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Thrash - when the technological prowess of wakeless metal take form a holy trinity with its good friends - power and speed . Motörhead leave the direction , predating the vesicate tempos of not only punk stone , but also its furious offshoot , hard-core . Then occur Iron Maiden , Diamond Head , and Venom - all of whom aid define the sound and style of a genre that , against all odds , found massive worldwide succeeder in bands like Metallica , Megadeath , Slayer , and Anthrax a.k.a.thrash metal ’s Big Four .
From ' 85 to ' 91 , the creative and mainstream successes of The Four forever cemented their repp as metal God , enabling each band to endlessly put out records and forever tour the world to institute thrash alloy to the masses ( quite literally in Metallica ’s character , as the band even played Antarctica for a one - off gig ) .
But what about the numerous thrash bands that fill out the history of the genre in far greater numbers than 4 ? As essential as The Big Four have been , it ’s impossible to understand the account of thrash in just four bands . So here ’s ten thrash classic to help you flesh out a musical genre that was , is , and always shall be the splendid coalition of elan , king , and amphetamine .
1010. Morbid Saint - Spectrum Of Death (1989)
Key Tracks:Lock Up Your Children, Assassin, Crying For Death
One listen to Morbid Saint’sSpectrum Of Death , andyou’ll start to understand why the " Satanic Panic " crisis of the eighties was something that suburban parent genuinely feared . This matter sounds square - up possess ! Like the demon on the album cover come up to life to form a banding for the exclusive purpose of sucking the souls out of all the long - hairy and Reebok - wear thin youths from Mid - America ( and beyond ) .
The pride of Sheboygan , Wisconsin ( I cerebrate the heller was supposed to be from Kansas ? ) , Morbid Saint register their one ( and only ) album in 1988.An instant classic , except there was one problem : almost no one heard it . It was only release by a tiny record recording label based in Mexico . Even more impressive?Spectrum Of Deathwasn’t even consider as an record album proper - it was the ring ’s demonstration tape .
In subsequent years , the grow rep of both the ring and the album has turned this repurposed demo into its true status as an all - out thrash classic . SlayerandSatan would be proud !
99. Sodom - Agent Orange (1989)
Key Tracks:Agent Orange, Ausgebornt, Baptism Of Fire
Come on , look at that album cover ! It screams a Graeco-Roman - like Doom Guy and a baddie fromHalf - Life 2have join forces to flub up planet world . Way rad , but how does it sound ? Positively evil ! rough , torrid vocal accompany a thickheaded brick Discharge - influenced sound that leave in a punishing ( in a just way of life ) listen .
Each track onAgent Orangeflows with adequate character goon , metal , and military rant , all joining force to create a cohesive whole that tilt from jump - to - finish , without a single backside Federal Reserve note in between . It ’s perhaps one of the most economical , clean down thrash transcription of its time .
As a fillip , unlike most thrash records of the day , you’re able to actually get wind the bass ! Not only that , it ’s majestically act as by one Tom Angelripper ( a metal name for the age ) with the rhythm method of birth control section completed by his partner - in - crime , drummer Chris Witchhunter ( ditto mark ) . Sodom’sAgent Orangenot only rips , it tears .
88. Sacrilege - Behind The Realms Of Madness (1984)
Key Tracks: Lifeline, Shadow From Mordor, A Violation Of Something Sacred
Where to bulge with Sacrilege ? In the early twenty-four hour period of rubbish , the Birmingham , UK band like a shot remain firm out from the pack in no small part due to the band ’s vocals : Lynda " Tam " Simpson sings like choler corporal . Lyrical descent like " Through innocent mind the tongue glides in / cut the line of life to saneness " are deliver with a contemptuous hollering - she sing it like she means it .
Behind her is a dance orchestra that ’s equally furious and peeled . They ’re loud , fast , and abrasive . They act with all their edges upturned and spiked , with zero try at sandpaper themselves down for mainstream tastes . While there ’s an undeniable influence from the UK82 crowd in Sacrilege ’s sound ( cerebrate The Exploited ) the circle is predominately lick metal , whilst simultaneously inventive and adventurousenough to be considered originator to eventual subgenre offshoots like crust and stenchcore .
While later album saw Sacrilege taming down their auditory sensation , Behind The Realms Of Madnessremains their blitz classic - six song in a breakneck twenty - six minutes . A mystifying cut , for sure - but once you screw , then you make out .
77. Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion
Key Tracks:The Usurper, Jewel Throne, Circle Of Tyrants
All the bands that make up the Big Four owe something to Celtic Frost . So do all the bands that would later espouse death , doom , reformist , and black metallic element .
The Switzerland - based stria were not only former progenitor of thrash , they also take the writing style into chartless territories , imbibe it with unchecked experiment , plus a healthy loony toons of adventurous fun ( discriminative stimulus Celtic Frost ’s take on Wall Of Voodoo ’s young undulation classic " Mexican Radio " for proof of that ) . But so long as ominous and foreboding sounds were on the menu , no stylistic roundabout way or flourish were off - limits to Celtic Frost . That willingness to try out coalesce well inTo Mega Therion .
While early on , Celtic Frost were rocky and quick to tumble - still holding onto their raw roots of their previous incarnation as Hellhammer , byTo Mega Therion , the Frost were already blend their thrash auditory sensation with dour , symphonious flourishes . There ’s an undeniable cinematic element to the album , something Metallica embraced with … And Justice For AllandThe Black Album .
Metallica would even go on to " butcher " the album ’s second trail , " The Usurper " . Or at least that ’s consort to Celtic Frost frontman Tom Gabriel Fischer who toldRolling Stonein 2019 :
" They [ Metallica ] butchered it , and it was humbling . Why do n’t they pass on their millionaire finger off it ? They ’ve long lost the ability to play true metal in my vox populi . perhaps I should go onstage and do a really paltry reading of ' dispatch The Lights ' with , like , 200 misapprehension to set the balance . "
fight words , but ' To Mega Therion ' is something of a sacred moo-cow not only among Gaelic Frost , but with thrash fan in universal .
66. Coroner - No More Color (1989)
Key Tracks:Die By My Hand, D.O.A., Tunnel Of Pain
Speaking of Celtic Frost , here ’s their roadies - no joke ! The fellow member of Coroner were all employ as Celtic Frost ’s road crowd , get down their start spread up gigs for aforesaid banding .
In fact , the stria was so dedicated to their mean solar day jobs , Coroner did n’t even right tour as a band until 1989 - six years after forming and after two full - distance albums under their belt . No More Coloris the band ’s third and undecomposed record album . It grooves , it moves , andone listen is all it takes to understand Coroner ’s report as " the spate of thrash metal " .
There ’s an availability component to Coroner ’s medicine that former entries have lacked : these beau stand at adequate strong suit with The Big Four in all regards , particularly in term of Megadeth ’s instrumental precision ( turn over those frigid , punctilious leads ! ) and Slayer ’s caustic outspoken approach . No More Coloris one of thrash ’s best album by one of thrash ’s best band . Period .
55. Sepultura - Beneath The Remains (1989)
Key Tracks: Inner Self, Mass Hypnosis, Slaves Of Pain
1989 was such a watershed year for thrash metal that any " best of " list will always be enceinte with albums baring that date . It was prime time for the music genre before it peaked and element of its audio became watered down for tuner play as the ' 90s took over .
Brazil ’s Sepultura had no such deigns on mainstream accessibility at this point in their career . 1989’sBeneath The corpse , their third full - distance offering , stillsaw the band as raw as ever but inching in on the Bay Area melodic thrash made famous by Metallica and Megadeath . Except Sepultura ’s vocals and rhythm guitar were way heavier ; akin to Anthrax ’s penchant for rocking their gritrock in bicycle-built-for-two with their groove .
Frontman Max Cavalera ’s vocals are tape recondite and ironic . He has a bark almost alike to the New York City Hardcore stripe that were operating at the same time ( Cromags , Murphy ’s Law , Agnostic Front ) and it really aid Sepultura stand aside . While the technical side of thrash in 1989 was definitely clenched fist - in - the - air , the purposeful groove - orient offerings heard onBeneath … are pure rush to the ground . It ’s a mosh pit classic .
44. Testament - The Legacy (1987)
Key Tracks: Over The Wall, Burnt Offerings, Alone In The Dark
A potent contender for a position in the alternative property ’s Big Five , Testament crafted an instant classic in the capably titledThe Legacy . Lead guitar player Alex Skolnick imbibe the entire album with utterly rip up solos that are as technically impressive as they are earwormingly catchy .
This is the auditory sensation of Bay Area thresh . Testament made an album as good as Metallica or Megadeth ’s estimable , no inquiry . The trouble ? They might have peak too early on . While 1988’sThe New Orderand 1989’sPractice What You Preachare strong , neither did much to expand what ’s already heard here on their debut , so much as show the band polish their sound to less riposte ..
That ’s fine , but unlike The Big Four who all bested their debut albums , it examine slenderly less thrilling to be a Testament lover as time exhibit on . Still , The Legacyis an undisputed indispensable ( as isThe New Order ) for any thrash enthusiast , with the tardy album caterpillar tread " Alone In The Dark " showing the type of increase that most bands take years to develop .
33. Voivod - Killing Technology (1987)
Key tracks: Killing Technology, Tornado, Forgotten In Space
You could take any one of the five Voivod albums the banding released in the 80s and put it on this list - they ’re all classic . 1987’sKilling Technologygets our selection for top spot . Why ? It ’s just such a wholly conceived and fulfil work that brim with originality .
The world of Voivod is n’t always an immediate sell for the first prison term attender . They ’re a banding not beholden to any rigid metal genre or recess . The long - run Montrealers combine punk , prog rock’n’roll , and thrash metal , then layer their strait with heavy sci - fi themes and concepts , delivered by the one - of - a - kind phonation of Denis " Snake " Bélanger .
All - the - while , there ’s a melodic hard-core bent to their music that ’s fairly of anomaly in thrash . The dance band knows its path around catchy hooks , be they outspoken atomic number 82 or in the dance band ’s sometimes dreamy guitars that seem to hold and stretch out their Riff for maximal impact .
No one sounds quite like Voivod , yet their influence spans through to all the banding that make up The Big Four ( Metallica ’s Jason Newsted joined Voivod from 2001 - 2008 and Voivoid ’s influence on Anthrax ’s 1990 masterpiecePersistence of Timeis undeniable ) . They ’re your favorite metal band ’s favorite metal band , but once you ’re commute , you ’re sure to be a lifelong member of the cult -Killing Technologymakes a great invocation . Join today !
22. Dark Angel - Darkness Descends (1986)
Key Tracks: Darkness Descends, The Burning Of Sodom, Black Prophecies
The sound of the double recoil membranophone that introducesDarkness Descendstitle track is the equivalent weight of auditory butter to any dependable hesher ’s ears . Just ask Metallica , who ( allegedly ) stole it outright for their worldwide knock One ( see the 1:05 minute mug , if you do n’t believe me ) .
clock in at 35 minutes , Dark Angel ’s 1986 chef-d’oeuvre is a fast and crushing event study in metallic element beau ideal . Everything work here . This is thrash incarnate -the prick vocals , the growl guitar , the blazing blistering solos , the fat accents of the surprisingly fatheaded , complex bass voice … It ’s all cranked to eleven . But it ’s the membranophone that really makeDarkness Descendsa classic .
Drummer Gene Hogland does n’t toy behind the beat , or in front of it - he ’s absolutely on time , every metre . He ’s easily one of thrash ’s greatest drummer and onDarkness Descends , he realise every strain abide out .
11. Kreator - Extreme Aggression (1989)
Key Tracks: No Reason To Exist, Stream Of Consciousness, Betrayer
For fans of The Big Four who are looking for something intimate , but … scarier , Kreator’sExtreme Aggressionis it . All the hallmarks of early Metallica , Megadeath , and Slayer can be heard in the band ’s razor sharp riffage ( here append by ex-husband - Sodom guitarist Frank Blackfire ) , except everything else that ’s on presentation is forte , faster , and angrier than almost all the band ’s thrash coevals .
Drummer Ventor kicks off the album , hit the peel with ferocious f number like a man possess . speak of a gentleman’s gentleman possessed … Frontman Mille Petrozza might just be that . Even take into score of the top - notch euphony , Mille is the highlight of the album , spitting his misanthropic lyrics like a caustic business leader .
Extreme Aggressionbookends all the groovy Kreator album that add up before it ( and after it ) , coalescing everything great about a great band . If you ’re a fan of The Big Four , Kreator , like all the band on this leaning , are a worthy addition to your stereoscopic photograph . dally aloud , play often !
