Metal fans rejoiced back in 2010 and 2011 when the Big 4 of thrash (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax) joined forces for a handful of shows around the world, including the most recent one at New York's Yankee Stadium in September 2011. Fans still holding out hope that these four metal powerhouses might join forces again on the same stage in the future may not get their way.

In a new interview with the Gazette, Slayer’s Tom Araya dashed those hopes, saying the four are not likely to play together any time soon, even though the one-off shows were wildly successful. When asked what’s keeping it from happening again, Araya didn’t want to point fingers but did offer up some telling comments, allowing fans to speculate.

“I don’t want to say politics is preventing that,” said Araya. “It’s not the politics between bands; it’s the politics of character in one particular band. We had an issue that came up on the New York show, which really freaked everybody out, but the New York show happened.”

And then pretty much putting the nail in the coffin, Araya offered, “I think, in all honesty, that was the last time we did the Big Four. I think another Big Four show might not happen.” He left the door open though, explaining, “They could prove me wrong. Those shows basically, even though it was called the Big Four, it was done through Metallica. It was with Metallica’s blessing that allowed those shows to happen.”

Araya and Slayer are definitely open to the idea of reconvening with metal’s biggest names. “If they want to continue and do a couple more shows, I think that would be great,” Araya said. “If we were to sit down with them and communicate with them, that’s what I’d tell them.”

So while no new Big 4 shows are on the schedule, Slayer has their own touring schedule to attend to. With a new album in the works with plans of hitting the studio in January, Slayer have North American tour dates spanning through the end of November.

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