Rate the Big Four of thrash here

[jnurp]

sorry but im replacing anthrax with Testament just because I like em better.

lets tally up the votes and see who GAB puts as Numero uno.

My list:
Slayer-best riffs, best vibe, great vox and never sold out
Testament-great riffs, best vox and amazing songs
Metallica-great riffs and amazing songs early on then they sucked but even at their height I would put slayer and testament ahead of em
Megadeth-amazing musicianship but pedestrian songs and the worst vox ever.

[Yarbicus]

The true big four:

Metallica
Keator
Overkill
Testament

[fretless]

I never thought of Metallica as thrash , is that wrong ?

[jnurp]

metallica went from thrash to trash.

[Yarbicus]

I never thought of Metallica as thrash , is that wrong ?

I'm you are too young. 1986 was the single greatest year in metal history.

[JimmyPaeg]

I'm going to be a bit of an iconoclast here and say that Metallica was the only one of the big four that I've ever really liked.
However, I've never listened to any of the albums after And Justice. I might have listened to the Black Album once or twice.

I never thought of Metallica as thrash , is that wrong ?

Go back and listen to the first four albums.

[ovid9]

People can listen to more than 1 slayer song at a time? I totally respect their place in metal history, but I guess coming to it later, I just can't get into it. Also, their vox grate more than Mave for me. Well, classic Mave, not new Mave.

Love Megadeth, Metallica and Testament though.
And recently got into Kreator.

Granted, I was 6 when all this was happening.

edit: so, ranking just by their thrash albums
Metallica
Megadeth
Testament
Slayer (I guess, its hard for me to rate them as i don't listen to them)

[fretless]

I saw them on their first tour I was 16 , '83 84 I forget but I never thought it was thrash, Metal yes , hard rock yes . You know how those tags are , now Overkill , That is thrash

[Crunchtime]

1. Metallica. Not a fan of recent stuff but based on early stuff they have to be on top.
2. Testament. Still putting out great stuff
3. Exodus. Still great on recent releases. Could flip flop 2 and 3.
4. Slayer. One of my all time faves but last couple releases did not wow me.

[Mesa/Kramer]

I saw them on their first tour I was 16 , '83 84 I forget but I never thought it was thrash, Metal yes , hard rock yes . You know how those tags are , now Overkill , That is thrash

It was thrash, now you know

Evidence A
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xjlgUx7_aN0[/video]

Evidence B
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ7Aif5aXlQ[/video]

[shane159]

Exodus

[vickno]

If I were Overkill, Kreator, Exodus and Testament I'd make a tour that would easily rival with the famous Big 4 !

[nightflameauto]

If you're talking 1980s, it'd be an extremely difficult call. If you're talking the Big Four concert that went to theaters and ultimately got a home release, Anthrax swept the fucking floor with the other three, Megamave needed to overdub all his vocals for the home release, even though the instrumentation was great, Metallica was OK if not for the tempo jumping around like a bunch of fifteen year olds that had never seen a metronome and Slayer was Slayer, which means killer rhythms, and turkey in a blender leads.

Honestly, for me it's tough to segregate the big four away from Exodus, Testament, Overkill, Death Angel, Dark Angel, Kreator and possibly several others just due to the fact that back then I didn't give a shit who sold the most, I gave a shit whether it made me wanna move. And attempting to rank them at all seemed like a joke because it was one big massive thrash family. At least as far as being a fan.

[NinjaRaf]

I really don't know how the big 4 is considered the big 4 with bands like Testament and Exodus. Metallica was the only one I liked, and they are also my favorite band. Testament has always been amazing, too. But Slayer and Anthrax are complete garbage, and Megadeth has its moments, but I feel like that band is basically just rehashed Kill em All riffs with Dave worst vocals in history on top of it, so fuck that band, too.

[fretless]

I saw them on their first tour I was 16 , '83 84 I forget but I never thought it was thrash, Metal yes , hard rock yes . You know how those tags are , now Overkill , That is thrash

It was thrash, now you know

the lack of moshing and a bar full of rock chicks must of threw me . That and Armored Saint and W.A.S.P. opened . Seriously though for me at the time Maiden was it , I didn't like much else but when Kill'em All came out , while different it was rocking , had licks , hooks , grooves , nice leads ,familiar song structure . It was a Metal crossover that was easy . Some Thrash never had those elements .Also we had KNAC in the 80's \m/\m/

[Davidian]

Ranking just by their '80s releases I'd list the Big-4:
Metallica
Slayer
Anthrax
Megadeth

[The Hiryuu]

I really don't know how the big 4 is considered the big 4 with bands like Testament and Exodus. Metallica was the only one I liked, and they are also my favorite band. Testament has always been amazing, too. But Slayer and Anthrax are complete garbage, and Megadeth has its moments, but I feel like that band is basically just rehashed Kill em All riffs with Dave worst vocals in history on top of it, so fuck that band, too.

Because they were the most popular 4. It's not the "best 4", it's the "big 4".

Also, I'm pretty sure you went full retard with that post.

[jnurp]

I cant believe all the Slayer bashing here. Imo they were the conduit for the bridge between thrash/speed metal and death metal. Im pretty sure that entire Tampa scene in the mid to late 80's started with a lot of slayer influence moreso than any other band. Im sure there are Chuck interviews where he cites slayer as a huge influence.

[Sizzler]

Ranking just by their '80s releases I'd list the Big-4:
Metallica
Slayer
Anthrax
Megadeth

Up until 1990 I agree 100%...

Then for me once Rust in Peace came out Megadeth jumped to #2 (I still have a chub over that album)

[JiveTurkey]

I really don't know how the big 4 is considered the big 4 with bands like Testament and Exodus. Metallica was the only one I liked, and they are also my favorite band. Testament has always been amazing, too. But Slayer and Anthrax are complete garbage, and Megadeth has its moments, but I feel like that band is basically just rehashed Kill em All riffs with Dave worst vocals in history on top of it, so fuck that band, too.

Because they were the most popular 4. It's not the "best 4", it's the "big 4".

Also, I'm pretty sure you went full retard with that post.

While I would never call you a 'tard Raf ; I will say that none of the LOG riffs you worship would even remotely exist without Slayer Reign in Blood is the blueprint that extreme metal has yet to top in my opinion.

[JiveTurkey]

Ranking just by their '80s releases I'd list the Big-4:
Metallica
Slayer
Anthrax
Megadeth

Up until 1990 I agree 100%...

Then for me once Rust in Peace came out Megadeth jumped to #2 (I still have a chub over that album)

I LOVE Peace Sells. RIP is always swung from in the testicle dept.; but I dig Chris Poland era more. Has the aggression and venomous attitude of punk with complete precision musicianship. Which was 100% what I was into at the time.

[ovid9]

I cant believe all the Slayer bashing here. Imo they were the conduit for the bridge between thrash/speed metal and death metal. Im pretty sure that entire Tampa scene in the mid to late 80's started with a lot of slayer influence moreso than any other band. Im sure there are Chuck interviews where he cites slayer as a huge influence.

Probably, but I'm also fairly certain if you didn't get into Slayer when you were a teenager, you're probably not going to get into Slayer. I totally understand and respect their place in thrash and metal history but good lord I don't want to listen to them for long. The riffs are awesome, but I hate Arraya's voice and the whammy abuse "leads" are just painful.

Again, totally get why they are respected, but I'll tip my hat and listen to something else.

And Jive Turkey, LOG always reminds me more of Testament but I don't know Slayer's catalog all that well.

[JiveTurkey]

I cant believe all the Slayer bashing here. Imo they were the conduit for the bridge between thrash/speed metal and death metal. Im pretty sure that entire Tampa scene in the mid to late 80's started with a lot of slayer influence moreso than any other band. Im sure there are Chuck interviews where he cites slayer as a huge influence.

Probably, but I'm also fairly certain if you didn't get into Slayer when you were a teenager, you're probably not going to get into Slayer. I totally understand and respect their place in thrash and metal history but good lord I don't want to listen to them for long. The riffs are awesome, but I hate Arraya's voice and the whammy abuse "leads" are just painful.

Again, totally get why they are respected, but I'll tip my hat and listen to something else.

And Jive Turkey, LOG always reminds me more of Testament but I don't know Slayer's catalog all that well.

LOG has a lot of Testament styled grooves, but the chromaticism in their riffing (to me at least); is totally Slayer.

[ovid9]

I cant believe all the Slayer bashing here. Imo they were the conduit for the bridge between thrash/speed metal and death metal. Im pretty sure that entire Tampa scene in the mid to late 80's started with a lot of slayer influence moreso than any other band. Im sure there are Chuck interviews where he cites slayer as a huge influence.

Probably, but I'm also fairly certain if you didn't get into Slayer when you were a teenager, you're probably not going to get into Slayer. I totally understand and respect their place in thrash and metal history but good lord I don't want to listen to them for long. The riffs are awesome, but I hate Arraya's voice and the whammy abuse "leads" are just painful.

Again, totally get why they are respected, but I'll tip my hat and listen to something else.

And Jive Turkey, LOG always reminds me more of Testament but I don't know Slayer's catalog all that well.

LOG has a lot of Testament styled grooves, but the chromaticism in their riffing (to me at least); is totally Slayer.

Ahhh, see, you've stepped beyond this noob's level of noticing crap, but I see how that makes sense.

[wrongnote85]

i don't know how any thrash fan couldn't like these right here: