WHAT THEY SAID
"I think that TESTAMENT, I think OVERKILL, I think EXODUS, and maybe TRIVIUM; I don't know." * That's Dave Mustaine building a new thrash Big Four for Czech outlet Óčko, while admitting Trivium may not even be a thrash band *. He also flagged that his picks wouldn't be a young generation †.
THE DETAILS
- Mustaine called Overkill important to the East Coast scene and named Exodus' Gary Holt his longest-running friend in the industry *.
- He praised Testament guitarists Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick as strong players *.
- Back in a 2013 Radio.com interview, Mustaine already said Exodus should be the addition if the Big Four became a Big Five *.
- The original four — Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax — first shared a stage June 16, 2010 in Warsaw before 81,000 people, and played their last Big Four show September 14, 2011 at Yankee Stadium *.
- Blabbermouth ran Mustaine's comments September 13, 2026 *.
WHO IS RIGHT
Holt and Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth have the stronger case: both argue the label is driven by record sales, not influence *, and Kirk Hammett himself told Metal Hammer in 2014 that "Bonded By Blood" is as good as "Kill 'Em All" *. Chuck Billy's multi-platinum standard only proves their point — it's an accounting line, not an artistic one *.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
No new Big Four billing exists — this is Mustaine talking, not a tour announcement.
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