When ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian talked to Georgia Straight about the “Big Four” of the 1980s thrash metal (featuring METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and his band), he said that if there’s a “Big Five”, it should include EXODUS.
He states
The only other band really that it would make sense [to include] as far as American thrash-metal would be Exodus, because they were there right at the beginning as well. Their first album came out right at the same time as the rest of us. So I mean, to me, yes — if you were gonna add a fifth band, certainly I would think Exodus would be able to fill that slot very easily.
If a “Big Five” tour does happen, it wouldn’t be the first time ANTHRAX and EXODUS have played together. EXODUS (along with CELTIC FROST) supported ANTHRAX on their “Among the Living” tour in the U.S. in 1987 and both bands were on the bill on MTV Headbanger’s Ball Tour in 1989, this time with HELLOWEEN as a supporting act.
