Anthrax is an American
heavy metal band from
New York City, formed in 1981 by guitarist
Scott Ian and bassist
Dan Lilker. The group was considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal scene during the 1980s. Of the "Big Four" thrash metal bands (the others being
Metallica,
Megadeth and
Slayer), Anthrax were the only band from the East Coast. As of 2014, the band has released ten studio albums, a number of singles and an EP with American
hip hop group
Public Enemy. According to
Nielsen SoundScan, Anthrax sold 2.5 million records in the United States from 1991 to 2004, with worldwide sales of 10 million.