In a recent interview with Nikki Black (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar), Slayer guitarist Kerry King offered a candid reflection on the legendary "Big Four" of thrash metal: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax. King shared his thoughts on how these influential bands evolved over time, and how each of them carved out their own unique identities within the thrash genre.
During the early 1980s, thrash metal marked a bold new chapter in heavy music. Though the term itself wasn’t widely used yet, bands like Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax began producing music that was faster, angrier, and broke away from traditional song structures. This movement was especially prominent in the San Francisco Bay Area, often hailed as the epicenter of thrash metal.
Reflecting on the scene, King spoke about Slayer's decision not to relocate to the Bay Area, a move that Metallica famously made. When asked if Slayer had ever considered making the shift, Kerry replied: "Never did. Not for any reason. I like the Bay Area. It just wasn't for me."
Despite this, King pointed out that in the early days, the differences between the Big Four were minimal. It was only later that each band ventured in distinct musical directions. When asked if Slayer stood out during that era, King responded: "No, because Metallica was more of a thrash band back then. Everybody was, really. Megadeth was thrashier."
King noted that as time passed, Metallica shifted toward a more accessible sound, while Slayer stayed rooted in their thrash origins. However, he acknowledged that Metallica eventually returned to their heavier roots, particularly with their more recent releases: "And obviously, Metallica went on a much more poppy trail than we did… They came back around."
King also praised Metallica's later albums, pointing out 2016’s Hardwired… to Self-Destruct as a standout. He expressed his admiration for the track "Spit Out the Bone," calling it a "killer fucking song."
Looking back at thrash metal's evolution, King emphasized that while each band in the Big Four found its own path, Slayer remained the most consistently thrashy: "But as we matured and went our separate paths, we pretty much stayed the thrashiest of the Big Four, I would say, by any means. That didn't make us better or anything. We're just different."
