Thrash anyone...

[Grandturk]

If Anthrax was 4th - it was a far, far distant 4th. I like Anthrax, but they're stuff doesn't hold up nearly as well as the other three and the "lower" bands like Overkill, Testament, Kreator, etc, etc.

[Endrik]

I'd listen to Among The Living over anything that Slayer has ever done

[Hellbat]

I always loved Metal Church's first and second albums, although I don't know if they were considered a full blown "Thrash" band at the time. I know Metallica played some part in having them signed. I never understood why they didn't do better they had some really great songs.

I can't help but start headbanging when I listen to this track...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pultHqVOis

[MartinBarre]

If Anthrax was 4th - it was a far, far distant 4th.

Nope, not at that time. Think about it, Slayer were WAAAY too aggressive to get on TV or whatever, Megadeth and Metallica, at that time, were too. Then you had Anthrax doing "Antisocial". That could get played back to back with stuff like "Hysteria" and "Livin on a Prayer" on TV even in the UK.
Whether they were as good,musically, as the other three bands is subjective, but Anthrax were my 2nd favourite band back in the early 90's after AC/DC. Honestly, I still listen to more Anthrax, even the modern stuff, than any of the otehr Big Four.

[Endrik]

I've seen many revisionist articles saying that the big four were Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Testament... and Slayer while important was borderline extreme metal/death band.

That description would suit me from my musical preference point of view but let's be honest, it's still revisionist talk. It's Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.

What's more interesting is that people always talk about the classic and famous Bay Area thrash bands yet none of the Big Four were Bay Area... well let's say 0.5 of them is Bay Area thrash as Metallica moved to SF but still they were formed in LA.

[Rsmacker]

Yeah, but they were all Americans, so sod it, we'll do what they do and lump them all in together, Bay Area's close enough.

[Grandturk]

My opinion is that its The Big Three - Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. Everyone else was everyone else.

[fordsho90]

I always loved Metal Church's first and second albums, although I don't know if they were considered a full blown "Thrash" band at the time. I know Metallica played some part in having them signed. I never understood why they didn't do better they had some really great songs.

I can't help but start headbanging when I listen to this track...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pultHqVOis

+1......They never went further due to "musical differences" they replaced the lead singer in 88 and that was pretty much the end of them as far as really going further IMO. I saw them w/ Exodus and Anthrax in 87 and they kicked ass!! They opened but they played a full set as did Exodus and Anthrax. During the middle of Exodus's set they stopped and said they were gonna play three songs that were gonna be on the next album (Fabulous Disaster) Canjun Hell, Open Season, and then they "attempeted" (use that term VERY loose) Toxic Waltz well after about 10 tries at it they finally got down right and the whole place was going nuts and every one from Metal Church and Anthrax (except Joey Prima Donna) was onstage w/Exodus doing the Toxic Waltz one big ass pit on the stage It was one of the best concerts that I have been to and one of the best bang for the buck thats for sure. The show didnt end till almost one A.M

[Dred]

There was a thread here some time ago, where we discussed how difficult it was to get the tone on R.I.P.

The bloke so soloed, nailed it!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OttCgILTP4I&feature=related

Their Megadeth tone is far more prominent in other songs though, but seeing as this is a cover, I thought it's more than appropriate.

[MartinBarre]

My opinion is that its The Big Three - Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. Everyone else was everyone else.

I'm pretty sure the Big Four title came from record sales/monies made. I have no clue of the exact breakdown, but I'm 100% certain Anthrax were in amongst those three and, at the time of State of Euphoria, might even have been just behind Metallica.
I might be totally wrong, I was really young at the time, but I'm fairly sure Anthrax were bigger than Slayer and Megadeth at that time, sales wise.

It was most certainly a Big Four.

[Anders]

Anders hooked me up with that. Good stuff!!

It is kinda cool, right Gary? Hope everything's great down under, I've been really terrible at visiting JCF the last year or so...

[salmonella]

[QUOTE=MartinBarre1;1314551]I'm pretty sure the Big Four title came from record sales/monies made.

Yeah, + 1to this. There are prob many other bands that may have been good enough to be the big 4 but fortune wasnt ont heir side

Has someone mentioned Acid Reign, awesome band and often overlooked- also did song for Phantasm film. Wish theyd rerelease their albums before my tapes pack up. lol.
A great "underground" thrashy esque/ punk band from back in the day was Dr and the Crippens. Many more played on John Peel's show back then.

[velkan]

[QUOTE=MartinBarre1;1314551]I'm pretty sure the Big Four title came from record sales/monies made. /QUOTE]



or maybe came from the influence on other bands through their exposure... no? how many bands have those big four names in their influences? lots lots and lots!

[Matthiasdeo]

Almost none of these were even vaugely Underground, come on guys seriously?
I'll name a couple of pretty underground ones:
Razormaze
Lich King
Diamond Plate
Havok
Necrokinesis
Warpath
Hellcannon
Morbid Saint (One of the best thrash bands ever, just behind MegaDeth IMHO)

[VitaminG]

It is kinda cool, right Gary? Hope everything's great down under, I've been really terrible at visiting JCF the last year or so...

Yo Anders! Good to see you here (even though you posted this a month ago )