Rank the Big Four (and vote for your favorite)

[Nick]

Metallica blows the rest out of the water.

[Nekov]

Metallica
Anthrax
Megadeth
Slayer

[Ruba]

Megadeth is the best of them, the other bands doesn't even challenge it.
Metallica, not very much musical talent (except Burton), but have done some of the greatest music ever.
Anthrax





Slayer, I don't like them, except a few songs.

[MasterShakezula]

Used to like the 2 Ms a lot.  Same for S.  Never cared for A. 

Not really my thing anymore.

[antigoon]

Metallica is the only one of those bands I would ever listen to, and even then, only Metallica if I'm at one of their shows.

[Big Hath]

I don't listen to Slayer any more at all.  But I have the most respect for them, because of all these bands, they are the only ones who (in my mind) never compromised at all...not even one little tiny bit.

Diabolus in Musica says hello.

Kerry King has pretty much disowned this album as he feels they tried to incorporate too much nu metal into the sound.

[Adami]

Love Metallica.

Megadeth is okay.

Don't really listen to Anthrax or Slayer, nor do I have any desire to.

[LCArenas]

Metallica
Megadeth
Anthrax
Slayer

I'm partial towards Anthrax these days because I grew tired of Slayer. Songs started to sound samey to me and I'm taking a rest off them.

[jammindude]

I don't listen to Slayer any more at all.  But I have the most respect for them, because of all these bands, they are the only ones who (in my mind) never compromised at all...not even one little tiny bit.

Diabolus in Musica says hello.

Kerry King has pretty much disowned this album as he feels they tried to incorporate too much nu metal into the sound.

I have heard about this...and I've heard a few tracks that (if I remember correctly) tried to incorporate the "pinch" chord/harmony.    Even though Kerry hates it...the degree of this "sell out" is debatable IMO....and in nowhere near comes close to the "sell out" degree of the TBA, CtE or to a lesser extent SoE. 

To tell you the truth, as much bitterness as TBA leaves me with, I'd have to say that CtE was the even worse crime.  Because Dave made it his life mission to be badder, nastier, faster, meaner and more snarling band than Metallica ever was.   That was all he ever wanted.   When Metallica came out with the Black Album, he had a chance to counter with an album that could have shown them how it was done....instead, he pussed out even worse.  (and then Risk was even worse than that!!)  So he didn't even stick to his own mission.   Forget Dave...he's done a few great albums...but he's mostly a raging drama queen.

[ariich]

Metallica
Megadeth
Anthrax
lolSlayer

[Ruba]

Megadeth is fine but I never really got into them -- they always seemed to me to just be a poor man's Maiden.

im confuz

Me too. I don't find them similar. Iron Maiden has a tenor vocalist, Megadeth has snarling Dave. Iron Maiden songs have average 2 guitar solos, Megadeth 3,5 guitar solos. Iron Maiden uses double bass only in song, Megadeth uses them quite a lot. Iron Maiden is based more on melodies, Megadeth is based on guitar riffs. And so on.

[Zydar]

Metallica
Megadeth
Slayer
Anthrax

[BlobVanDam]

The big four? Oh, you mean the big one, the moderate one, and the two tag-alongs.


Metallica

Megadeth






Anthrax




Slayer

[skydivingninja]

I'm not really familiar with every inch of the big four's catalog, but from what I know...

Megadeth (just for Rust in Peace alone)
Metallica
Anthrax
Slayer

[wkiml]

Megadeth















Old Metallica/Slayer

Anthrax











Black and Post Black Metallica

[ClairvoyantCat]

1. Megadeth
2. Slayer
3. don't care
4. don't care

Yeah. 

Megadeth is the only one I really like though.  Slayer is fun sometimes. 

[bosk1]

1.  Megadeth - Rust, Countdown, and Youthanasia are a fantastic three album run.  I would rank Risk as a fourth "must-have" album from them.  The post-Risk albums ranged from okay to good.  I don't like the pre-Rust albums. 
2.  Metallica - I have always loved the 4-album run of RTL, Puppets, Justice, and the black album.  But I do not feel compelled to have any other Metallica in my music collection.
3.  Anthrax - I don't even really listen to them, but there are a small handful of songs that I consider decent.
4.  Slayer - Do no like at all.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

1.  Megadeth - Rust, Countdown, and Youthanasia are a fantastic three album run.  I would rank Risk as a fourth "must-have" album from them.  The post-Risk albums ranged from okay to good.  I don't like the pre-Rust albums. 
2.  Metallica - I have always loved the 4-album run of RTL, Puppets, Justice, and the black album.  But I do not feel compelled to have any other Metallica in my music collection.
3.  Anthrax - I don't even really listen to them, but there are a small handful of songs that I consider decent.
4.  Slayer - Do no like at all.

Risk? Really? I always looked at that as one of their worst.

[Ruba]

1.  Megadeth - Rust, Countdown, and Youthanasia are a fantastic three album run.  I would rank Risk as a fourth "must-have" album from them.  The post-Risk albums ranged from okay to good.  I don't like the pre-Rust albums. 
2.  Metallica - I have always loved the 4-album run of RTL, Puppets, Justice, and the black album.  But I do not feel compelled to have any other Metallica in my music collection.
3.  Anthrax - I don't even really listen to them, but there are a small handful of songs that I consider decent.
4.  Slayer - Do no like at all.

Risk? Really? I always looked at that as one of their worst.

Nice album. Insomnia is horrible, but others are good. Prince of Darkness, Crush 'Em, Wanderlust, Seven and Time: The Beginning are all great songs.

[FlyingBIZKIT]

I'll give it another listen. It's been a while. I do really like The World Needs A Hero and The System Has Failed.

[bosk1]

1.  Megadeth - Rust, Countdown, and Youthanasia are a fantastic three album run.  I would rank Risk as a fourth "must-have" album from them.  The post-Risk albums ranged from okay to good.  I don't like the pre-Rust albums. 
2.  Metallica - I have always loved the 4-album run of RTL, Puppets, Justice, and the black album.  But I do not feel compelled to have any other Metallica in my music collection.
3.  Anthrax - I don't even really listen to them, but there are a small handful of songs that I consider decent.
4.  Slayer - Do no like at all.

Risk? Really? I always looked at that as one of their worst.

It definitely is different, and I think that combined with a couple of bad songs put people off.  But there is a lot on that album that is really cool. 

[krands85]

Same order as the poll for me:
Metallica
Megadeth
Anthrax
Slayer

Aside from the song Seasons in the Abyss, Slayer isn't really for me. It's been a few years since I listened to a decent amount of Anthrax I think, kind of got bored of them. Megadeth are joint 15th in my LFM charts, but I tend to just listen to the same playlist of my favourite songs rather than listen to their full albums properly. I still love Metallica and they are third in my LFM charts, but I haven't even been listening to them very much recently either - only 10th in my charts over the last year.

[BanksD]

Even though I don't often listen to the Big 4 as I'm more into other thrash bands (Annihilator, Overkill, Sodom, Testament,etc.) I'll give this a go

1. Megadeth - Love Rust, Killing is My Business, and a few other songs here and there, still stand by them as the best of the big 4, with Rust being one of my favorite albums ever.

2. Slayer - Not often that I listen to them, but I can appreciate Reign In Blood whenever I listen to it.

3. Metallica - Used to really hate them, but I've softened on them, but I never really listen to them outside of a few songs

4. Anthrax - Ehh...

[jammindude]

I honestly was never expecting Slayer to be in the top spot or anything....but *TWO* votes???  THAT'S IT???!!!

As I said, I have personal reasons for not having listened to them in 15 years...  but just through the grapevine I still hear new tracks from time to time.    DiM aside, I've just always viewed them as the guys who always stuck to their guns.    Everyone else had at least one album that you just wanted to laugh at...I can't think of a single Slayer album I wanted to laugh at.   (the cover of "Ina Gadda Da Vidda" might be the only moment in Slayer history that made me laugh...but that was just a one off single)

I guess I'm just surprised to not see a bit more respect for them....


EDIT:   Another thing.   None of the other 3 bands ever made an album that scared me.   When I first bought Hell Awaits....it scared the crap out of me. 

[Ryzee]

Metallica
Megadeth
Slayer
Anthrax

Sounds about right.

[LieLowTheWantedMan]

Megadeth is amazing. They get my vote.

Anthrax is pretty good. Same goes for Slayer.

Metallica is quite literally the most boring band in all music for me.

[Onno]

Metallica: Was my favourite band before that spot was taken by DT. Metallica has since then lowered another few spots, but they're still my favourite of the Big Four.
Slayer/Megadeth: Although Slayer are really repetitive, I still like most of their music. I do think GHUA is boring; there are only a few songs I like from that one. And WPB is a bit weak, except for a few songs. While I like Megadeth's music, I don't like Mustaine's vocals that much. Moreover, if I recall correctly there are some albums & songs from them that I don't like. But musically, they're superior to Slayer, which makes this a tie.
Anthrax: I like only about 2-3 albums from them, and those are from the eighties/early nineties. I think everything after Persistence of Time is boring.

[fadetoblackdude7]

Metallica's my favorite band, they're my guys! 


Metallica




Megadeth

Slayer
Anthrax

[Mladen]

Megadeth
Metallica
Slayer

Didn't really listen to Anthrax...

[Kosmo]

Anthrax

Metallica, just the old stuff.. The newer albums are boring as shit.
Megadeth, I never liked Mustaine's vocals though.
Slayer

[Gadough]

1.  Megadeth - Rust, Countdown, and Youthanasia are a fantastic three album run.  I would rank Risk as a fourth "must-have" album from them.  The post-Risk albums ranged from okay to good.  I don't like the pre-Rust albums. 
2.  Metallica - I have always loved the 4-album run of RTL, Puppets, Justice, and the black album.  But I do not feel compelled to have any other Metallica in my music collection.
3.  Anthrax - I don't even really listen to them, but there are a small handful of songs that I consider decent.
4.  Slayer - Do no like at all.

Risk? Really? I always looked at that as one of their worst.

It definitely is different, and I think that combined with a couple of bad songs put people off.  But there is a lot on that album that is really cool.

Risk is the most unfairly panned album in the entire genre.

[igotrhythm]

Who decided to call these four bands "The Big Four"? I bet it was someone from one of these bands--probably Metallica as they've always been concerned with their image as heavy metal gods. Really, what's big about these four bands? The only one that achieved any level of success was Metallica, and that was only by selling out. If Metallica hadn't cut their hair and made alternative hard rock, no one outside a very small and aging subculture would know what thrash metal was. Therefore my ranking is, "Who cares?"

[Gadough]

Can't tell if serious or trolling.

If serious: lol

If trolling: lol

[DarkLord_Lalinc]

Who decided to call these four bands "The Big Four"? I bet it was someone from one of these bands--probably Metallica as they've always been concerned with their image as heavy metal gods. Really, what's big about these four bands? The only one that achieved any level of success was Metallica, and that was only by selling out. If Metallica hadn't cut their hair and made alternative hard rock, no one outside a very small and aging subculture would know what thrash metal was. Therefore my ranking is, "Who cares?"

lol prog dream theatre


My ranking is as follows.
1) Metallica - One of my all-time favorite bands.
2) Megadeth - They'd been #1 if it weren't for Dave Mustaine's annoying voice.
3) Slayer - FROM A LACERATED SKY
4) Anthrax - I really, can't digest Anthrax.

[chrisbDTM]

megadeth
metallica
anthrax




slayer