For a generation of a certain vintage, Beavis and Butt-Head remain heavy metal's ultimate anti-heroes. Mike Judge's juvenile duo entertained millions of metalheads around the world with their blunt take-downs of rock bands of the day; simply having your video featured on MTV's premiere animated show was a badge of honour for many artists, and, depending on who you asked, either receiving its seal of approval or getting an absolute panning was even better.
In 1994, the Season 4 episode Madame Blavatsky included a segment on the metal band who were well on their way to becoming the biggest in the genre's history - and Beavis and Butt-Head spared no punches. Metallica, at that point three years into their Black Album era and already a hugely divisive talking point in the metal scene, had a video featured of the band performing For Whom The Bell Tolls, taken from the Four Horsemens' Live Shit: Binge And Purge live album the previous year.
Immediately, Butt-Head is on the offence. "Sit your ass down, Lars!" he spits in response to the drummer rising from his seat to hype the crowd up. "Play the drums like you're supposed to!" "Shut up, Butt-Head!" Beavis, traditionally seen wearing a blue Metallica t-shirt, shoots back, before insisting he was at the concert the video was filmed at. "Beavis," retorts his unimpressed chum. "You've never been to a concert in your life," adding a hearty "Metallica sucks" for good measure.
What follows is two minutes of bickering, hilarious observations ("that James Hetfield dude looks like the cowardly lion"), chuckling and headbanging, all to the glorious backdrop of one of Metallica's greatest songs. The verdict? Butt-Head is definitely not impressed; Beavis evidently is, though he does concede that Metallica might not be "as cool as Gwar."
It's quintessential Beavis and Butt-Head, basically. Watch the historic moment in 90s metal history below.
