Charlie Benante of Anthrax is one of the biggest names in thrash metal; after all, the group is part of the Big 4 alongside Metallica , Slayer , and Megadeth . Even so, for him, the origins of thrash are far removed from any of those bands.
In a recent interview with Metal Voice , the musician said he believes Iron Maiden was responsible for "creating the music format that became thrash metal." He recounted: "The first time I saw Iron Maiden was with Paul Di'Anno at the Palladium in New York. They opened for Judas Priest , and I went to both dates."
“When Iron Maiden came on stage, the excitement and the feeling that I was witnessing something for the first time that I don’t know if I’ll see again was so incredible. That band, for me, from day one, was the reason why I think we started a band; to shape our band into Iron Maiden. I think they, single-handedly, created the musical format that became thrash metal.”
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