Thrash metal (or simplythrash) is anextreme subgenre ofheavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.[4] The songs usually use fast percussive beats and low-register guitarriffs, overlaid withshredding-style lead guitar work.
The genre emerged in the early 1980s as musicians began fusing the double bass drumming and complex guitar stylings of thenew wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) with the speed and aggression ofhardcore punk[5][6] andspeed metal[7] and the technicality ofprogressive rock.[5][8] Philosophically, thrash metal developed as a backlash against both theconservatism of theReagan era[9] and the much more moderate,pop-influenced, and widely accessible heavy metal subgenre ofglam metal which also developed concurrently in the 1980s.[10] Derived genres includecrossover thrash, a fusion of thrash metal and hardcore punk.
Kirk Hammett andJames Hetfield ofMetallica (pictured in 2008). Metallica's early work is regarded as essential to the development of the thrash metal genre in the 1980s.
David Ellefson, the original bassist ofMegadeth, described thrash metal as "a combination of the attitude from punk rock but the riffs and complexities of traditional metal."[21] On the origins of thrash metal,Dan Lilker (bassist and co-founding member ofAnthrax,S.O.D. andNuclear Assault) recalls: "Thrash was just what they called 'faster hardcore,' because you literally thrashed around when you were either playing it or reacting to it. And thrash metal was born because it was influenced by thrash hardcore, and they just thought it was more metal, so they said, 'Okay, this is thrash metal.'"[22]
New York bandAnthrax was among the earliest and most successful thrash acts.
The guitar riffs often usechromatic scales and emphasize the tritone and diminished intervals, instead of using conventional single-scale-based riffing. For example, the intro riff ofMetallica's "Master of Puppets" (the title track of thenamesake album) is a chromatic descent, followed by a chromatic ascent based on thetritone.
Speed, pacing, and time changes also define thrash metal. Thrash tends to have an accelerating feel which may be due in large part to its aggressive drumming style. For example, drummers often use two bass drums, or a double-bass pedal to create a relentless, driving beat. Cymbal stops/chokes are often used to transition from one riff to another or to precede an acceleration in tempo. Some common characteristics of the genre are fast guitar riffs with aggressive picking styles and fast guitar solos, and extensive use of two bass drums as opposed to the conventional use of only one, typical of most rock music.
To keep up with the other instruments, many bassists use aplectrum (pick). However, some prominent thrash metal bassists haveused their fingers, such asFrank Bello,Greg Christian,Steve Di Giorgio,Robert Trujillo, andCliff Burton. Several bassists use adistorted bass tone, an approach popularized by Burton andMotörhead'sLemmy. Lyrical themes in thrash metal include warfare, corruption, injustice, murder, suicide, isolation, alienation, addiction, and other maladies that afflict the individual and society. In addition, politics, particularly pessimism and dissatisfaction towards politics, are common themes among thrash metal bands. Humor and irony can occasionally be found (Anthrax for example), but they are limited, and are an exception rather than a rule.[23][24]
The term "thrash" originated as a way of referring to hardcore punk, seen on the 1982 hardcore compilation albumNew York Thrash.[25] By 1983, the term "thrash metal" had entered colloquial use as a way to denote the fusion of hardcore and metal.[26] The 1983 debut issue ofMetal Forces used the term to describe the bands on the firstMetal Massacre andMike Varney's first threeU.S. Metal compilation albums.[27] Later the same year, the thirteenth issue ofMetal Mania used the term in an article, saying it was used synonymously with "heavy thrash" and "punk metal", going on to say acts in the genre includedTank,Metallica,MDC,GBH,Discharge andCrucifix.[28] The term is sometimes incorrectly credited to a 1984Kerrang! magazine article by journalistMalcolm Dome,[29][25] who used the term in reference to the song "Metal Thrashing Mad" byAnthrax.[30]
Around 1984, the most dominant name for what is now defined as thrash metal was "power metal", a name which eventually evolved to refer to the separatepower metal genre. Similarly, for much of the 1980s, the names "thrash metal" and "speed metal" were generally used synonymously. The separatespeed metal genre was defined retrospectively in the 1990s, to refer to 1980s bands who bridged the gap between thrash metal and power metal.[26]
Venom's early work is considered a major influence on thrash metal.
The term "proto-thrash" has been used to describe bands as having elements ofspeed metal or thrash metal before those genres came to prominence in the early-to-mid-1980s.Deep Purple's 1970 albumDeep Purple in Rock is perhaps the earliest proto-thrash/speed metal album, as music journalistMartin Popoff noted, "It's really about the discipline and classical haughtiness of this record, as well as 'Hard Lovin' Man' which is a great contender for first proto-thrash song ever."[11]Queen's 1974 song "Stone Cold Crazy" andBlack Sabbath's "Symptom of the Universe", released the following year, have also been cited as examples of proto-thrash/speed metal; the latter of which was a direct inspiration forDiamond Head's pioneering song "Am I Evil?".[31][32] Thenew wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) bands emerging from Britain in the late 1970s further influenced the development of early thrash. The early work of artists such as Diamond Head,Iron Maiden,Venom,Motörhead,Tygers of Pan Tang,Raven,Saxon andAngel Witch, among others, introduced the fast-paced and intricate musicianship that became core aspects of thrash.Phil Taylor's double-bass drumming featured in Motörhead's 1979 song "Overkill" has been acknowledged by many thrash drummers, most notablyLars Ulrich, as a primary influence on their playing. Thrash metal bands have also taken inspiration fromJudas Priest, withSlayer guitaristKerry King saying that, "There would be no Slayer without Priest."[33]Metal Blade Records executiveBrian Slagel played a key role in bringing the NWOBHM to a larger audience, as he was responsible for discovering bothMetallica and Slayer and producing their earliest studio recordings.
Greg Prato ofUltimate Guitar notes, "Although the thrash movement seemed to have much more in common with punk than prog fashion-wise (leather jackets vs. capes), musically, there were certainly moments when thrash leaned more towards theprog side of things."[8] Canadian progressive rock bandRush, for example, has been cited a formative influence on the thrash metal movement.[5][8] In a 2013 interview withRolling Stone, Anthrax drummerCharlie Benante said: "When I was first learning to play drums, I would strap on my headphones, play along with [Rush's live albumAll the World's a Stage] and be transformed. I remember talking withCliff andKirk back when we first met, and we all agreed how much of an influence Rush was on all of us."[34]
The thrash metal genre is also strongly influenced bypunk rock, drawing inspiration from sources ranging from traditional punk bands from the 1970s, including theNew York Dolls, theRamones, theSex Pistols and theDead Boys,[35] to late 1970s/early 1980shardcore punk bandsDischarge,[36]GBH,[37]Black Flag,[38] theMisfits, theDead Kennedys, andBad Brains.[35] The Ramones' 1976self-titled debut album in particular has been noted as a key influence on the genre, due to its sound, which introduced the three-chord thrash style of guitar.[39]Void has been credited as one of the earliest examples of hardcore/heavy metal crossover, whose chaotic musical approach is often cited as particularly influential.[40] Their 1982split LP with fellow Washington bandThe Faith showed both bands exhibiting quick, fiery, high-speed punk rock. It has been argued that those recordings laid the foundation for early thrash metal, at least in terms of selected tempos,[41] and that thrash is essentially hardcore punk with the technical proficiency missing from that genre. The crossover with hardcore punk has also been cited as important influence on thrash, especially the English hardcore punk band Discharge, whose "influence on heavy metal is incalculable and metal superstars such as Metallica, Anthrax,Machine Head,Sepultura,Soulfly,Prong andArch Enemy have covered Discharge's songs in tribute."[36] The eponymousdebutalbums byD.R.I. andSuicidal Tendencies, both released in 1983, have been credited for paving the way forthrashcore.[42][43]
In Europe, the earliest band of the emerging thrash movement was Venom fromNewcastle upon Tyne, formed in 1978. Their 1982 albumBlack Metal has been cited as a major influence on many subsequent genres and bands in the extreme metal world, such asBathory,Hellhammer, Slayer, andMayhem. The European scene was almost exclusively influenced by the most aggressive music Germany and England were producing at the time. British bands such asTank andRaven, along with German bandsAccept (whose 1982 song "Fast as a Shark" is often credited as one of the first-ever thrash/speed metal songs)[44][45][46] andLiving Death,[47] motivated musicians from central Europe to start bands of their own, eventually producing groups such asSodom,Kreator, andDestruction from Germany, as well as Switzerland'sCeltic Frost (formed by two-thirds ofHellhammer),Coroner and Carrion (who later becamePoltergeist) and Denmark'sArtillery.
Critics argue over who can be thought of as the first thrash metal band to exist. Most credit either British bandVenom or the genre's so-called "Big Four":Metallica,Slayer,Anthrax, andMegadeth, with commentators crediting Venom as the first thrash metal band and others tending to favor the "Big Four", though many give equal credit to all those five bands.[6][46][48][49] The origins of thrash metal have also been traced toSan Francisco Bay Area bandExodus, who formed in 1979 and is the fifth band in what is sometimes considered the "Big Five".[49] The band released its first demo in 1982, simply titledDemo 1982, which was widely circulated in the tape trading community and is credited for paving the way for the 1980sBay Area thrash metal scene.[49][50][51][52] A few commentators argue for other bands, includingOverkill andMetal Church (both of whom formed in 1980), as the earliest bands to play thrash metal before releasing albums.[53][54]
In 1981,Los Angeles bandLeather Charm wrote a song entitled "Hit the Lights". Leather Charm soon disbanded and the band's primary songwriter, vocalist/rhythm guitaristJames Hetfield, met drummerLars Ulrich through a classified advertisement. Together, Hetfield and Ulrich formed Metallica, one of the "Big Four" thrash bands, with lead guitaristDave Mustaine, who would later form Megadeth, another of the "Big Four" originators of thrash, and bassistRon McGovney. McGovney would be replaced by Cliff Burton (formerly ofTrauma), and Mustaine was later replaced byKirk Hammett of the then-unsigned Exodus, and at Burton's insistence, the band relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area. Before Metallica had even settled on a definitive lineup, Metal Blade Records executiveBrian Slagel asked Hetfield and Ulrich (credited as "Mettallica") to record "Hit the Lights" for the first edition of hisMetal Massacre compilation in 1982. A re-recorded version of "Hit the Lights" would later open their first studio album,Kill 'Em All, released in July 1983.[55]Kill 'Em All is widely regarded as the first thrash metal album, and one of the album's tracks "Whiplash" has been referred to as one of the first songs of the genre.[56]
Another "Big Four" thrash band formed in Los Angeles in 1981, when guitaristsJeff Hanneman andKerry King met while auditioning for the same band and subsequently decided to form a band of their own. Hanneman and King recruited vocalist/bassistTom Araya and drummerDave Lombardo, andSlayer was formed. Slayer was discovered by Metal Blade Records executive Brian Slagel; the band's live performance ofIron Maiden's "Phantom of the Opera" so impressed him that he promptly signed them to his label. In December 1983, five months after the release of Metallica's debutKill 'Em All, Slayer released their debut album,Show No Mercy.
Slayer (pictured in 2007) releasedReign in Blood in 1986, considered a landmark achievement in the genre's history.
From a creative standpoint, the year 1986 was perhaps the pinnacle of thrash metal,[citation needed] as a number of critically acclaimed and genre-defining albums were released. Metallica's major label debutMaster of Puppets was released in March, becoming the first thrash album to be certified platinum, being certified 6× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); it would be the band's last album to feature bassistCliff Burton, who was killed in a bus accident six months after its release. Kreator releasedPleasure to Kill in April 1986, which would later be a major influence on the death metal scene.[61] Megadeth releasedPeace Sells... but Who's Buying? in September, an album which proved to be the band's commercial and critical breakthrough and whichAllMusic later cited as "a classic of early thrash".[62] Slayer, regarded as one of the most sinister thrash metal bands of the early 1980s,[63][unreliable source?] releasedReign in Blood in October, an album considered by some to have single-handedly inspired the death metal genre.[64] Also in October,Nuclear Assault released their debut albumGame Over, followed a month later byDark Angel'sDarkness Descends, which marked the debut of drummerGene Hoglan.Flotsam and Jetsam's debut albumDoomsday for the Deceiver (released on theFourth of July in 1986) received some attention as well, due to the album being "the first of only a handful" to ever receive a 6K rating fromKerrang! magazine, and it is also notable for featuring a then-unknownJason Newsted, who, not long after the album's release, joined Metallica as Burton's replacement.[65]
Also during the mid-to-late 1980s, bands such asSuicidal Tendencies,D.R.I.,S.O.D. (who featured three-fifths of Anthrax), andCorrosion of Conformity paved the way to what became known ascrossover thrash, a fusion genre that lies on a continuum between heavy metal and hardcore punk, and is arguably faster and more aggressive than thrash metal.[66]
By the mid-to-late 1980s, thrash metal began to achieve major mainstream success worldwide, with many bands of the genre receiving heavy rotation onMTV'sHeadbangers Ball,[13][67] and radio stations such asKNAC inLong Beach andZ Rock inDallas,[68][69] as well as coverage on numerous publications, includingKerrang! andRIP Magazine. These outlets not only played a major role in the crossover success of thrash metal during this time, but helped push album sales of the genre's "Big Four" and similar bands or moved them from playing clubs to arenas and stadiums.[70]
In 1991, Metallica released theireponymous fifth studio album, known asThe Black Album. Produced byBob Rock (who was then known for working with the likes ofMötley Crüe,Aerosmith,Bon Jovi andThe Cult), the album marked a stylistic change in the band, eliminating much of the speed and longer song structures of the band's previous work, and instead focusing on more concise and heavier songs. The album was a change in Metallica's direction from the thrash metal style of the band's previous four studio albums towards a more contemporary heavy metal sound with originalhard rock elements, but still had remnant characteristics of thrash metal.[103][104][105]Metallica would go on to become the band's best-selling album and began a wave of thrash metal bands releasing more garage-oriented albums, or else more experimental ones.
The era of 1991–1992 marked the beginning of the end of thrash metal's commercial peak, due to the rising popularity of thealternative metal andgrunge movements (the latter spearheaded byWashington-based bandsNirvana,Soundgarden,Alice in Chains andPearl Jam).[106] In response to this climate change, many thrash metal bands that had emerged from the previous decade had called it quits or went on hiatus during the 1990s, while half of the "Big Four" and other veteran bands began changing to more accessible, radio-friendly styles.[107] Metallica was a notable example of this shift, particularly with their mid-to-late 1990s albumsLoad, andReLoad, which displayed minorblues andsouthern rock influences, and were seen as a major departure from the band's earlier sound.[108] Megadeth took a more accessible heavy metal route starting with their 1992 albumCountdown to Extinction.[109] Testament, Exodus and Flotsam and Jetsam all took a melodic/progressive approach with the albumsThe Ritual,[110]Force of Habit,[111] andCuatro,[112] respectively. One of the pioneers of crossover thrash,Corrosion of Conformity, began changing their sound into a slower andBlack Sabbath-influenced heavy metal direction with their post-1980s output, adapting influences and textures ofsludge,doom metal, blues, and southern rock on several of their albums, includingBlind (1991),Deliverance (1994) andWiseblood (1996).[113]
The remainder of the 1990s saw many thrash metal bands expand their sound by adding elements and influences from the groove metal genre, which was then popularized by Pantera,White Zombie andMachine Head.[114][115][116] Anthrax, who had recently replacedJoey Belladonna withJohn Bush as their singer, began stepping away from their previously established thrash metal formula to a more accessible alternative/groove metal approach for the remainder of their 1990s output, starting with and includingSound of White Noise (1993).[117][118][119] Sacred Reich, Overkill, Coroner, Prong, Testament, and Forbidden followed this trend with their respective albumsIndependent,[120]I Hear Black,[121]Grin,[122]Cleansing,[123]Low,[124] andDistortion.[125] Sepultura's 1993 albumChaos A.D. also marked the beginning of their transition away from death/thrash metal to groove metal which had influenced then-up-and-coming bands likeKorn, who reciprocally became the inspiration behind thenu metal style of the band's next albumRoots (1996).[126]Roots would influence a generation of bands fromLinkin Park toSlipknot, which during the 1990s meant the replacement of death, thrash, and speed, by nu metal and metalcore as popular epicenters of the hardest metal scene.[127]
Staying away from this new commercial mainstream of groove metal, metalcore, and especially nu metal, thesecond wave of black metal emerged as an opposed underground music scene, initially inNorway. This crop of new bands differenced themselves from the "first wave" by totally distilling black metal from the combined origins with thrash metal, but they preserved from all these sub-genres the emphasis on atmosphere over rhythm.[128]
As furtherextreme metal genres came to prominence in the 1990s (industrial metal, death metal, andblack metal each finding their own fanbase), the heavy metal "family tree" soon found itself blending aesthetics and styles.[129] For example, bands with all the musical traits of thrash metal began usingdeath growls, a vocal style borrowed from death metal, while black metal bands often utilized the airy feel ofsynthesizers, popularized in industrial metal. Today the placing of bands within distinct sub-genres remains a source of contention for heavy metal fans, however, little debate resides over the fact that thrash metal is the sole proprietor of its respective spin-offs.
A few thrash metal bands from the 1980s and early 1990s, particularly the genre's U.S. "Big Four", continued recording and touring with success in the 2000s. In 2003, Anthrax released their first studio album in five yearsWe've Come for You All, followed a month later by Metallica's double platinum-certified albumSt. Anger. After experimenting further with a commercialized sound on their previous few albums, Megadeth returned to its heavier sound with their ninth albumThe World Needs a Hero (2001). It would be the band's final album before disbanding in the following year, due to an arm injury that had leftDave Mustaine unable to play guitar;[130] he would eventually reform Megadeth for a handful of albums, includingThe System Has Failed (2004) which was originally going to be released as a solo album by him,[131] before reuniting with co-founding member and bassistDavid Ellefson in 2010. Slayer released three albums in the 2000s:God Hates Us All (2001), which saw a return to their signature thrash metal sound,[132] followed byChrist Illusion (2006) andWorld Painted Blood (2009), both of which marked their first studio albums with drummerDave Lombardo in nearly two decades. Although their career had declined from its peak in the 1990s, Overkill was perhaps one of the most-active thrash metal groups outside of the "Big Four", having never disbanded or taken longer breaks in-between records, and by 2000'sBloodletting, they were the first band in the genre to release more than ten studio albums. Overkill's popularity was reignited in the 2010s, with three of their albums,The Electric Age (2012),White Devil Armory (2014) andThe Grinding Wheel (2017), all entering the Top 100 on theBillboard charts.[133][134]
Thrash metal is directly responsible for the development of underground metal genres, such as death metal,black metal,[152] andgroove metal.[153] In addition to this,metalcore,grindcore, anddeathcore employ similar riffs in their composition, the former with more focus on melody rather than chromaticism. The blending of punk ethos and metal's brutal nature led to even more extreme, underground styles after thrash metal began gaining mild commercial success in the late 1980s.[154]
With gorier subject matter, heavier down tuning of guitars, more consistent use ofblast beat drumming, and darker, atonaldeath growls, death metal was established in the mid-1980s. Black metal, also related to thrash metal, emerged at the same time, with many black metal bands taking influence from thrash metal bands such asVenom.[155] Black metal continued deviating from thrash metal, often providing more orchestral overtones, opentremolo picking,blast beat drumming,shrieked or raspy vocals andpagan oroccult-based aesthetics to distinguish itself from thrash metal. Thrash metal would later combine with its spinoffs, thus giving rise to genres likeblackened thrash metal anddeathrash.[156][157][158][159]
Groove metal takes the intensity and sonic qualities of thrash metal and plays them at mid-tempo, with most bands making only occasional forays into fast tempo,[153] but since the early 1990s, it started to favor a more death metal-derived sound.[160] Thrash metal with stronger punk elements is calledcrossover thrash. Its overall sound is more punk-influenced than traditional thrash metal but has more heavy metal elements thanhardcore punk andthrashcore.[161]
A fusion of thrash metal with shoegaze is calleddream thrash. According to Emma Cownley ofMetal Hammer, "Dream thrash combines the ethereal sounds of shoegaze with the distortion, blast beats and tremolo picking of thrash." One practitioner of this style isAstronoid.[162]
Thrash metal emerged predominantly from a handful of regional scenes, each of which was generally distinguished by the unique characteristics of its bands.
Gulf Coast thrash metal: While not as popular as the West Coast and East Coast regions, the Gulf Coast spawned at least three thrash metal scenes (includingTexas,Louisiana andFlorida) during the late 1980s and early 1990s, which saw a number of bands develop a style that was influenced by punk rock and/or the early-to-mid 1980s heavy metal scene. The most notable bands from the Gulf Coast areAtheist,Solstice,Juggernaut,Opprobrium (formerly named Incubus),Watchtower,Rigor Mortis,D.R.I.,Absu,Nasty Savage,Verbal Abuse,Angkor Wat,Dead Horse,Pantera andExhorder, the latter of the two (along with New York's Prong) are often credited for developing and popularizing thegroove metal genre in the early 1990s.[168][169]
Canadian thrash metal: The Canadian region has seen numerous thrash metal bands create a unique blend of speed metal, progressive and hardcore punk into their music, influenced by a variety of acts such asRush,Iron Maiden,Judas Priest,Motörhead and D.R.I., as well as fellow American thrash metal bands like Metallica and Slayer.Anvil andExciter are considered to be the pioneers of this scene, whileVoivod,Sacrifice,Razor, andAnnihilator are often referred to as the country's "Big Four". Notable crossover bands from the hardcore punk scene include West Coast bands Death Sentence and Beyond Possession.[170] Other notable Canadian thrash metal bands includeInfernäl Mäjesty,Anonymus,Eudoxis,Piledriver,Slaughter,DBC andObliveon.[171]
Australian thrash metal: While not considered a "major" part of the worldwide thrash metal scene due to distance from the major Bay Area and Teutonic scenes, Australian thrash metal has had a fairly substantial following in overseas markets, while local audiences have always been difficult to gather. The most notable Australian thrash metal bands from the 1980s areMortal Sin,Nothing Sacred andHobbs' Angel of Death.
^Sfetcu, Nicolae.American Music. p. 352.Essentially the "heavy hardcore" sound is an amalgamation of deep, hoarse vocals (though rarely as deep or guttural as death metal), downtuned guitars, thrashy drum rhythms inspired directly from earlier hardcore bands, and slow, staccato low-end musical breaks, known colloquially as "breakdowns". Some bands tend to focus more on breakdowns than others (such as New Jersey's Redline), and others tend not to rely on them too much, letting the overall songwriting and feel drive the music (Troy, New York's Stigmata is a prime example). Elements such as thrash metal and hip hop are also common. Sworn Enemy and Boxcutter are two current respective examples of such.
^"5 Under the Radar Metal Bands That Are Pushing Boundaries".Radio.com. 21 October 2013.Archived from the original on 30 March 2014. Retrieved11 November 2017.Tough guy hardcore has been around as long as I have. An impressive act here and there have combined circle pits and gang vocals with elements of Metallica-type thrash, but none in recent years have pushed that hybrid to the brink quite like Dallas, Texas' Power Trip.
^Prato, Greg (16 September 2014).Primus, Over the Electric Grapevine: Insight into Primus and the World of Les Claypool. Akashic Books.ISBN978-1-61775-322-0.
^Kahn-Harris, Keith,Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge, pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007,ISBN1-84520-399-2.
^The Scorpion (8 January 2012)."SCORPION Q+A".Megadeth.com.Archived from the original on 9 December 2022. Retrieved9 December 2022.Hello Adam, I went to David Ellefson with your questions. Here is what he had to say about it. Thrash is a combination of the attitude from punk rock but the riffs and complexities of traditional metal.
^Beaman, Billy (1983)."LA's hottest unsigned rock bands".Metal Forces (1): 23. Retrieved10 March 2025.So far we've had the Metal Massacre albums and Mike Varney's U.S. Metals I, II, and III. These albums however, lean more towards the thrash metal that is becoming popular over there.
^Lawrence, Rozz (1983)."Punk/Metal".Metal Mania.13: 9. Retrieved10 March 2025.
^"Overkill".Billboard.com. Archived from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved14 February 2024.{{cite magazine}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
^Christe (2003),Sound of the Beast, p. 264,As close to death metal as any other gold-selling record before it,Chaos A.D. stripped down Sepultura's sound into a coarse metallic loop. The CD sold half a million copies, and alongside Pantera the band forged a streetwise, death-derived groove metal that inspired an upcoming generation of mavens in the 1990s.
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