THE BIG 4

Mr. Macabre

New Metal Member
Nov 24, 2020
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Should TESTAMENT have been in the big 4 instead of ANTHRAX? I think so, TESTAMENT still can blow the roof off of any place. I've never understood why people liked ANTHRAX, they're not that great.
 
Why Testament? Why not Exodus? Why not any of the other Bay Area thrash bands?
The Big 4 means less today than it did 40 years ago and it meant SFA then.
 
It's a term created by the media I think, and depended on who was more popular at the time. Testament released their debut album a bit later compared to the others. As for now, at one point Testament's stats on Last.fm were pretty close to Anthrax, but Anthrax had recent albums that charted better and a minor resurgence among younger people it seems. Testament and Exodus sound better to me too but it seems Anthrax is still earning their place.
 
Why Testament? Why not Exodus? Why not any of the other Bay Area thrash bands?
The Big 4 means less today than it did 40 years ago and it meant SFA then.
I'll give you 3 reasons why, alex skolnick, eric peterson , and chuck billy.
 
Since Slayer have retired why not just dump them and add Exodus?
Since Metallica are barely a thrash band now and have sky rocketed beyond what any other thrash band can hope for why not remove them and add Testament?

As good as any of them may be it's still it doesn't warrant changing something that meant little when it was coined and even less now.
How many of the Bay area bands that could have been included are still losing sleep over the fact they weren't included? The only time it's brought up now is by boring journalists who can't do their jobs properly and feel the need to rehash shit to see if they can get someone to say something controversial enough to give them hits on a webcounter somewhere.
 
Should TESTAMENT have been in the big 4 instead of ANTHRAX? I think so, TESTAMENT still can blow the roof off of any place. I've never understood why people liked ANTHRAX, they're not that great.


its a term for the biggest selling thrash bands. sorry but testament has sold about 1/2 as many albums as anthrax
 
Have you got figures for that?
I know it was true at the time the Big 4 was coined but last time I tried to get an idea of actual sales the reports were far from conclusive. Many reported for only a short period, some only compared highest selling albums. I couldn't find anything definitive that ranked (and proved) sales figures for each band.
 
its a term for the biggest selling thrash bands. sorry but testament has sold about 1/2 as many albums as anthrax
Who cares about album sales, I love the music. TESTAMENT still put out new music and tour, and every time I see them it is fucking awesome. ANTHRAX are overrated in my opinion.
 
Oh well why didn't you say that in the first place? That changes everything!

For sure lets change the Big 4 from what's it's been for 35 odd years and from now forward recognise Testament as the 4th player because someone thinks Anthrax are overrated!

I think Metallica are not worthy of the thrash title any more. Slayer have retired. Anthrax may as well have retired with the lack of effort for the last 5 years. MegaDave gets a free pass because he's MegaDave and he had cancer. So from now on I recognise the Big 4 as Testament and MegaDave....oh and Exodus, and Death Angel and Dark Angel. Now that's a Big 4...for people who can't count but need labels.
 
Who cares about album sales, I love the music. TESTAMENT still put out new music and tour, and every time I see them it is fucking awesome. ANTHRAX are overrated in my opinion.


thats nice but you asked why isn't testament part of the big 4 and i gave you the answer. it was a term given to the 4 biggest bands from thrash back in the day
 
Oh well why didn't you say that in the first place? That changes everything!

For sure lets change the Big 4 from what's it's been for 35 odd years and from now forward recognise Testament as the 4th player because someone thinks Anthrax are overrated!

I think Metallica are not worthy of the thrash title any more. Slayer have retired. Anthrax may as well have retired with the lack of effort for the last 5 years. MegaDave gets a free pass because he's MegaDave and he had cancer. So from now on I recognise the Big 4 as Testament and MegaDave....oh and Exodus, and Death Angel and Dark Angel. Now that's a Big 4...for people who can't count but need labels.
Okay smartass, you know the old saying about opinions, it works both ways. And metallica have sucked since the injustice record.
 
Opinions are like arseholes, everyone's got one but mine is the only one that doesn't stink?
Yeah I know that saying that's why my Big 4(+1) is better than any other Big 4.
 
Big 4 was a media created term that sucked then and still does.

Since music is about perception, and each person perceives differently, makes no sense those bands specifically (or any other combo) to be coined as the Big whatever.

For my money in thrash, my top bands are:

Coroner
Death Angel
Testament

See? Totally subjective.
 
Yeah the Big 4 is a joke. The Teutonic 4 is the only one that matters :p
 
Doro and anything she's done is in a league of her own

But how can you dare put that list up without Heavysaurus on it :p
 
Doro and anything she's done is in a league of her own

But how can you dare put that list up without Heavysaurus on it :p

:tickled::tickled::tickled::tickled:

I hadn't hear that name in a long time, they started like what 10 years ago?
 
TBH I have no idea how long they've been around but it's the kind of thing that sticks with you. You don't even need to listen to their music, once you see them you never forget them.
 
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