Would have to add either Morbid Angel, or Sepultura (early stuff blah...)

Morbid Angel are fantastic, but thrash? More pre-melodic death metal no?

seby wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 7:14 am Morbid Angel are fantastic, but thrash? More pre-melodic death metal no?

Yeah, DM. Never a thrash band.

Those first four Morbid Angel albums might have diminishing returns, but they're all worthy.

Sepultura or Kreator would be my picks, though I get that thrasher diehards would probably consider both of them to be too close to death metal.

A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 8:26 am

seby wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 7:14 am Morbid Angel are fantastic, but thrash? More pre-melodic death metal no?

Yeah, DM. Never a thrash band.

Those first four Morbid Angel albums might have diminishing returns, but they're all worthy.

Blessed are the Sick is in my top five metal albums by a mile. Astonishing album. I saw them on their tour for that one and they were just fabulous.

The singer gives it away I know but what say you about Van Halen?

kokorodoko wrote: Mon May 10, 2021 11:29 am Out of the Big Four I only like Slayer,

Same
My vote goes to Voivod.

There really isn't one another of the same magnitude. I'd pick either Merciful Fate or DRI over any of the ones listed. But if I have to pick one in the poll, I guess Death Angel?

brephophagist wrote: Tue May 11, 2021 9:48 am Sepultura or Kreator would be my picks, though I get that thrasher diehards would probably consider both of them to be too close to death metal.

Nah, those are both prime thrash bands. Beneath the Remains and Extreme Aggression were both among the most exciting and inspiring of the thrash bands at the time thrash was a specific thing.

Those two, Testament, Exodus, and Nuclear Assault would be the ones that make the most sense to me.

I love Voivod, since forever, and as much as I want them to win everything ever, it’s so hard to think of them as a thrash band. Way too much more.

Among those listed, I voted for Voivod due to their having the lengthier, more idiosyncratic repertoire of albums which would compare nicely to any other of the big four, even though quality-wise it was a bit of a toss-up between them and Death Angel (similarly high highs, but not as consistent and less memorable in conceptual terms). Shout out to Dark Angel and Testament as well.

However, should I frame the question in terms of what I would personally like to be considered as legendary as the "big four", I'd go for weirder, more scattered bands which, due to their sporadic output and/or peculiar sound tendencies, could have never been "big" anyway: Dead Horse, Exhorder, Morbid Saint, Celtic Frost, Forbidden, Coroner, Watchtower, Carnivore, Anacrusis or Witches Hammer (whose belated first album was among my favorites last year).