The funny thing is that they probably would have been the best band of the four had they been put in that category. It's really hard to take Anthrax's socially-conscious aspects seriously when their music is some of the tamest and least interesting material in the genre.
Controversial opinions on metal
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HamburgerBoy
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Exodus. Overkill is good, but they weren't pioneers like Metallica/Megadeth/Slayer/Exodus were.
Wasn't Overkill releasing material around the same time as Exodus? They were performing/recording demo material around the same period and both of their debuts released in 1985.
CiG
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no country for old wainds
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exodus are often considered the 5th band afaik, i've even seen people get mixed up and think they were already part of the big four before.
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
Oh shit, I never realised that both Overkill and Exodus released their debut albums in 1985. I was always under the impression that Overkill were a year or two ahead of Exodus.
HamburgerBoy
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If age is all that matters, call the big four Faithful Breath/Blind Illusion/Hades/some other band.
The members of Overkill had been playing in bands longer than those of Exodus, but Exodus was playing thrash much earlier. And there isn't really a comparison between Bonded By Blood (a genre-defining album half of which was written in 1983) and Feel the Fire (approximately only half thrash metal, half USPM, with the former songs written later than the latter). The Power in Black demo is approximately as thrash metal as what Omen and Griffin were doing at the same time, and keep in mind that the demo was released months after songs like Strike of the Beast were.
EDIT: And fwiw I consider Feel the Fire to be a 5-star masterpiece, it's just not of the same historical relevance as Bonded By Blood.
HamburgerBoy
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It's a common UltraBoris-invented myth. Some of the Overkill guys were doing punk in the 70s and they played metal in the 80s so it makes logical sense that they may have been an early band to engage in genre miscegenation, but it didn't really actually happen.
CiG
Approximately Infinite Universe
No, given this I am with you on Exodus now. I was only saying Overkill because they reached a level of fame, were also generally rather consistent and had seniority over Exodus but now that I know the last bit is wrong, it should be Exodus.
I don't hate Anthrax by any means even though they nosedived into a bathtub of feces really early in their career, but Exodus should be the replacement for Anthrax.
Bonded by Blood is definitely much more genre-defining than Feel the Fire. Without a doubt.
It is also more genre-defining than possibly anything Anthrax ever released in my opinion.
I don't hate Anthrax by any means even though they nosedived into a bathtub of feces really early in their career, but Exodus should be the replacement for Anthrax.
Bonded by Blood is definitely much more genre-defining than Feel the Fire. Without a doubt.
It is also more genre-defining than possibly anything Anthrax ever released in my opinion.
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EspaDa
Damage Case
Anthrax is a really bland band. I can go with their first 3 albums, the rest may not exist for me.
no country for old wainds
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only 10 or 12? you're showing admirable restraint today.
i think a big ten would be slayer, metallica, megadeth, sodom, kreator, destruction, dark angel, exodus, overkill and sepultura.
i think a big ten would be slayer, metallica, megadeth, sodom, kreator, destruction, dark angel, exodus, overkill and sepultura.
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Baroque
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All good options if we're going with a big 10 of 80's thrash but in all seriousness Vektor is better than half of those bands
Vegard Pompey
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TechnicalBarbarity
Poser Disposer
Coroner definitely belong there.
And as much as i like Tankard, not so sure about them being included in the "big 10" .
And as much as i like Tankard, not so sure about them being included in the "big 10" .
no country for old wainds
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agreed on tankard. i considered coroner, would've probably mentioned them if i'd made it 12. voivod are a bit too much of a niche/weirdo band; i was going for bands who're widely beloved/iconic across the mainstream and underground (and yeah, preferably '80s). it's not a list of personal favourites or anything.
RadicalThrasher
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Using that criteria, plus having a string of good albums ( 3 to 5?) I would say Nuclear Assault is a contender. Or at least worthy of an honorable mention.
HamburgerBoy
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Yeah something like that. I'd say Testament would rank above Dark Angel and roughly on-par with Overkill even if the in-crowd doesn't like them. Frankly even Anthrax would even though I mostly dislike them.
Vegard Pompey
ALLY TO GOOD, NIGHTMARE TO YOU
Are Dark Angel that iconic though? Not sure if it's the best metric of popularity but their most popular album has less than 2000 ratings on RYM, and they're nowhere near as prolific as most of the bands mentioned. Voivod on the other hand have been releasing albums consistently for 3½ decades, plus they have a very distinct sound that seems to have a reach of influence way disproportionate with their popularity, being cited as an influence by loads of artists in completely disparate genres.
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