Two thrash drumming icons meet head-to-head in Round 1, boasting two radically different playing styles. Charlie Benante locks in tight with guitarist Scott Ian’s palm-muting champion right hand that works symbiotically with the music. During less frantic parts of Anthrax’s music, Benante's playing breaks free a bit and lets the music flow over his drumwork rather than staying in step with it to create a diverse sound. There's a punk influence to his drumming, helping the band retain a sound that many thrash bands abandoned as the genre grew.

Former Sepultura and current Cavalera Conspiracy skinsman Igor Cavalera helped pioneer and revolutionize the thrash genre. In his earlier days, he stuck with the thrash blueprints while slightly incorporating tribal rhythms from his homeland of Brazil. As the band evolved, the tribal influences became more and more prevalent, ultimately climaxing with the love it or hate it album ‘Roots.’ The album gave birth to nu-metal and inspired thrash bands to adapt a more groove-oriented approach. He re-united with his brother Max Cavalera in the aptly named Cavalera Conspiracy and has continued to spread his influence.

Charlie Benante or Igor Cavalera? Cast your vote for the Greatest Metal Drummer in the poll below! Voting for this round closes on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 11:59PM ET. Fans can vote once per hour, so keep coming back to make sure that your favorite metal musician wins!

Greatest Metal Drummer Skin Bashers, Round 1
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Greatest Metal Drummer Technical Masters, Round 1
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