A Galveston, Texas-based lawyer who decided to go for a walk on a beach while dressed as the classic “Halloween” character Michael Myers bumped into SLAYER frontman Tom Araya.
According to ABC13, Galveston police said officers received a call on Monday (September 13) of a masked man with a knife with blood on it. When police arrived at the scene, they detained Mark A. Metzger III and learned the knife and blood were fake. Police said Metzger was cited for disorderly conduct and released.
The following day, Metzger took to his Facebook to share a couple of photos of him with Araya — a longtime Texas resident — and he included the following message: “When you’re pranking Galveston and run into the lead singer of FUCKIN SLAYER!!! Happy 26th Anniversary Tom and Sandra!!! #theislandattorney #tomaraya #slayer #galvestonisland Tom Araya Fans”.
Metzger told ABC13 that his intention was to try and find “a little bit of positivity in the gloomy doom.” Some people stopped for photographs with him but not everyone thought his antics were as funny as he did. “I guess there’s some people out there that don’t have a sense of humor or, you know, can’t please them all,” he said.
Metzger wrote on his Facebook page: “Bringing positive vibes to the gloom and doom out there, generating some laughter, helping people crack a smile, and restoring our faith in humanity through humor is 100% what I’m about. It’s all I’ve been about my entire life. My methods might not work for everyone, but I guarantee I’ll please more than I’ll piss off. #byekaren
“So if taking a silly walk down the beach during a storm in a costume, and subsequently being arrested for disorderly conduct accomplished any of that (just released with a class c citation and still fuzzy on what exactly was illegal about my actions) – then I’d do it again all day every day. Plus…it’s not every day you get to meet and chat with SLAYER’S TOM ARAYA in the middle of a prank! #noregrets #theislandattorney #irreverentwarriors”.
SLAYER has been inactive since it played its final concert on November 30, 2019 at the Forum in Los Angeles. One day later, Ayesha King, wife of SLAYER guitarist Kerry King, said that there is “not a chance in hell” that the thrash metal icons will reunite for more shows following the completion of their farewell tour.
Back in April 2018, Araya‘s wife said that he had not questioned his decision to embark on one final SLAYER tour before the band called it quits.
Sandra Araya, who has been married to the SLAYER frontman for more than 25 years, told the Metal Pulp And Paper web site that the announcement that the band was pulling the plug on its nearly four-decade-long career didn’t come as a surprise to her. “Not to me,” she said. “I can’t comfortably go into too much detail. I’ll just leave it with a no.”
Asked if the decision to end SLAYER was a difficult one for Tom and Kerry to make, Sandra said: “Tom never second-guesses any decision he makes. I have no idea about Kerry.”
When you’re pranking Galveston and run into the lead singer of FUCKIN SLAYER!!! Happy 26th Anniversary Tom and Sandra!!! #theislandattorney #tomaraya #slayer #galvestonisland Tom Araya Fans
Posted by Mark A. Metzger III on Monday, September 13, 2021
Bringing positive vibes to the gloom and doom out there, generating some laughter, helping people crack a smile, and…
Posted by Mark A. Metzger III on Monday, September 13, 2021
Just when you THINK you’ve seen it all, someone walks past you down the Galveston beach dressed like Michael Myers in Halloween ahead of Tropical Storm Nicholas ??♀️ pic.twitter.com/tiztJb4fNc
— Mycah Hatfield (@MycahABC13) September 13, 2021