JERRY WARDEN REVEALS THE UNTOLD STORY BEHIND THE FAMOUS JAMES HETFIELD AND DIMEBAG JAM SESSION PLUS RARE TALES FROM THE BIRTH OF THE DFW METAL SCENE

Some of heavy metal's greatest stories never made it into documentaries.

They were passed around backstage, traded between musicians, or simply forgotten with time.

On a recent episode of The Zach Moonshine Show on Metal Devastation Radio , longtime Texas metal pioneer Jerry Warden pulled back the curtain on many of those stories, offering listeners an unforgettable journey through the early Dallas/Fort Worth metal scene that helped launch bands like Pantera and Rigor Mortis.

For more than an hour, Warden shared firsthand accounts from a lifetime spent building the Texas underground. As founder of Warlock Texas, promoter, radio host, club owner, and now founder of the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame, Warden wasn't watching history happen from the audience. He was helping create it.

The Story Behind the Famous James Hetfield and Dimebag Photos

One of the biggest moments of the interview came when the conversation turned toward the iconic photographs showing Metallica's James Hetfield and Pantera's Dimebag Darrell trading guitars during an intimate jam session.

Fans have circulated those photos for years, often wondering what really happened that night.

According to Warden, he was there.

Even more remarkable, he wasn't just standing in the crowd.

He says he joined James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Dimebag Darrell, Rex Brown, and others onstage during the impromptu performance, singing Metallica classics while legendary photographer Stuart Taylor captured the moment on film.

Following the interview, Warden even shared one of those rare photographs showing himself performing during that historic jam session, adding another piece of evidence to one of heavy metal's most talked about moments.

The Ride The Lightning Era Through the Eyes of Someone Who Lived It

Warden also recalled Metallica visiting Texas shortly after the Ride the Lightning tour and described how friendships between members of Metallica and Pantera led to unforgettable nights of partying, music, and spontaneous performances.

He also discussed Rita Haney's early connections within that circle, providing personal recollections from someone who witnessed those events unfold firsthand.

Rather than repeating stories already told in books or documentaries, Warden offered his own memories from inside the room, giving listeners a perspective rarely heard in public.

Before Cowboys From Hell

Long before Pantera became one of the biggest names in heavy metal, Jerry Warden knew them as ambitious young musicians trying to carve out a place in the Texas scene.

He shared memories of meeting the band in 1982, working alongside them during their earliest years, helping organize shows, serving as part of their extended crew, and watching the group evolve from local favorites into international metal icons.

Warden also reflected on Phil Anselmo's arrival and described conversations surrounding the band's decision to embrace a heavier direction, helping shape the sound that would eventually define albums like Vulgar Display of Power .

Building the DFW Metal Underground

The interview also explored the incredible effort required to create a thriving metal scene before social media, streaming services, or the internet.

Warden recalled organizing massive backyard festivals that attracted well over a thousand fans, launching dedicated metal clubs throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area, promoting countless underground bands, and helping establish one of the region's earliest heavy metal radio programs.

Many now legendary Texas musicians crossed paths with Warden during those formative years, making his stories an important firsthand record of the underground's explosive growth during the 1980s.

Preserving Heavy Metal History

Today, Warden has turned much of that passion toward the Heavy Metal Hall of Fame, an organization dedicated to documenting and preserving heavy music's legacy while recognizing artists who helped shape the genre.

Throughout the interview, he stressed the importance of recording these stories while the people who lived them are still here to tell them.

As generations of musicians and fans continue discovering heavy metal's rich history, interviews like this become more than entertainment.

They become living archives.

Streaming now

Whether you're a lifelong Pantera fan, a Metallica historian, or simply fascinated by the roots of underground heavy metal, this conversation delivers an incredible collection of firsthand stories that deserve to be heard.

Check out the full interview with Jerry Warden on The Zach Moonshine Show via Metal Devastation Radio and discover a side of heavy metal history that few people have ever had the chance to hear directly from someone who lived it.

The Full Zach Moonshine Show Track List: 

Battle Of The Bands Top Six Winners:

1 - Another Demon - Drawn and Quartered feat. James Murphy (Testament, Death, Obituary) - (16,295,890 votes)
2 - Soul Of Sheol - Paradise Is Not For Us -  (289,428 votes)
3 - Rage of Justice - Digital Prison -  (28,658 votes)
4 - Heidbekka - Völva - (10,971 votes)
5 - Mistress - Terrified eyes - (2,772 votes)
6 - Onus Vitae - The Flame Still Burns - (1,032 votes)

The Zach Moonshine Intro

7 - Ozzy Osbourne - Children Of The Grave - (Live)
8 - Rob Zombie - Tarantula
9 - Lord Gryphus - Bloodpath Dominion
10 - Mothertomb - Beware

Jerry Warden | DFW Metal History, Warlock Texas & The Heavy Metal Hall of Fame - Interview featuring SOTR/Hotter_Than_Fire/Iron_Jaw

11 - Lost Relics - Saint Catharines
12 - FAR FROM YOUR SUN - Eternity
13 - Symphony of Destiny - Chariot of Ra
14 - Hexjakt - Svartkonst
15 - Doomherre - Blood Relics of Old
16 - VHS - A Grave For Every Bullet
17 - Solystalgia - Funeral
18 - Pradhe - Six Times
19 - False Messiah - Break the Silence
20 - Riftpatrol - Divide – (ft. Andreas Würth)
21 - Barrage - Dealer's Choice
22 - Nocturnal Ceremony - Seasons of hate

Available now on Mixcloud:

You can also listen to just the interview segment on YouTube, Spotify, Apple:

Super massive shout out and thanks to the 403,122 metal maniacs from around the world that tuned in for the live broadcast of devastation Friday!