On July 18th, 1981, rhythm guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker formed ANTHRAX in Queens, New York City, planting the seed for one of thrash metal's defining bands. Ian reportedly picked the name out of a biology textbook, choosing the disease because it sounded "sufficiently evil." The earliest lineup was shaky, cycling through several bassists and drummers before vocalist Neil Turbin arrived in 1982 to help stabilize the group as it built a following on the New York and New Jersey club circuit, at one point sharing local bills with a then-unknown METALLICA. Within a few years ANTHRAX released "Fistful of Metal" and the genre landmark "Among the Living," proving East Coast thrash could rival its West Coast counterpart. That Queens beginning eventually earned the band a permanent seat in thrash metal's "Big Four" alongside METALLICA, MEGADETH, and SLAYER, a legacy still celebrated by fans worldwide today.
