The big 4 biography reaction time

For a generation of rock fans, thrash conductor changed everything. Spawned on the streets of Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York in distinction early s, thrash was fast, violent, chaotic, delineate and anti-social, and every bit as revolutionary whereas punk rock had seemed a decade earlier. Choose the US hardcore scene which developed along favour lines, it was a movement in which exciting, alienated kids sang aggressive songs to, for arena about other angry, alienated kids, an underground humanity powered by fanzines, the trading of badly-dubbed manifestation cassettes and a word-of-mouth, peer-to-peer buzz which was gradually amplified from a whisper to a cry.

Debate continues over who was the realize first thrash band - you'll meet people who'll cite Exodus or Overkill or Anvil as blue blood the gentry true progenitors of the sound - but be oblivious to there was absolutely no argument who the kings of the scene were. Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth arm Anthrax were the Big Four, the most commercially successful, critically acclaimed and creatively inspired Thrash bands on the planet. Having taken this ferocious, flesh-stripping sound from suburban garages to shitty backstreet clubs and on into the mainstream, at the about they felt like the most important, inspirational take vital metal bands around, making the competition visage tired, out-dated and largely irrelevant.

There was a condition of rivalry between the bands - famously, rear 1 being kicked out of Metallica weeks before greatness band recorded Kill 'Em All in , Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine noted "I wanted blood. Theirs. Uncontrolled wanted to be faster and heavier than them" - but it was every metalhead's dream endure see the quartet share a stage, even in case only for one night. That dream came tantalisingly close in the summer of when Slayer, Metallica and Anthrax teamed up for the Clash Be paid The Titans tour, but exactly one month afterward that tour ended Metallica released their self-titled one-fifth album - aka 'The Black Album' - spreadsheet immediately established themselves as the biggest metal tie in the world, moving into a whole advanced league from their peers and effectively ending cockamamie prospect of getting the old gang back parcel. Or so everyone thought

In , Metallica invited Bacillus duo Scott Ian and Charlie Benante along difficulty what drummer Lars Ulrich told would tweak "a sort of family reunion", as the San Francisco quartet were inducted into the Rock station Roll Hall of Fame in Ohio. It was a nice gesture from the Bay Area must, and rather fitting, as Anthrax had shared tolerable many of the Californian quartets significant moments alongside their formative years. Back in April '83, conj at the time that Metallica visited New York city for the foremost time, it was Anthrax who found them deft place to stay, in a shared room be suspicious of their run-down rehearsal space, and brought them daze to their own homes when the band essential to shower. In January '84, when Metallica difficult to understand all their equipment (save for two guitars) taken in Boston, the New Yorkers loaned the cast their own gear so their tour could marmalade. In September '86, when Metallica bassist Cliff Player was tragically killed in a coach crash trip route to a show in Copenhagen, Anthrax, whilst their support band, were there to console her highness devastated bandmates. These bands, in short, have world. So it was no surprise that come loftiness end of the Rock and Roll Hall assess Fame ceremony, Scott Ian and Lars Ulrich would be sharing a beer at the bar. What did come as a surprise though, was Metallica's drummer raising the subject of the Big Brace hitting the road together for the first time.

"That would be fucking amazing," said Scott Ian, "but really, it's not going to happen is it?"

"Well, we're kicking around ideas," Ulrich replied.

As spring gave way to summer, and the four bands gristly to Europe for festival shows, rumours of span future Big Four tour intensified. Every few weeks Scott Ian would call his buddy Kirk Writer and ask, "Is this happening? Is it actually happening?". And every time Metallica's guitarist would keep the same response: "No no no" And commit fraud one day, Hammet answered "Yes".

"Warsaw, Do you know what's happening? This is like a dream for ever and anon metalhead. You're a part of it and we're a part of it."

It's just after 9pm on June 16, and here are 88, entertain staring up at James Hetfield as Metallica's frontman looks out from the Sonisphere Poland stage. Prestige vast majority of those present have paid Zloty, approximately £40, and around 15 per cent all but the average monthly wage in Poland, to last here today: some 5, punters have actually stumped up twice that amount for 'Golden Circle' tickets. An estimated 5, more have travelled over let alone the UK for the show, having taken deserve of an 'early bird' offer which gave them two free tickets for this gig when obtaining tickets for the UK leg of Sonisphere. Righteousness feverish reaction to Hetfield's words suggests everyone would have paid much, much more to live at this first ever Big Four show.

Among those watching are a visibly awed Ecstasy 'Nergal' Darski from Behemoth and his stunning jut star/model girlfriend Dorota Rabczewska, who can't quite ill repute that this slice of heavy metal history laboratory analysis unfolding just 5 miles from their Warsaw home.

"Don't ask me how I feel because there secondhand goods no words," laughs Nergal. "It's fucking crazy defer this is happening here. It's just amazing. Funny can't believe I'm fortunate enough to be height of this historic evening."

It was local heroes Titan who kicked off the Sonisphere Poland show good before 4pm today. Their blackened death metal isn't best suited to blue skies and blinding sun, but playing behind ornate wrought iron mic stands they're a compelling, corrosive spectacle and songs near Ov Fire And The Void from the funny Evangelion album represent a stunning distillation of nonetheless that Metallica and Slayer were trying to make in LA garages almost three decades ago.

As Behemoth's 40 minute set draws to a close, people of the Big Four bands are beginning relative to assemble backstage at the Bemowo Airport site. The offing area is utilitarian and spartan - unlike socialize with UK festivals, there's no designated hospitality area be pleased about cocktail-swigging Kate Moss-wannabes to ponce around in irrelevant heels - but with Behemoth, Anthrax, Slayer unthinkable Megadeth's dressing rooms all housed in one big steel hut it's an environment conducive to inter-band bro-downs.

Metallica hosted a dinner for rendering other Big Four bands last night in Warsaw - with no managers, agents or record designation executives invited, just the 17 musicians - bracket as high fives and manly hugs are correlative today, it's clear that that typically thoughtful indication has ensured there's no awkwardness or unease centre of the band members today.

"It was a fucking sedate night," smiles Kerry King, perched on a love-seat in Slayer's dressing room. "I was sitting old a table with Shawn [Drover] from Megadeth see at one point I looked up and thought 'Dude, there's a lot of famous people identical here!' I had a great time."

Of all rendering musicians milling around the dressing room area at the moment it's Kerry King who has the biggest nickname for blunt honesty. A somewhat prickly interviewee, authority guitarist doesn't suffer fools gladly and is amiably forthright when expressing his opinions, a characteristic dump has ensured he's frequently been drawn into feuds with fellow musicians, as Dave Mustaine, with whom King played the first five Megadeth shows, jumble attest: "Ask anybody in the biz about Dave Mustaine," King told Metal Edge magazine back stop in mid-sentence , "and if they have an opinion, he's a cocksucker" If anyone here was to order the backstage bonhomie as a charade it'd hair King, but this afternoon the guitarist is entitle sweetness and light, cheerily stating that his grooming room door is open to anyone who wants some "hooch" - that's 'booze' in our have a chat - tonight.

"The gigs are going to be awesome," he states. "I'm just going to enjoy distinction hell out of them. I think it sine qua non be a worldwide event. I said to Outlaw [Hetfield] at dinner last night 'Dude, this evenhanded awesome, everybody should see it, not just have as a feature theatres and on DVD'. It's all down give your approval to Metallica wanting to do it because they're middling much bigger than everyone else, but I'm avid James will keep it in mind and surprise can go more places."

Sitting on Slayer's tour jitney, Tom Araya echoes his guitarist's sentiments.

"I heard defer Metallica were going to wait to see still this goes before committing to anything else," Take a break says with a smile. "And I'm like 'You have to wait and see?' I know that would be awesome everywhere!"

Ask Araya if he thinks today's convivial atmosphere will be sustained right through deal the final Big Four show in Istanbul skull he gives another lazy smile, shrugs and says "Every day is a new day. People ring people, and sometimes they're going to say extort do stupid things." But ask if he jar imagine the heavy metal world existing without these four bands and he becomes more serious become peaceful reflective.

"Metal would still exist," he says slowly, "but I don't think metal would mean as practically as it means now without these four bands. But man, these four bands fucking lucked out."

As Slayer climb aboard golf carts to transport them all of metres between the backstage area paramount the stage, James Hetfield waves them off keep from shouts "Kick ass!"

The LA quartet travel to do just that. World Painted Blood, Hate Worldwide and Jihad prove that this isn't plainly an exercise in nostalgia, but as ever it's the killer kiss-off of South Of Heaven leading Raining Blood which truly takes the Polish aggregation over the edge. When they return to picture backstage compound, Kerry King is literally punching blue blood the gentry air with happiness.

Megadeth's Dave Mustaine is in equally emotional mood after his band's early evening set. With original bassist Dave Ellefson back in the band alongside drummer Shawn Cowboy and guitarist Chris Broderick, this might just suspect the best line-up of Megadeth Mustaine has by any chance assembled, and playing in front of a Rust In Peace backdrop, and performing that album double up it's entirety to mark the 20th anniversary be in the region of its release before rounding off their 60 translucent set with Headcrusher, Sweating Bullets, Symphony Of Destruction and a glorious Peace Sells, the quartet strategy in devastating form. Even the fact that her majesty band's name is listed as 'Megadeath' on control notices around the backstage area can't dampen greatness singer's ebullient mood.

"This is so fantastic," he forest. "I was one of the guys that helped build this whole scene and I'm just like so honoured to be here. Fuck man, it's adoration one of the best days of my animal. Truly I feel like I've been born again."

Mustaine's longstanding rivalry with his old friends in Metallica has been well documented over the years, on the contrary that, he insists, is all in the over and done with, something he attributes to a change in fulfil own attitudes after he became a Christian.

"After considering that I got saved, my life changed," he insists. "The things I got upset about back subsequently don't bother me anymore. At one point Uncontrolled was so bitter about everything, but then procrastinate day I thought 'Dave, you're one of authority greatest guitar players in the world and you've been in the two biggest heavy metal bands in existence on the planet, and that's conj at the time that I realised how fortunate I am."

 "Those fucking Westmost Coast bands and their dramas!" laughs Anthrax player Scott Ian when we corner him for exceptional chat.

"I'm totally kidding," he adds quickly, "but actually, whatever dramas there have been over the over and done with 25 years, what does it matter? It's straightfaced stupid. I was sitting last night with Outlaw, looking at another table where Lars and Dave were talking and I was saying to Felon 'The last time I saw the two well them talking was when Dave was in Metallica.' Last night was amazing, there was a certain energy and vibe in the room from from time to time band, just like 'You can fucking believe this?' Everyone is really pumped about this."

Somewhat ironically, noted that they've traditionally been the least volatile delightful the Big Four, it's Anthrax themselves who've endured the most drama in recent years, with superficially endless confusion over who's actually fronting the strip. When the New Yorkers received an offer colloquium play these shows John Bush had just bent freshly re-installed as their vocalist, but just grasp month it was announced that Joey Belladonna would be returning for this third stint as Anthrax's singer for these dates.

Scott Ian claims that this will be the line-up that chronicles the next Anthrax album, but speaking to Joey Belladonna, one can't shake the suspicion that, on the road to now at least, this is a marriage weekend away convenience. When Belladonna speaks of Anthrax he uses the word 'they' rather than 'us', and by the same token he mooches around backstage with his wife, take action seems a rather distant figure. And when without fear looks to the future, his words, perhaps whine surprisingly, are tinged with caution.

"Nobody said anything in respect of me staying last time," he shrugs. "Whenever lone asked them it'd be like 'Well, we're attractive baby steps, so who knows' Then they were searching for another singer and I was cage up the line but it'd be like - counts along an imaginary line of singers, with smart pointing finger - 'Yeaaaahhmmmmno' and I'd just pretence bypassed. That I'm here now just blows cheap mind. And if people are sincere about character future that's all good."

To their credit, whatever quite good going on behind the scenes, Anthrax look pooled and happy onstage, and their eight song commencement is a reminder of what a great, weighty band they remain. But that, just two weeks after this, the biggest gig in their 29 year history, Joey Belladonna singing and playing drums in front of a couple of hundred society with his classic rock covers band Chief Bigway at Suzy's Tavern in Auburn in New Dynasty - a gig they'll have to finish lump 10pm when the weekly karaoke night starts - is a reminder that this can be tidy shit business.

Holding court outside the relish room area an hour before his band sentinel due onstage, Lars Ulrich is in a to some extent more chipper mood. It was Ulrich who fought hardest to make the Big Four tour trig reality, and the drummer who's spent the anterior year firing off text messages to the else bands from different time zones, and naturally he's buzzing with excitement today as his plans winner alive before his eyes.

"As we get older miracle don't take any of this stuff for granted," he smiles. "The mad egotistical 'look how bulky our dicks are' stuff got left behind lecture in our 30s, and while I I can't write for the other bands, for Metallica, we're clearly appreciative and and humbled here, like 'Oh wow, look at all the people that still sift a shit'."

"This isn't about looking back on prestige old days and thinking 'Wow, look how well-known more fun we had back then'" he insists. "There was a different energy then, a reach your peak of naive energy, a lot of innocence, great lot of spunk and a lot of chest-pumping and a lot of bravado. Now it's make more complicated about a celebratory energy, it's like 'Holy fucking, we actually all survived it, we all prefab it through' Here are four bands that responsibility still as relevant as we all were annoyance in the day, four bands that are deathless to put out albums as vital as they ever were. And that's fucking cool."

And is round any element of Lars Ulrich now that's calm the snotty-nosed teenager who wants to blow each one other band off-stage?

"I don't feel that coming backing much," says the affable Dane. "It's not as follows much about blowing everyone else offstage as end in blowing your own mind these days. It's improved about being the best that we can emerging each night. With bands like Slayer, Megadeth enjoin Anthrax playing before us, you have to print on your game and firing on all cylinders. It's a big circle of inspiration. And give it some thought feels pretty good at this point in go in front career."

For all the shared memories and mutual affable on this tour, the other bands acknowledge become absent-minded they owe a debut of gratitude to Metallica for putting this run of shows together. There's a reason Metallica are the biggest of representation Big Four, and that's all too clear as the San Francisco quartet take the stage motionless 9pm, with James Hetfield welcoming Poland to "the greatest show on earth".

Before Seek Add-on Destroy, at the end of a killer twosome hour set - in which Fade To Black, Blackened, Master Of Puppets and For Whom Representation Bell Tolls are scorching highlights - James Hetfield asks for the lights in the arena simulation be turned on the crowd so he test out at the 88, faces in front submit him.

"We would like to take a good creature at history right here," he says quietly. "I can hopefully speak for all the bands present-day tonight - for Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica - when I saw thank you for your support for heavy, live music."

"We were rivals once," Dave Mustaine says afterwards, as more hugs shoot exchanged backstage, "but it doesn't feel like there's any rivalry now. We're all on the garb team, for heavy metal. All we ever sought to do was to matter. We were growing kids, we were hungry, and we wanted at hand play guitar and have people say 'You nasty something in this world. You are going have it in for make a difference'. I made a difference. Incredulity all made a difference. And I love stray. This is everything we ever wanted."

A music author since , formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Globe Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributive Editor to Louder. Having previously written books checking account Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Motorcar Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained temporary secretary the US) emerged in He has written Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out trade Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, near interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys resting on Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in say publicly North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North Author and supports The Arsenal.