Cobra Kai is an homage to The Karate Kid franchise, but it also frequently pays respects to all 80s pop culture, especially music. Whether it's a cameo by Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, or Johnny Lawrence sharing his opinion on Peter Cetera, there’s always something for music fans of the decade to appreciate. The same applies to musicians, apparently, as Exodus guitarist Gary Holt had a great response to a joke about “Shitty Metallica music.”
The moment happens in the episode “Party Time,” which heavily features Paul Walter Hauser’s fan-favorite middle-aged karate student Stingray. Stingray is enjoying the morning on his front lawn and makes the mistake of greeting his disgruntled next-door neighbor. After Stingray’s neighbor complains he couldn’t sleep because of him blaring “shitty Metallica” all night, Stingray hits the neighbor with the following response:
Yeah, that was actually Exodus’ Bonded By Blood, but it’s not your fault. You don’t know the genre.
The moment might not be memorable for some Cobra Kai fans, but Gary Holt really loved the reference. As the bandleader of Exodus, and someone who probably understood the joke more than most, he posted his reaction to the scene on his Instagram page.
The Exodus guitarist is psyched that Stingray schooled his neighbor in their heated conversation and that Cobra Kai included his band briefly in Season 4. It has to be a surreal feeling being a fan of something and then getting mentioned by that thing. I couldn’t help but laugh at Holt cheering on Stingray and calling that lame neighbor a “fucking loser.”
The added layer to the joke could be that Exodus had meaningful ties to Metallica back in the day via guitarist Kirk Hammett. Hammett was a part of the band up until 1983, when he joined Metallica and is still a member of the band to this day. With that said, Bonded By Blood came out two years after Hammett’s departure, so perhaps I’m reading into the reference a little too deeply.
All of that aside, Gary Holt’s reference is just another example of how Cobra Kai features constant nods to the past and not just The Karate Kid. These references are likely part of what keeps older fans coming back season after season and really helps the series maintain the spirit of the 80s even in the modern setting. Hopefully, Season 5 will continue the trend, especially now that Stingray is back in the mix and able to give more opportunities for characters gushing about hard rock. Who knows how long Johnny Lawrence can keep it up, especially given his continued embrace of the modern world?
Cobra Kai Season 4 is now available to stream on Netflix, and Season 5 is currently in development. It’ll be interesting to see where the series heads following the results of the All-Valley Tournament and how that big team-up at the end will flip the script in the episodes ahead.
