The Two Other Bands Gary Holt Thinks Should Be In Thrash’s ‘Big 6’

Exodus and Slayer guitarist Gary Holt has offered his thoughts on who should be included if thrash’s famous “Big 4” was expanded to include more acts.

The “Big 4” of thrash are considered to be Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, with the groups all previously touring under the “Big 4” touring package in the early 2010s. But since that time, there’s been plenty of talk of which bands aren’t in the “Big 4” that should be worthy of inclusion. A frequent name that has popped up in the discussion over the years is Exodus and the band’s guitarist, Gary Holt, has weighed in on the topic.

Who Gary Holt Thinks Should Join Thrash’s ‘Big 4’

Given that Holt has played in one band that’s already in the “Big 4” in Slayer and a second in Exodus that are most frequently considered as the next band up, his opinion on the topic carries some weight.

During an appearance on Eddie Trunk’s Trunk Nation show on SiriusXM (as transcribed by Blabbermouth), Trunk posed the idea of a “Big Six” with Exodus joining the four others and Holt being left to decide the final band.

“It’s none of the Americans, I’ll tell you that right now,’ Holt stated in pondering who else to add. “It’s Destruction and Kreator. I put Destruction first.”

“Me and [Paul] Baloff were in love with Destruction long before we ever met them,” confesses Holt. “They were ripping these albums apart and killing it before these other bands. I mean, they all deserve a place in it.”

On the U.S. side, Holt brought up Testament and Overkill. “They’re all some of my best friends. In Overkill, Bobby [‘Blitz’ Ellsworth], the guy saved my life at Studio 54 [in New York City] from tumbling down the stairs. But Overkill used to wear corpsepaint. Testament used to do different things. The Germans get overlooked. Sodom as well.”

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Then honing down his choices, Holt told Trunk, “It’s always centered on who should be in the ‘Big Eight’ or ‘Big Seven,’ and they all have a spot there, they all deserve it. Testament sold more albums than probably anybody outside the ‘Big Four’, but they came years later. And Destruction and Kreator were there in the beginning. So I’m always giving credit where credit’s due to my friends from overseas. And, of course, Testament has a spot in there, as does Death Angel as does Overkill. And others, I’m sure. But I’ve gotta hand it to those guys — they were there in the beginning as well.”