From the beginning, KNAC defied the odds.Even when metal music was experiencing mainstream popularity, there's no denying that metal has never been greatly respected by the majority. Outsiders deemed metalheads as slow-witted slackers who shook out their brains from all the headbanging they did. KNAC was proving otherwise with their talk-show program Talk Back, which aired on Sunday mornings and delved into the controversial topics of the day, from politics to the Gulf War to censorship especially in the wake of the Judas Priest trial and accusations of Ozzy Osbourne corrupting the youth. Bands and fans alike would articulate their viewpoints on these subjects and open up discussion about many different hot-button issues of the day; showing that for all their wild onstage personas, most of these metal musicians were quite intelligent and aware of what went on in the world, and that their audience was not only just as savvy about these matters, but had their own strong opinions about them.
After all, metal has never been about following the leader or going along with the current and as public opinion began to take an unfavorable opinion towards metal music, KNAC and its fans flashed their metal horns with even greater flair, and wore their metal badges with pride. It really is a testament to KNAC’s bond with its fans that it wasn’t pulled off the air during those times of scare tactics against the music they loved. Metal fans really can be likened to an army when they are roused, and KNAC’s troops were at the front lines, ready to go to battle against anyone who would compromise their freedom to rock.
And fans rocked anywhere: from the golden shores of the Southern California coast, to the stifling heat of the Valley, KNAC became part of the local consciousness. As Bradley Hindman put it more succinctly: "I never turned the receiver off in my apartment. It was always set to KNAC." For the next 9 years, it was a never-ending ride of decadent good times; as Eric Kuder put it: "It was the best nine years of metal, sex and parties!"