Straight.com recently asked Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian which band out of Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer he most enjoyed listening to in his spare time. His answer can be found below.
After a few moments of due consideration, Ian said: “I would have to say, if you went into my iTunes and you looked at the play count to see what songs I listen to the most, I would probably bet Slayer gets played more than Metallica or Megadeth. So, if that answers your question…”
Anthrax, along with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer make up the ‘Big 4’ bands of thrash metal, after having collectively dominated the scene for the past 30-years.
Ian was asked who he would add if there were ever to be a ‘Big 5’: “The only other band really that it would make sense [to include] as far as American thrash-metal would be Exodus,” he replied. “Because they were there right at the beginning as well. Their first album came out right at the same time as the rest of us. So I mean, to me, yes–if you were gonna add a fifth band, certainly I would think Exodus would be able to fill that slot very easily.”
testament gets my vote , they were also there in the beginning . not taking anything from exodus i like them as well. personal preference .
I agree, an as well, their new singer is nothing special and demands circle pits or he’ll stop singing. Exodus really has gone down hill, but Testament has stayed strong and put out what has to be, the greatest thrash album of the last ten years with Dark Roots of the Earth.
Why not a Big 7? Testament, Exodus, and Overkill.