Anthrax

In a blitz of breakneck shredding and thundering tempos, Anthrax took heavy metal raging into the 1980s and 90s, pioneering the new thrash metal sub-genre and becoming one of the "big four" hard rock acts of their era alongside Megadeth, Metallica and Slayer. Incorporating the aggressive fury of hardcore punk with the solo-ing prowess of the classic rockers, Scott Ian's group of thrashers made their big breakthrough with classic third album Among The Living (1987). Leading the scene away from spandex jumpsuits, hair sprayed mullets and smoke machines, the band hit their peak during the turn of the decade releasing the acclaimed Persistence of Time (1990) and collaborating and touring with hip-hop legends Public Enemy. Vocalist Joey Belladonna was replaced by John Bush in 1992 and the lads scored their first US Top 10 album with Sound of White Noise (1993) but, as a new generation of grunge and nu-metal bands swept into town, the band's relevance and popularity started to wane. Widely recognised as one of the pioneers of the genre, the band is still touring to a loyal fan base of metal heads, reuniting with Joey Belladonna in 2010 for shows across Europe, including the Sonisphere Festival.