Regarding thrash; I definitely know way too little modern stuff, but the big 4 are always nice to hear. I'm probably in a minority when I say I favor Anthrax and Megadeth though :p
Nice :)
I'm a bit younger than that (and on the other side of the pond).
For whatever reason they are under-appreciated where I am.
I was quite surprised and happy when I saw their appearance on reruns of Married With Children; solidified any ideas I had about them :)