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Who Are “The Big 4” of Thrash?


MacabreEternal

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Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax went on tour together. They decided to go on tour together. They were the big four thrash metal band on that tour. I guess if Testament or Sacred Reich or Exodus or Overkill went on tour with them it would be the big five or six or seven. 

Therenwas a Hell on Wheels Tour in the 1980s with Helloween, Armored Saint, and GrimReaper.The Big Four Festival with Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallica began 2010. It was the name of the tour/festival. Nonetheless, I consider the four to be my favorite Thrash metal bands from the Americas.

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It's a well trodden path by now but the 'big 4' are Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer. Thrash fans also regard Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, and Tankard as the 'teutonic big 4'. If I were to rank them Slayer would be the best as SNM, HtC, and HA are impeccable. Megadeth second best as KIMB and RIP are phenomenal. Metallica sit third by a hair for those first two albums.

 

As for the 'teutonic big 4' Destruction sit first for their conosistency. Sodom second also for consistency. Kreator third because PtK is incredible but there's not enough outside of that to knock off either of their peers.

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Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax went on tour together. They decided to go on tour together. They were the big four thrash metal band on that tour. I guess if Testament or Sacred Reich or Exodus or Overkill went on tour with them it would be the big five or six or seven. 
Therenwas a Hell on Wheels Tour in the 1980s with Helloween, Armored Saint, and GrimReaper.The Big Four Festival with Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallica began 2010. It was the name of the tour/festival. Nonetheless, I consider the three to be my favorite Thrash metal bands from the Americas.
...can anyone make sense of this?

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21 minutes ago, BlutAusNerd said:

...can anyone make sense of this?

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Wasn't the Big Four the name of a tour that Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax all took part in?  Perhaps @EmeraldDark is trying to say that they were given the name because of their participation on the tour rather than for being at the forefront of the genre (in other words, being the four biggest thrash bands).

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Wasn't the Big Four the name of a tour that Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax all took part in?  Perhaps@EmeraldDark is trying to say that they were given the name because of their participation on the tour rather than for being at the forefront of the genre (in other words, being the four biggest thrash bands).
As far as I know, tours called "The Big Four of Thrash" came later, "The Big Four" was a marketing term indicating that they were the best selling artists in the genre.

The post was pretty convoluted and confusing in general though, especially ending a discussion of "The Big Four" by indicating that they were his/her three favorite thrash bands of the era...

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10 hours ago, BlutAusNerd said:

As far as I know, tours called "The Big Four of Thrash" came later, "The Big Four" was a marketing term indicating that they were the best selling artists in the genre.

The post was pretty convoluted and confusing in general though, especially ending a discussion of "The Big Four" by indicating that they were his/her three favorite thrash bands of the era...

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Maybe youre misinterpreting the post and its an absurdist slam poem.

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Before the Big Four of Thrash festival, I didn’t hear the title The Big Four referring to those specific bands. If I were asked who the biggest four of thrash were, I would say Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax. Someone else would say Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Testament or Exodus. 

 

There hasn’t ever been any doubt that Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer are the big three pioneers of thrash metal. However until the Big Four of Thrash festival the fourth was not confirmed. Since the festival whenever someone says The Big Four, everyone knows that Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax are meant. That festival raised the status of these bands (especially Anthrax) to the absolute best four bands of thrash. Anthrax was on the train on time, but Testament and Exodus missed the train.

 

In other words: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax were inofficially the big four of thrash, but that festival officially raised them on that status. People don’t have to guess anymore who are among the big four. (at least where I live).

 

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I don’t know about Anthrax. Are there any huge Anthrax fans out there? I’ve never met any. No one ever talks about them either unless it’s in the context of the Big 4 or some personal criticism of Ian. 

Santa Claus, Easter Bunny and Anthrax fans. They just don’t exist. 

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Before the Big Four of Thrash festival, I didn’t hear the title The Big Four referring to those specific bands. If I were asked who the biggest four of thrash were, I would say Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax. Someone else would say Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Testament or Exodus. 
 
There hasn’t ever been any doubt that Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer are the big three pioneers of thrash metal. However until the Big Four of Thrash festival the fourth was not confirmed. Since the festival whenever someone says The Big Four, everyone knows that Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax are meant. That festival raised the status of these bands (especially Anthrax) to the absolute best four bands of thrash. Anthrax was on the train on time, but Testament and Exodus missed the train.
 
In other words: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax were inofficially the big four of thrash, but that festival officially raised them on that status. People don’t have to guess anymore who are among the big four. (at least where I live).
 
That's not even marginally correct, but I guess you're welcome to think that if you'd like. They were pretty well known as the Big 4 long before any tour or festival came along by that name.

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I don’t know about Anthrax. Are there any huge Anthrax fans out there? I’ve never met any. No one ever talks about them either unless it’s in the context of the Big 4 or some personal criticism of Ian. 
Santa Claus, Easter Bunny and Anthrax fans. They just don’t exist. 
I like them, just not as much as most other thrash bands. Spreading the Disease is a good album, and Among the Living has some good tracks as well.

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