While the Big 4 tends to get the most attention when it comes to thrash metal, it is undeniable the impact that Exodus has had on the genre, their 1985 album Bonded by Blood being considered one of the most important records in thrash.
For a long time, there has been debate over whether or not the band should be part of the Big 4 – perhaps replacing either Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, or Anthrax.
That said, there are also some folks into the idea of there being a Big 5 of thrash metal; and if such a tour were to ever take place – involving Exodus and the Big 4 bands – Exodus drummer Tom Hunting would be down for it.
During a conversation with Audio Ink Radio, Hunting was asked about the idea of a Big 5 tour. Here is what the drummer had to say about such a tour:
“If they did a Big 5 tour, I would gladly go.
“And, yeah, I think at the end of the day, we would be the deserving band to go, just merely by longevity and the fact that we’re still f***-ing here doing this. (Laughs) … I want to be there.”
While the idea of a Big 5 tour sounds super awesome, the likelihood of even getting a Big 4 tour to happen seems slim. On one hand, you have Metallica embarking on an epic North American tour later this year (with said tour even heading into 2024, so they are going to be busy for a while).
On top of that, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has quite a few hang-ups with Metallica and based on some comments Mustaine has made recently, it seems like it would be an ordeal to get both bands to work together.
All that said though, how excited would you be to see a Big 5 concert starring Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Exodus? Also, what do you think of the Big 4 lineup? The bassist for Overkill thinks that they could have been part of the Big 4 had they sold more records.
Overkill Bassist: 'If We Sold More Records We Could Have Been in' The Big 4
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