Blazing out of the fires of heavy metal and adopting the pace and aggression of the burgeoning hardcore movement, thrash metal was the defining sound of heavy music in the 1980s. That entire movement was based upon ruthless speed and a take-no-prisoners attitude, inspired by the double-kick drum lead, punk n' roll assault of Motorhead, the raspy nastiness of Venom, and the bombast of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement.

From its inception, four bands have powered thrash metal's lasting popularity. Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer each have varying characteristics and approaches to thrash, but all have ed the test of time to leave a mark on the face of heavy metal forever. This list examines each band's contributions to thrash, the consistency of their output, and the good and bad decisions that have contributed to the lasting legacies they have each left on heavy music.

4 Anthrax

Thrash Gave Birth To One Of Metal's Most Underappreciated Bands

Anthrax are one of the most important bands to ever play heavy music. The New York thrashers are often last place when this conversation comes around, but that's more to do with the quality of the other three bands than any stain on Anthrax. Scott Ian's teutonic right-hand and his iconic headstomp have all the hallmarks to make him thrash's Angus Young, Anthrax are the band that gave thrash its signature look of boardshorts and hightops, and their tour and collaboration with Public Enemy made metal cooler than anyone else in The Big Four ever managed.

When it comes to ranking The Big Four, Anthrax's classic songs are the most bound to the 1980s. While John Bush had a more contemporary style that made Anthrax sound tougher and more streetwise, Joey Belladonna is a singer whose vocal and style is stuck in the decade of Conan The Barbarian and Predator. With the least amount of bonafide classic albums among their peers, Anthrax ranks last on this list, but that doesn't exclude them from being one of the greatest heavy metal bands to ever do it.

3 Megadeth

Flawless Musicianship And Punk Rock Attitude From Mustaine & His Band

Just as some find it hard to it they love The Smiths because of Morrissey, Megadeth have had a rocky road with metal's larger fanbase, because Dave Mustaine insists on doing things that aren't playing guitar and singing. Because when Dave Mustaine is just playing guitar and singing, magic happens. Rust In Peace is a flawless tidal wave of technical wizardry and middle finger attitude, Megadeth are the most musically talented ensemble of The Big Four, and Vic Rattlehead and the band's logo are some of the most iconic images to ever bless heavy music.

There's a lot to love about Megadeth: but there's also a lot to acknowledge here to counter that too. Mustaine's vocals can be distractingly nasal, and he has proved controversial - to say the least - thanks to some of the things he's quite happily said in interviews. And on a musical note, Megadeth's creative lows are the lowest of The Big Four by some distance: Risk and Super Collider are only more astonishing because of the quality of songs like "Tornado Of Souls".

2 Slayer

Thrash's Hardest And Fastest Band Continue To Reign

The fastest, heaviest and nastiest of The Big Four, Slayer boast a back catalog that is a goldmine of pace and power, and which has enough breakneck speed to melt the flesh from your face. Slayer's live show was always the stuff of legend, they looked the coolest of The Big Four, and their recorded output is one of the most consistent of any band in heavy music.

While most of thrash's big four struggled with their identity in the '90s, Slayer thrived by leaning into their savagery, notably on the blood-soaked video for Serenity In Murder and covering the likes of Minor Threat and D.R.I. on the hardcore cover album, Undisputed Attitude. There's the correctly maligned Diabolus In Musica, but that's part of why they're not top of this list.

Slayer always prided their whole brand on being the hardest-hitting and least phony of The Big Four. Their decision to reverse their 18-month global farewell tour and to have 63-year-old Tom Araya sing "War Ensemble" was misguided at best. At worst, Slayer's reunion tour threatens the credibility they built as a no-nonsense operation, but their legacy is unquestionable.

1 Metallica

Metallica's '80s Output Is SImply Untouchable

There is a legitimate argument that Metallica's first four albums can be described as perfect. As heavy as anyone else but with more skill, power and songwriting ability than their contemporaries, Metallica's thrash era changed the face of metal forever. They are the band that is credited with starting thrash, and the structure in their songs made heavy metal a broader and more engaging art form. More punk than the punks on Motorbreath, and more prog than the prog giants all the way through the ...And Justice For All album, everything Metallica touched in the 1980s turned to gold.

How you feel about Metallica after this point will wildly differ. Those who found their obsession in Metallica when they pounded out aggression can be forgiven for faltering at "Nothing Else Matters", but the monolithic sonic power of "Sad But True", and the authentic soul of "The Unforgiven" were far less easy to dismiss. There have since been questions over the Lollapalooza-era eyeliner, the Some Kind Of Monster documentary, the Lou Reed album, and later live shows, but James, Lars, Kirk, and Rob continue to welcome new fans by the stadium-load. And no matter what, Metallica's thrash period remains one of the hottest streaks in the history of recorded music.