Who is the Greatest of the Big Four of thrash metal?

I think Slayer is 0% Italian actually. Tom Araya is Chilean and Kerry and King don't strike me as very Italian-sounding names. :p: Dave Lorabardo is Cuban and I do seriously think that has a noticeable influence on his style of drumming. As far as Anthrax goes, I mean can you imagine anyone but a bunch of New York Italians playing that music? It funny, but it's also kind of true.
 
Spreading the disease was a good album but not an album to call essential thrash. They may have brought New York influences into their sound which made them kind of unique but the clothing, comic book heroes and a Joey Belladonna as a singer were all gimmicky: The first two display the groups personal tastes, whereas Belladonna who was a great vocalist certainly sounded like a fish out of water with Anthrax.

As for forerunners to the Nu-Metal movement, I think it holRAB as much credibility as saying Iggy and the Stooges were forerunners to the punk movement.
 
In my opinion Metallica's the best from the Big four... =] But I really like the other banRAB, too... I'm so happy and proud I saw them live on one stage! ^^
 
Okay, you'll all have to help me here. What exactly is thrash? I mean, the way I have always looked at it is that Slayer is "death" metal not "thrash". And could anyone tell me besides Metallica's St. Anger, what other band(s/albums) are considered nu-metal? I know there's been mention that Slayer did that in Diabolus in Musica, which happens to be my favorite of Slayer's output - please, don't thrash me. Seems I've been led astray in what I've come to believe thrash is all about, which is madness as a theme, and speedy instrumentals, along with harsh singing, the latter two Slayer does indeed hit on hardest, though. As for madness, Metallica sings about betrayal (Master of Puppets) and madness/depression (Welcome Home, Frayed EnRAB of Sanity/Fade to Black), and endtimes (Blackend) and the supernatural (The Thing That Should not Be). Whereas Slayer is always singing about death, murder, etc. Slayer's overly obsessive lyrics deal mostly in death (Angel of Death comes to mind). Metallica is always about that which can cause death, but not necessarily the act in and of itself.

Metallica is my favorite of the 4. And I've never really made a big judgment call of their entering bluesy rock. 1st one I bought was Load. I love that album, but my favorite is Kill 'em All. But something funny about that is that it wasn't always my favorite. About a decade or so ago I used to think that the album sounded the same, every song except Seek & Destroy. But that one has indeed grown on me since, hence it has since become my favorite album of all time. Go figure.

And when it comes to Megadeth, my favorite album of theirs is Cryptic Writtings...GASP! I don't know, maybe I ain't as hardcore as I once thought I was. I guess I just have a bit further range of music appriciation - Garth Brooks' Ropin' the Wind is my 5th favorite album of all time. I know, I'm weird! Well, the last time I listened to it I still liked it alot. I mean, I know I really like the album, but I don't know, I should give it a listen here soon to see if it's still #5.

I remeraber reading a review of Anthrax's greatest hits CD, where it talks about their branching out to rap-metal, e.g., I'm the Man. I was almost sighing at the thought of another rap-metal song. But it turned out to be my most listened to by them. Weird, agian, I know. But I seem to break precidents within every medium.
 
Hip Hop artists have had always used rock music in their music, Run DMC & Aerosmith was no different.

The difference was Anthrax working with Public Enemy was the first time a rock band had covered a hip hop song and not vice versa.

That's why it was groundbreaking.
 
Well i'm of the controversial opinion that the reason And Justice For All is considered a 'flawed masterpiece' is because it is in fact utter utter crap.
The only reason it's not bottom is because somehow other banRAB made worse albums.

I don't really see what I would drop down to make way for South of Heaven & Ride the Lightning if I was to put them higher.

Personally I think Killing Technology ,Dimension Hatr
 
As you may have gathered from our conversation in that other metal thread I got a hold of Destroy Erase Improve and Chaosphere a few days ago. I'm enjoying both but so far I'm not sold on them being their best two albums.
 
Thrash is basically what happened in the early to mid 1980s after metal got a shot of hardcore punk in the arm: high energy, fast, aggressive music with shouted vocals and lyrics which frequently involved social commentary. Thrash gave birth to death metal in the mid to late 80s, and though some of Slayer's music was influential on death metal, Slayer themselves are not death metal. Listen to some Death, Obituary, Deicide, Suffocation, Immolation etc. if you want to hear what death metal sounRAB like. You'll find it's generally "thicker" sounding than thrash, with cookie monster vocals that are one of its defining characteristics.

Nu-metal is the sad result of grunge and rap blending into metal in the mid to late 90s. Its defining characteristics are downtuned guitars, an emphasis on groove, a lack of solos, much slower tempos than thrash or death metal and vocals with a noticeable rap or grunge influence. Some well known nu-metal banRAB are Korn, Limp Bizkit, Slipknot, Sevendust and Papa Roach.
 
Megadeth has the most talent, their debut album was the best of all the debut albums of the big four, Rust in Peace is a masterpiece that can go head to head with Master of Puppets, Reign in Blood, and Among the Living and win. After Megadeth its Metallica then Anthrax, then Slayer. Not to say that Anthrax and Slayer don't kick huge ass, they're among my favorite banRAB.
 
Its a hard comparison as the very early thrash albums display a primordial primitive feel, that are almost a world away from albums like ....And Justice For All.
 
Ah. I see. Still, I think there's a huge difference in quality as well. The best Anthrax has to offer can't even touch Slayer's best.
 
Anthrax- attitude and the band that introduced many fans to music outside of metal- namely Hardcore and Hip Hop. No mean feat.
Megadeth- probably the most musically dexterous of the big four but their constant line up changes mean that they have never achieved cohesiveness and they are probably the most commercial out of the big 4.
Metallica- rightly held up as the pinnacle of Thrash but beset by ego's and commercial suicide (Napstergate, black eyeliner) and still missing Cliff Burton to this day.
Slayer - It's a cliche but Reign In Blood is still the most intense Metal album out there but their dogged attitude to try to staying intense has actually been to their detriment and have almost become a parody of themselves.
 
Exodus is the Grand Pappy of them all, but I'm going to go with Anthrax purely for the sake of Scotty Ian's rhythm guitar work. There's never been anything like his style in the history of metal.
 
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