Metal Edge spoke with Anthrax legends Charlie Benante and Scott Ian about their upcoming 40th anniversary and asked if the Big 4 will ever perform shows in the future. Possibly Exodus taking the place of Slayer.

“Charlie can ask Lars when he’s out with him in August,” Scott Ian laughs. 

Benante: “Yeah, I saw Mustaine was kinda fishing for some of that. I mean, I don’t know. I don’t think Metallica need to do that right now. They’ve got so much coming up in the next two years.”

Ian: “Here’s the thing: Metallica just announced their ’23 and ’24 plans, and I was looking at those dates this morning and thinking, “Well I wonder if, like, they do these two nights in each city here in the States and one night is the Pantera night and the other night is the Five Finger [Death Punch] night. So are people gonna be clamoring for the Pantera night and nobody’s gonna show up on the other night?”

Benante: “No way – they’ll be there.”

Ian: “But then I stopped myself, and I said, ‘Hold on a second. They could’ve just announced it as An Evening With – with no opening bands – and they’re still selling out two nights in every stadium.’ It doesn’t matter who’s opening. None of that matters. They don’t need support bands. They do it to make an event out of it, I guess, but they don’t need it. If the Big 4 was to ever happen again – in any capacity – it’s certainly not going to be before ’25 now, because they’ve already announced their plans. So, there you go. Anyone who has a question about the Big 4, hold that thought until 2025.”

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