At some point late in '85, we snuck down to NYC and caught a Megadeth show. (don't tell my mom! she still doesn't know we did that back then, as far as I'm aware!) I was only 12 or 13 years old and it was the first time I was further than a half-hour or so from home without mommy or daddy and I was scared shitless that my mom would find out and the memory has faded quite a bit but I still remember it being one of the most intense shows I've ever seen. I've rarely missed the opportunity to see Megadeth since. I've even managed to aquire a pretty extensive collection of Megadeth live bootlegs. For me, Megadeth is the best of the "big four" and always will be. I wore out three tapes of KIMBABIG and haven't missed buying a new Megadeth release by more than a day or two since. While there are positives AND negatives to be said about each of thier records, they still stay firmly implanted at the top of MY all-time list. Combined with that ever-present "Metallica vs. Megadeth" thing or perhaps despite it, the music stands the test of time.

The other two bands of "the big four" were a different experience for me. They didn't change my perspective on music, life or anything and they were a bit harder to get into than the Metallica-Megadeth tandem.

I heard Anthrax's debut album, Fistful Of Metal around the same time, '84 or '85. I was extremely unimpressed. Neil Turbin's vocals didn't sound right at the time and still don't, as a matter of fact. The songs were good, although that's probably hindsight speaking, but the vocals were wrong. Spreading The Disease wasn't all that much better, even if the vocals were much-improved. I think the songs on that record are the worst Anthrax ever did including some the John Bush-era stuff which is harder to get into. It wouldn't be until the 1987 release of Among The Living that I would become an Anthrax fan. A friend of mine at the time handed me the record and told me to "check THIS shit out!" I, of course, didn't even want to listen and told him I'd heard them and wasn't impressed. He told me to check it out anyway and I am still glad I did. I was a hard-core Anthrax fan until John Bush came aboard. After The Sound Of White Noise, I drifted away because I didn't like the rap-metal turn they'd taken. Later, I'd return to regret not having stuck with them. After SOWN, they must have realized that while the rap-metal thing is part of what Anthrax is, it isn't inclusive. Stomp 442 and Volume 8: The Threat Is Real are very good albums in their own right but it wasn't until last year, with the release of We've Come For You All, that I got back into Anthrax.. A great band, despite the revolving-door that is their line-up.