Metalheads: Favorite Big 4 Band?

This is hard for me due to the following:

1) I've listened to Slayer the most
2) Metallica ...and justice for all opened me up to a lot more heavy music that wasn't "mainstream"
3) Megadeth riffs are so rad and over the years I feel like I like them more than Metallica

Anthrax is rad but they were never a band I payed a bunch of attention to.

Metallica is such a hard one to judge because their old stuff (with a significant Mustaine influence) is in my opinion the pinnacle of heavy metal. The Black album was okay hard music but the end of the road for them as far as good music is concerned. They really dropped off the cliff. Megadeth on the other hand took sometime to get fully clicking but once Countdown to extinction came out they had a long run of really good music. Anthrax was fun when I was in highscool but I have a hard time listening to them today. I never really liked Slayer. I just can't get into bands with that sort of vocals. Also their childish devil stuff always came across as contrived and lame to me. I've seen them all live several times and Slayer definitely brings it live.

Megadeth is the band I have listened to the most out of them over the years. Metallica though is really in a completely different class than the others. Too bad Cliff died, he was their soul.

Picked megadeth on the pill but Flotsam and Jetsam tips them all in my ear.

I went with slayer. such a tough call though. I'm bummed that it isn't the big 5 with motorhead added. they'd be my first pick. I guess its kind of like picking your favorite child though. haha.

gabrielito wrote:

Metallica is such a hard one to judge because their old stuff (with a significant Mustaine influence) is in my opinion the pinnacle of heavy metal. The Black album was okay hard music but the end of the road for them as far as good music is concerned. They really dropped off the cliff. Megadeth on the other hand took sometime to get fully clicking but once Countdown to extinction came out they had a long run of really good music. Anthrax was fun when I was in highscool but I have a hard time listening to them today. I never really liked Slayer. I just can't get into bands with that sort of vocals. Also their childish devil stuff always came across as contrived and lame to me. I've seen them all live several times and Slayer definitely brings it live.

Megadeth is the band I have listened to the most out of them over the years. Metallica though is really in a completely different class than the others. Too bad Cliff died, he was their soul.

I think Countdown to Extinction wasn’t their first of good music, but kind of their slower mainstream album like the black album. It definitely brought them and their older albums to the spotlight but I think Rust in Peace ties Master of Puppets as the two most significant thrash albums.

I definitely agree with you on the part about Slayer’s devilish themes, but as a guitarist I’ve recently recognized their material is centered around the instruments and they don’t take the evil stuff too seriously. It took me awhile but once you get past it damn they can put out energy through their songs.

gabrielito wrote:

Metallica is such a hard one to judge because their old stuff (with a significant Mustaine influence) is in my opinion the pinnacle of heavy metal. The Black album was okay hard music but the end of the road for them as far as good music is concerned. They really dropped off the cliff. Megadeth on the other hand took sometime to get fully clicking but once Countdown to extinction came out they had a long run of really good music. Anthrax was fun when I was in highscool but I have a hard time listening to them today. I never really liked Slayer. I just can't get into bands with that sort of vocals. Also their childish devil stuff always came across as contrived and lame to me. I've seen them all live several times and Slayer definitely brings it live.

Megadeth is the band I have listened to the most out of them over the years. Metallica though is really in a completely different class than the others. Too bad Cliff died, he was their soul.

MinnesotaMX704 wrote:

I think Countdown to Extinction wasn’t their first of good music, but kind of their slower mainstream album like the black album. It definitely brought them and their older albums to the spotlight but I think Rust in Peace ties Master of Puppets as the two most significant thrash albums.

I definitely agree with you on the part about Slayer’s devilish themes, but as a guitarist I’ve recently recognized their material is centered around the instruments and they don’t take the evil stuff too seriously. It took me awhile but once you get past it damn they can put out energy through their songs.

I meant Rust in Peace. That was Megadeth's first well produced album. Peace Sells is awesome like Kill em All is awesome but there wasn't a lot of record company investment and they were pretty strung out during those years. When Marty Friedman joined is when their music took off. Mustaine and him were so good together.

rollin64caddy wrote:

I went with slayer. such a tough call though. I'm bummed that it isn't the big 5 with motorhead added. they'd be my first pick. I guess its kind of like picking your favorite child though. haha.

Agreed Motorhead alk day over any of these bands.