in the '60s and '70s. "I've come full-circle," said Kirk. "I used to watch 'Creature Features' every Saturday night
Bob Wilkins was one of my big inspirations."Check out a video report from KTVU.com.Hammett told The Pulse Of Radio what he envisioned for Kirk Von Hammett's Fear FestEvil. "I've gone to San Diego Comic-Con, and I was just struck by how all it really is is a bunch of stuff to look at and a bunch of stuff to buy," he said. "What I wanted to do with my convention is I wanted it to be an experience, you know. I wanted it to be interactive, I wanted it to have ambiance and atmosphere, and I wanted it to be unique and thrilling, and that's what we're trying to do here." Hammett's relationship with DEATH ANGEL goes back more than two decades, when the METALLICA guitarist produced DEATH ANGEL's 1986 demo, "Kill As One".Hammett was a member of EXODUS' original lineup before replacing Dave Mustaine in METALLICA in 1983. In fact, Hammett was not only the person who came up with the EXODUS name, but also the first from the band to meet original EXODUS singer Paul Baloff and brought him into the group. Hammett released a coffee table book in 2012 called "Too Much Horror Business" that featured photos of his extensive collection of monster and horror memorabilia.He displayed a portion of his collection in the "Kirk's Crypt" exhibition during the 2012 and 2013 Orion Music + More festivals.
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