Anthrax hail from New York City and were formed in 1981 by rhythm guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker. The group is considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal scene from the 1980s and is part of the “Big Four” of the genre, along with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer. The band is named after a deadly disease caused by the bacterium Bacillus anthracis. The band’s name came when Scott Ian learned about anthrax in his high school biology class. They were the first band to wear big, baggy shorts on stage, a trend that quickly caught on. They weren’t making a fashion statement – they wore the shorts because they were comfortable.