Anthrax is an American thrash metal band from New York City, New York, United States, formed in 1981. Formed by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums, 20 singles, and an EP featuring American hip hop group Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene. When thrash metal began to gain a major following in the mid-to-late 1980s, Anthrax were dubbed one of the "big four" of thrash metal alongside Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer.
They were also one of the early underground metal bands to sign to a major label. As of 2004, Anthrax sold over 2.5 million records in the U.S since the beginning of the SoundScan era and as of 2012, they have sold over 15 million records worldwide.
The band line-up has been changed numerous times; following the departure of drummer Dave Weiss and bassist Kenny Kushner, several musicians replaced both band members' roles, though Paul Kahn and Greg Walls were the first to do so. In addition to this aspect, there were multiple vocalists involved in Anthrax, with Neil Turbin, Joey Belladonna and John Bush being among the frontmen of the band. Scott Ian, however, has been in the band since its formation.
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