The "big four" (Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, and Megadeth) is a term that almost every music fan is familiar with. Thanks to millions of records sold, sold out concert tours, and countless VH1 specials, the term is embedded in our cultural mind and certainly helped revive interest in a genre of metal many declared dead and buried decades earlier. Although the famous four are due their respect, there were countless bands during thrash's heyday that put out tremendously influential and ground breaking material that at least four other spots should be chiseled out of the thrash Mt. Rushmore. These are the "other big four," thrash 'til death!!!
Kreator
I promised myself I was only going to pick one of the "Teutonic" bands and out of Destruction, Tankard, and Sodom I chose Essen's Kreator. Aside from being the band to sell the most records in the U.S., Kreator (in my humble opinion) defined the German sound that harnessed the evil chops of Venom and Bathory with punk and the established Bay Area sound to create some of the best thrash records around. "Pleasure to Kill," "Extreme Aggression," and "Terrible Certainty" are must haves in any thrash collection and Kreator will always be the cream of the Euro-thrash crop.
Testament
If Kreator embodied the German sound to pefection, the Bay Area throne belongs solely to Testament. Chuck Billy and crew put out so many head banging classics and managed to accomplish something many of the original big four bands never did, consistently put out records in the 90s that weren't totally pathetic. Whether you're jamming "The Legacy," "Practice What You Preach," or even "Demonic," Testament is a metal institution as much as Slayer, Megadeth, or any of their contemporaries. Fact.
Sepultura
One of the underground's most important bands, Sepultura may have fallen out of favor with many in recent years but it is unquestionable that albums like "Beneath the Remains," "Schizophrenia," and "Arise," added a new level of extremity to thrash metal whilst paving the way for the coming of death metal worldwide. During the tape trading years when metal bands existed mostly on reputation and word of mouth, Sepultura managed to arise (no pun intended) from the humblest of origins to become one of the most respected bands in metal history. Say what you want, you still own five of their records and you know it.
Dark Angel
"I don't know man, I think this might be better than "Reign in Blood." That is what most people think when they finish listening to "Darkness Descends," the breakthrough album by Los Angeles' Dark Angel. Known as the "L.A. Caffeine Machine," DA (along with Slayer) defined the southern California thrash sound that included a noticeably larger influence from hardcore punk (hence the speed) and a more abrasive lyrical approach that sacrificed subtleties for out and out blasphemy. Perhaps it's because of the stupid television show that bore the same name or thrash metal counterparts Death Angel sharing such a similar name, but it seems like Dark Angel still doesn't get the respect they deserve to this day. That is a shame, because their material was in many ways miles ahead in terms of ferocity and technicality than most of the bands riding a trend between '85 and '92.
- Joe