Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine has named the four bands he believes could form a new generation of thrash metal’s Big Four — and three of his choices are no surprise.
Speaking recently with Czech Republic outlet Óčko, Mustaine was asked which bands he would select if he had to “put together a new generation” of the Big Four, the term traditionally used for Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.
“Well, it wouldn’t be a young generation, but I do believe that there are ways to do a new ‘Big Four’,” Mustaine said (via Blabbermouth).
“I think Testament, I think Overkill, I think Exodus, and maybe Trivium,” he continued. “I don’t know. Trivium’s not really a thrash metal band, so I’d have to think about that. But I think those other three guys would be really great.”
Mustaine went on to explain why each of the three veteran thrash bands earned his consideration, beginning with Overkill’s importance to the New York-area metal scene.
“Overkill is really important on the East Coast metal scene,” he said. “Exodus, of course, I love Exodus. And I’ve been friends with Gary [Holt, guitarist] longest of all people that I’ve been friends with in the music industry.
“And Testament. Eric [Peterson, guitarist], Alex [Skolnick, guitarist]… those guys are really great guitar players. And I love when we get a chance to play with the band.”
The original Big Four emerged from the American thrash scene in the 1980s and became the genre’s most commercially prominent acts. They finally shared a stage in 2010, when all four bands played six shows as part of the Sonisphere festival series. The following year, they brought the package to Yankee Stadium in New York for what became one of the defining thrash-metal events of the era.
The four bands have reunited only sporadically since then, including appearances at Australia’s Soundwave festival in 2013 and Canada’s Heavy MTL festival in 2014.
Mustaine has previously argued that Exodus deserved to be included if the Big Four were ever expanded to a Big Five. In 2013, he named the California thrash pioneers as the band he would most want to add.
“There was nobody else at the time that had that kind of pull or that kind of importance in the metal community,” he told Radio.com, according to Blabbermouth. “Granted, it was with [late frontman Paul] Baloff, and he had a voice that you had to have an acquired taste for… but I liked him.”
Mustaine has also floated the idea of the original Big Four playing one final show together and using it as an opportunity to “pass the torch” to a new generation.
In 2022, he suggested the bands could stage the symbolic handoff at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, even if it were only for one show. The plan would have required Slayer to come out of retirement following the band’s 2019 farewell tour.
“I personally have been hoping for this for a while, and I keep asking and asking and asking,” Mustaine said at the time, revealing that he had been in contact with the other three bands. “They’re just not into it. But that’s up to them.”
As for Mustaine, he remains convinced that thrash metal can experience another resurgence. Speaking to NME earlier this year, he suggested that Megadeth’s forthcoming self-titled album could help spark renewed interest in the style and launch a new electric guitar renaissance.
“Sure I do,” he said when asked whether another thrash-metal movement was possible. “In fact, I said to the band that I think there’s going to be a renaissance when this [Megadeth self-titled] record comes out because it’s going to smack a lot of people upside of their earholes. I think people are going to say ‘I forgot what I loved about this kind of music,’ and then we’re gonna see a lot of people coming back with [a fresh take].”
