Blog

Introduction

These are all the artists from the Beginner and Medium Thrasher series. Overtime the 3.0 series will be added. There are also quick links to the whole series from here.

Beginner Series

1. A.R.G -
2. Assassin -
3. Anthrax -
4. Artillery -
5. Annihilator -
6. Aggression –
7. Avenger Of Blood -
8. Accept –
9. Acid Drinkers -
10. Agent Steel -
11. Abattoir -
12. Betrayer -
13. Battered -
14. Blessed Death -
15. Blood Feast –
16. Blind Illusion -
17. Believer –
18. Bywar -
19. Bewitched -
20. Bonded By Blood –
21. Cerebral Fix -
22. Cranium -
23. Carnivore -
24. Cryptic Slaughter -
25. Coroner -
26. D.A.M –
27. Dead Horse -
28. Dead Head -
29. Dekapitator -
30. D.B.C. -
31. Dark Angel -
32. Death Angel -
33. D.R.I. –
34. Destroyer 666 -
35. Destruction -
36. Evildead -
37. Exciter -
38. Exumer -
39. Excel -
40. Exhorder -
41. Evile -
42. Exorcist –
43. Exodus -
44. Flotsam and Jetsam -
45. Forbidden –
46. Gama Bomb -
47. Hirax -
48. Hexenhaus -
49. Heathen -
50. Holy Moses -
51. Holy Terror –
52. Iron Angel -
53. Invocator -
54. Intruder (US) -
55. Kreator -
56. Living Death –
57. Laaz Rockit -
58. Legion of the Damned -
59. Mortal Sin –
60. Metal Church -
61. Morbid Saint -
62. Merciless Death -
63. Megadeth -
64. Metallica –
65. Municipal Waste -
66. Nuclear Assault -
67. Nasty Savage –
68. Overdose -
69. Overkill -
70. Onslaught-
71. Protector –
72. Re-Animator -
73. Realm -
74. Razor -
75. Rigor Mortis –
76. Sepultura -
77. Sanctuary -
78. Sacred Reich -
79. Sacrifice -
80. S.O.D. -
81. Suicidal Tendencies -
82. SSS (a.k.a Short Sharp Shock) -
83. Sodom -
84. Slayer -
85. Stone (FIN) -
86. Sarcófago –
87. Sabbat –
88. Twelfth Gate -
89. Testament -
90. Tankard -
91. Toxik -
92. Toxic Holocaust –
93. Wargasm -
94. Warbringer -
95. Whiplash -
96. Voivod -
97. Vulcano -
98. Volcano -
99. Vio-Lence -
100. Xentrix -

Medium Series

1. Accuser
2. Acid Reign
3. Annihilated
4. Asmodis
5. Atrophy
6. At War
7. Bitter End
8. Blitzkrieg
9. Ceremony
10. Cyclone
11. Deathrow
12. Demolition Hammer
13. Desaster
14. Dyoxen
15. E-X-E
16. Eliminator
17. Executioner
18. Forced Entry (US)
19. Fuck Off (SPA)
20. Fueled by Fire
21. Gammacide
22. Gothic Slam
23. Grinder
24. Hallows Eve
25. Hatesphere
26. Hellish Crossfire,
27. Hypnosia
28. Imagika
29. Lich King
30. Mace
31. Manipulated Slaves
32. Mega Mosh
33. Meliah Rage
34. Meltdown (US)
35. Negligence
36. Num Skull
37. Obliveon
38. Ripping Corpse
39. Ritual Carnage
40. Sacrament
41. Sadus
42. SDI
43. Serpent Obscene
44. Skullbreaker
45. Space Eater
46. Temple of Blood
47. Vendetta
48. Viking
49. Violator
50. Violent Force
51. Voice of Destruction
52. Watchtower
53. Wehrmacht
54. Wolf Spider

Links

Volume 1.0
Volume 1.1
Volume 1.2
Volume 1.3
Volume 1.4
Volume 1.5
Volume 1.6
Volume 1.7
Volume 1.8
Volume 1.9
Volume 2.0
Volume 2.1
Volume 2.2
Volume 2.3
Volume 2.4
Volume 2.5

Introduction

Another round of Thrash artists that you possibly never heard of! This time I will be underlining the albums recommended and you can click on the artist link to buy them or download them. If you want more help just PM me and I can list you all the sites I download/buy from.

Past Log

Volume 2 Season

Volume 2.0
Volume 2.1
Volume 2.2
Volume 2.3
Volume 2.4

Volume 2.0

At War, Sadus, Vendetta, Demolition Hammer, Violator, Deathrow, Atrophy, Fueled by Fire, Wehrmacht, Viking


Journal 2.5

Blitzkrieg “Holy Inscription”

Skullbreaker

On their debut album “Total Thrash Terror”, Skullbreaker, performed a sort of old thrash meets groove metal. It starts off with a pounding intro and a screaming maniac which makes you feel very nervous about the whole album. They are kind of annoying but after a few songs they calm down and begin to take a surprising hold of you. The backing is very good and quite technical. The guitars draw you in with a speed thrash sense off catchiness and spontaneous solos. Spread throughout there is tremendous capacity of variety but also room for improvement. The drums show this with the style being very technical with great creative skills with the sticks. Their mid-paced efforts of “Mighty Hunter” and “Why” wind down the album with great measure. At first it seems the singer just ran-out of steam in the studio but then it dawns on you that they were just giving the listener the breather. Overall, a very good one-off band, apparently active but I doubt they actually are.

E-X-E – “Stricken By Might”

Manipulated Slaves – “Burst Into Blue Flame”, “Over The Black Ocean” and “Oath in Black Tears”

Serpent Obscene

The late nineties were pretty affluent with the new school thrash bands and here is one of them. Serpent Obscene, with their self titled album, created a low production thrash influenced that aimed on speed over progression but it perfectly lays down what it is there to do. Other reviewers disliked their debut album because of its low thrash grunts, monotonous riffs with inadequate hooks to keep it a little bit interesting and yes the extremely fast drums that show no recollection of technique other than smashing them to pieces. However, all this leads to the point that thrash is meant to have the same formula, the same speed and the same type of vocals throughout and this band does exactly that. Their debut is a terrific piece of thrash material but later on their career it seems to go a bit down hill.

Obliveon

Extreme progressive thrash metal artists do not often astray too far from the boundaries of progressive metal. However, the band that changed my view on the best progressive band (That of Mekong Delta) came to be Obliveon. At first the name reminds you of a sort of hipster band like Metallica, but idiotic names do tend to do actual good music once in awhile. The vocals are crisp, clean and effective that pays homage to bands like Overkill or Deathwish. This is carried on by the extremely catchy and mid-paced riffs that bind together the technical drumming, from Alain Demers who edges the band to technical thrash metal with his extreme variety, action packed drum work and fills. Overall, the band is more or less an mid-paced Overkill with their ‘fast’ extracts from songs being the mid-paced version of Overkill’s. A very well crafted album and band with a lot of good albums within their solid discography to keep any budding thrash fan’s interest. Other Albums: “Nemesis” and “Cybervoid”

Mace – “Process of Elimination”


Next Volume

Advanced 3.0: The next journal will be in a slightly different format. The thash metal bands i see fit to be in the 'advanced' section will be collected overtime and I will display this list in the journal. Each artist will have an unique rating in which album will be in bold and the score out of 100 will be displayed. This is for after you have seriously checked through all of this section and the beginner section as the advanced section will not have long descriptions, well it will have nothing at all, just ratings and albums Extras: Where can you buy Thrash?, Conclusion, Groups.

Starter Journals

Volume 1.0
Volume 1.1
Volume 1.2
Volume 1.3
Volume 1.4
Volume 1.5
Volume 1.6
Volume 1.7
Volume 1.8
Volume 1.9



Connections

D.A.M, Cerebral Fix, Betrayer, Battered, Avenger Of Blood, Living Death, Mortal Sin, Voivod, Dekapitator, AggressionVulcano, Re-Animator, Wargasm, Acid Drinkers, Dead Horse, Dead Head, Cranium, Overdose, Bywar, BewitchedAnnihilator, Carnivore, D.B.C., Warbringer, Hirax, Accept, Sepultura, Twelfth Gate, Volcano, Metal ChurchHexenhaus, Cryptic Slaughter, Flotsam and Jetsam, Sanctuary, Morbid Saint, Toxic Holocaust, Tankard, Agent Steel, Gama Bomb, Merciless DeathVio-Lence, Toxik, Evildead, Exciter, Sacred Reich, Sacrifice, Artillery, Realm, Blessed Death, Blood FeastS.O.D., Exumer, Razor, Dark Angel, Whiplash, Heathen, Laaz Rockit, Holy Moses, Holy Terror, Blind Illusion
Excel,Exhorder,Suicidal Tendencies ,Death Angel,Iron Angel,D.R.I.,Assassin,SSS (a.k.a Short Sharp Shock), Bonded By Blood, Evile
Believer,Rigor Mortis,Legion of the Damned,Nuclear Assault,Testament ,Coroner,Municipal Waste,Overkill, Forbidden,Exodus Sabbat, Xentrix,OnslaughtDestruction,Anthrax,Kreator,Sodom,Metallica,Megadeth,Slayer
Invocator Stone (FINProtectorSarcófago A.R.GExorcistNasty SavageAbattoir Intruder (US) Destroyer 666

Introduction

Another round of Thrash artists that you possibly never heard of! This time I will be underlining the albums recommended and you can click on the artist link to buy them or download them. If you want more help just PM me and I can list you all the sites I download/buy from.

Past Log

Volume 2 Season

Volume 2.0
Volume 2.1
Volume 2.2
Volume 2.3

Volume 2.0

At War, Sadus, Vendetta, Demolition Hammer, Violator, Deathrow, Atrophy, Fueled by Fire, Wehrmacht, Viking

Volume 2.1

Violent Force, Voice of Destruction, Wolf Spider, Hellish Crossfire, Hallows Eve, Hatesphere, Acid Reign, Bitter End, Eliminator, Forced Entry (US)

Volume 2.2

SDI, Gammacide, Watchtower, Meltdown (US), Mega Mosh, Gothic Slam, Grinder, Cyclone, Fuck Off (SPA), Executioner

Volume 2.3

Lich King, Num Skull, Desaster, Dyoxen, Annihilated, Imagika, Negligence, Ripping Corpse, Meliah Rage, Space Eater


Journal 2.4

Ritual Carnage

Born out of the 90’s recession period for thrash, Ritual Carnage has forged a very deserving career. The album “The Highest Law” was their first of this and is reviewed here. The vocals run nicely between a variety of growls and thrash grunts which are rather like Legion of the Damned with a style of an early death metal band accompanying it. The riffs move in the same vain which keeps the songs vibrant, exciting and catchy with excellent song writing to match. The drums are solid and use enough variety to keep you tracked with each and every song. Overall, these guys are very good for what they do, but that is all they are good for. Thrash metal at its most thrash, sticking to the formula and driving on. Other Recommended albums: “I, Infidel”

Ceremony – “The Days Before The Death”

Hypnosia

From the mid-nineties this fast and furious Teutonic thrash influenced band rose and released one of the best earl 21st century albums in the world of thrash. “Extreme Hatred” pounds down with screaming vocals, gut wrenching riff structure and catchy toning with drilling drums all synchronising a truly unstoppable machine. The album contains a lot of influences from the top German 80’s bands such as Sodom and Kreator with a modern touch on Teutonic thrash as well.

Sacrament : “Haunts of Violence”

Accuser/ Accu§er

Like most German 80’s thrash metal bands, Accuser, uses a formula that works and keeps to it. Throughout “The Conviction”, the riffs and drums keep the basis of the song writing, whilst the vocals drive you to shout out the choruses and random phrases as it is so catchy to do so. Their career has spanned over the years and with various break ups and fallen outs a long the way, the band has not have much like with albums after their debut. However, “Repent” forged a incredible footing once more for the band, making incredible reviews. Sadly, the band’s troubles led to inconsistency through the 90’s. The band have made a come back demo called “Remain” which is a return of their debut days.

Temple of Blood – “Prepare For The Judgement Of Mankind”

Asmodis

In the midst of speed thrash, the German metalheads drew the line between good thrash and okay thrash in the 90’s recession. Their only album “Fahr Zur Holle Pfleischmutze” is a hit and miss sort of album but it does a duty for the dying scene. This fast pace piece of art is critical in its structure but tends to fall from focus in places, especially in their more ‘technical’ long tracks like Thee Awakening. Although, a good structural album this lack of focus cost them a future, but gave us a bit of history as it marked the end of old thrash.

Next Journal Includes

Volume 2.5

Blitzkrieg, Skullbreaker, E-X-E, Manipulated, Serpent Obscene, Obliveon, Mace


Starter Journals

Volume 1.0
Volume 1.1
Volume 1.2
Volume 1.3
Volume 1.4
Volume 1.5
Volume 1.6
Volume 1.7
Volume 1.8
Volume 1.9



Connections

D.A.M, Cerebral Fix, Betrayer, Battered, Avenger Of Blood, Living Death, Mortal Sin, Voivod, Dekapitator, AggressionVulcano, Re-Animator, Wargasm, Acid Drinkers, Dead Horse, Dead Head, Cranium, Overdose, Bywar, BewitchedAnnihilator, Carnivore, D.B.C., Warbringer, Hirax, Accept, Sepultura, Twelfth Gate, Volcano, Metal ChurchHexenhaus, Cryptic Slaughter, Flotsam and Jetsam, Sanctuary, Morbid Saint, Toxic Holocaust, Tankard, Agent Steel, Gama Bomb, Merciless DeathVio-Lence, Toxik, Evildead, Exciter, Sacred Reich, Sacrifice, Artillery, Realm, Blessed Death, Blood FeastS.O.D., Exumer, Razor, Dark Angel, Whiplash, Heathen, Laaz Rockit, Holy Moses, Holy Terror, Blind Illusion
Excel,Exhorder,Suicidal Tendencies ,Death Angel,Iron Angel,D.R.I.,Assassin,SSS (a.k.a Short Sharp Shock), Bonded By Blood, Evile
Believer,Rigor Mortis,Legion of the Damned,Nuclear Assault,Testament ,Coroner,Municipal Waste,Overkill, Forbidden,Exodus Sabbat, Xentrix,OnslaughtDestruction,Anthrax,Kreator,Sodom,Metallica,Megadeth,Slayer
Invocator Stone (FINProtectorSarcófago A.R.GExorcistNasty SavageAbattoir Intruder (US) Destroyer 666

Whether due to the steady culmination of a cult following, fan pressure, snaky cashgrabs (*cough, cough, Pestilence, cough*), or simply the will to show the new kids on the block how it's done, waves and waves metalbands have been reforming left and right over the last few years, doing tours, releasing new material (for good or bad), and generally kicking ass. This journal is a little tool I'm going to use to keep track of who's back together, and who (in my opinion) still needs to get their ass in gear.

If you think I'm missing something please leave a comment.

Reunited/Reformed-
Abdullah
The Accüsed
Amebix
Anacrusis
Angel Witch
Artillery
Asphyx
Atheist
Autopsy
Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell- Get well soon Dio!
Blood Farmers
Blind Illusion
Brocas Helm
Burzum
Carnivore
Comus (Not metal, but who cares...)
Confessor
Count Raven
Cynic
Deathrow (US, Pre-Pentagram)
Decapitated
Divine Eve
D.R.I.
Exhorder
Forbidden
Goatsnake
Goreaphobia
Gorguts
Hellwitch
Hirax
Hobbs' Angel of Death (Though MA classifies them as "on hold")
Holy Moses
Immortal
Insanity
Inure
Invocator
Living Death
Lykathé/Lykathea Aflame - Tomas Corn (Nov 25, 2009): "We just started to work on new album yesterday (after many years of "sleeping")"
Master's Hammer
Mekong Delta
Morbid Saint/Hallowcore
Mortal Sin
Nihilist
Nocturnus
Order From Chaos
Pestilence
Possessed
Revelation
Rigor Mortis
Saint Vitus
Sadus
Sleep - U.S. Reunion Tour slated for Sept. 2010
Sororicide
Thorr's Hammer (come to the U.S., damnit!)
Toxik
Trouble
Unorthodox
Watchtower
Whiplash
Witchfinder General

Best get their asses in gear-
Acid Bath
Control Denied (sans Schuldiner)
Coroner
Desolation Angels (*with* Dave Wall)
diSEMBOWELMENT
The Gault
Godspeed You! Black Emperor (not metal, don't care)
Grotesque (the one-off show didn't cut it!)
Holy Terror (again)
Mindrot
Molested
Moonshine (please!!)
Necrovore
Nirvana 2002 (Swe)
Only Living Witness (again)
Paul Chain (just needs to play doom again)
Psychotic Waltz
Ripping Corpse
Sacrilege (UK)
Sortilège
Swans
Timeghoul
Vio-Lence
Wake Up On Fire - R.I.P. Kevin Hannigan
Weakling

Ho trovato questo coso nel profilo di un altro tizio. Sembra spassoso perciò mi metto a farlo. Se non ho palesemente frainteso il tutto, il numero per ogni domanda corrisponde a una determinata posizione nella mia classifica band (attuale ovvio).

1. How did you get into 29?
Dark Angel ahh boh, probabilmente me ne ha parlato GK

2. What was the first song you ever heard by 22?
Gamma Ray penso quel capolavoro di Beyond the Black Hole

3. What’s your favorite lyric by 30?
M.O.D. Aren't you Hungry! "Don't you know you can't grow anything in sand" (ok per questa ho barato, ma non ne conosco di testi dei Mega Mosh :F)

4. What is your favorite album by 49?
Heathen direi Breaking the Silence

5. How many albums by 13 do you own?
Overkill purtroppo ora come ora solo The Years of Decay

6. What is your favorite song by 50?
Riot Thundersteel

7. Is there a song by 39 that makes you sad?
Hallows Eve no?

8. What is your favorite album by 15?
Holy Moses Finished with the Dogs for the win!!!

9. What is your favorite song by 5?
Anthrax NFL o AIR

10. Is there a song by 6 that makes you happy?
S.O.D. iii un sacco, una su tutte Milk!

11. What is your favorite album by 40?
Hirax Raging Violence! Questo gioco sta diventando ripetitivo

12. What is your favorite song by 10?
Tankard Empty Tankard, oppure Chemical Invasion

13. What is a good memory you have involving 30?
M.O.D. boh. Io che li ascolto?

14. What is your favorite song by 38?
Iron Maiden Flash of the Blade!

15. Is there a song by 19 that makes you happy?
Onkel Tom Angelripper direi tutte!

16. How many times have you seen 25 live?
Bolt Thrower 0

17. What is the first song you ever heard by 23?
D.R.I. Snap!

18. What is your favorite album by 11?
Municipal Waste Waste 'Em All!

19. Who is a favorite member of 1?
Megadeth Jimmy De Grasso. ahah. No scherzo, Mustaine.

20. Have you ever seen 14 live?
Artillery se, magari...

21. What is a good memory involving 27?
Carnivore io che imparo a suonare Thermonuclear Warrior

22. What is your favorite song by 16?
Toxic Holocaust Death from Above

23.What is the first song you ever heard by 47?
Armored Saint March of the Saint

24. What is your favorite album by 18?
Testament The Legacy

25. What is your favorite song by 21?
Desperados Jumpin' from the Running Train, questo gioco è pizzopalloso

26. What is the first song you ever heard by 26?
Nuclear Assault Live Suffer Die

27. What is your favorite album by 3?
Metallica Kill 'Em All che poi è il mio preferito in assoluto

28. What is your favorite song by 2?
Sodom Nuclia Uinta!

29. What was the first song you ever heard by 32?
The Dubliners Whiskey in the Jar

30.What is your favorite song by 8?
Toxik Heart heart heart heart HEART ATTACK!

31. How many times have you seen 12 live?
Kreator 0. Ho visto tre gruppi live, sarà difficile che il gioco azzecchi il loro numero

32.Is there a song by 44 that makes you happy?
Warbringer definisci "felice".

33.What is your favorite album by 56?
Voldemort Death Eater. E' un ep ma di album non credo ne abbian fatti

34. What is the worst song by 1 ?
Megadeth "simbolicamente" Crush 'Em perchè è una truzzata colossale. Dico simbolicamente perchè alla fin fine mi piace pure!

35. What was the first song you ever heard by 41?
Forbidden... you're all welcome in thechurch of lies!

36.What is your favorite album by 25?
Bolt Thrower Realms of Chaos per il concept, War Master per i contenuti musicali

37. How many times have you seen 43 live?
Jag Panzer iii sì, perchè non mi chiedi Mozart...

38. What is your favorite song by 24?
Bathory Dies Irae, ma i Bathory son così in alto?

39. What is your favorite album by 7?
Exodus Bonded by Blood ma pure Fabulous è lì lì

40.What was the first song you ever heard by 28?
Coroner ah boh, penso l' intro di RIP... canzone canzone direi Reborn Through Hate

41. Is there a song by 20 that makes you happy?
Sacred Reich lol certo, 31 flavors!

42.What is your favorite album by 41?
Forbidden domanda da un milione di dollari. Nel complesso direi Twisted into Form

43. What is your favorite album by 33?
Destruction altra domandona... Eternal Devastation

44. What is a good memory you have involving 46?
Violator lol i dunno \_(é-ò)_/

45. What is your favorite song by 52?
Metal Storm Outbreak of Evil o IV Reich o Hiroshima

46. Is there a song by 9 that makes you happy?
Gama Bomb tutte! Ma direi Hammer Slammer più di ogni altra

47. What is your favorite album by 4?
Slayer Reign in Blood per valore affettivo

48. Who is a favorite member of 33?
Destruction Schmier ma solo perchè fa il cuoco (mi pare...)

49. What is the first song you ever heard by 44?
Warbringer total war

50. How many albums do you own by 19?
Onkel Tom Angelripper purtroppo nessuno ma un giorno avrò la sua/loro discografia!

1. Be violent.
2. Be aggressive.
3. Show hate.
4. If you can't show hate, show some anger.
5. But not St. Anger.
6. You are forbidden to show emotions.
7. Well, you can show anger.
8. But not St. Anger.
9. Never, ever, under any circumstances smile. Smiling is gay.
10. Thus, Anthrax is the gayest band ever.
11. Sing about killing, raping, torturing and destroying people.
12. Have no courage for even killing an ant.
13. Old-School thrash is the only thrash.
14. Comeback albums are not.
15. Don't be James Hetfield.
16. Don't be Dave Mustaine.
17. DON'T listen to punk, punk is gay.
18. Secretly, listen to the Misfits.
19. Hate new bands, old-school thrash is the only thrash.
20. Hate crossovers, old-school thrash is the only thrash.
21. If you run out of ideas, remember: life sucks, goverment sucks, you reject this fucking place, you despise this fucking race.
22. No matter if you are 15, say that you remember seeing those news about the death of Cliff Burton.
23. Say that you cried.
24. Aha!
25. 80's were the best time for thrash, try to be born in the 60's-70's to release your best album during that period.
26. Release your best album in 1986.
27. If you can't, you can do it in 1987.
28. After the 90's forget about thrash, 90's are so... unthrash!.
29. You have two options:
30. a) Split your band up.
31. b) Make some trash metal:
32. You can go heavy: anth... mega...
33. Or tribal: sepul...
34. Maybe industrial: krea...
35. Also country: met...
36. Even punky: sod...
37. If you split your band up in early 90's you've got permission to reform in early 2000's, and release one or two albums, then split again.
38. If you didn't break up, pretend to release a comeback album, after a decade of shit.
39. Kindly refer to rule #14, and madly to rule #5.
40. Own hundreds of old-school demos and albums.
41. Own Master Of Puppets.
42. Actually, listen only to this album.
43. Well, and maybe Reign in Blood.
44. Keep complaining about Metallica selling out.
45. Keep complaining about Megadeth selling out.
46. Keep complaining about [random bandname here] selling out.
47. Ballads are gay.
48. Naming a song "The Ballad" is even more GAY.
49. Keep this in mind, you were not a child.
50. And when you were, your childhood was full of sorrow.
51. But at least you didn't got molested, leave that for Nu Metal suckers.
52. Remember about your mother and father - and the undying spite you feel for them.
53. Acoustic guitars are limited to showing proeficiency, or intros/outros/interludes.
54. Release an album consisting of punk covers, this is not optional.
55. Remember, for riffs, you only have two strings, the 6th and 5th.
56. For solos you only have one, the 1st, maybe the 2nd.
57. You are forbidden to growl, unless you are from Germany.
58. Or from Brazil.
59. You are not Kreator, nor Sodom nor Destruction, and you never will be.
60. Try to be them.
61. Don't be death metal, death is dumb.
62. Don't be black metal, black is dumb.
63. Music theory? gimmie a break!!
64. Don't be progressive, progressive is dumb.
65. Hate any subgenre influenced by thrash, read rule #13.
66. Feel the fire of thrash burning your soul.
67. Not your body!!!!, read rule #15.
68. Look at you, your feelings turn stronger than hate!!!.
69. Sing a lot against religion, about killing Jesus and so on.
70. Claim to be roman catholic even if you do so.
71. Or claim to be atheist, and remember, Satan is funny, nazis were funny, serial killers are funny, shame on you Kerry King!
72. Only one member is allowed to sing.
73. Well, other members can scream at choruses.
74. Allowed words are: Die! Kill! Hell! Hey!
75. Don't have friends, friendship is gay.
76. Don't have girlfriends, that's gay.
77. What?!
78. Death metal's hostillity towards gayness is borrowed from thrash metal's. (read Death Metal rules, of course don't follow them).
79. When naming your favorite bands, always name Metallica first.
80. Forget about those bands which have the sound you have searched for years.
81. If you are from Brazil, name your band after a coffin related thing: Sepultura, Sarcófago, and so on.
82. San Francisco shores used to be good for writing thrash in the 80's.
83. Power-Thrash: what?! Aggressive dragons?
84. Death-Thrash: read rule 61.
85. Black-Thrash: haven't you read rule 62 yet? Also, black is so... unthrash
86. Progressive-Thrash: read rule 64
87. Post-Thrash: post-thrash is forbidden, read rule #13.
88. Secretly listen to Pantera.
89. I mean, secretly listen to their first albums.
90. Gotcha! You are gay!
91. No matter if it's legal now, sue Napster!!!
92. Asking for melodic thrash bands its the gayest thing that someone could ever do.
93. ---"Seriously, can you recommend me a melodic thrash band?"---
94. Death, Death Angel, Dark Angel, Morbid Angel, Morbid Saint - THESE BANDS ARE NOT THE SAME!!!
95. Five more to go!
96. Write rules for thrash metal, its a chick magnet.
97. Reading rules for thrash metal its also a chick magnet
98. Kill Bob Rock!
99. Ask Rick Rubin to do that.
100. Be enemy of your fellow thrashers.
101. Done!

Sodom
Venom
Megadeth
Metallica
Sepultura
Kreator
Exodus
Cancer
Slayer
Coroner
Testament
Tankard
Artillery
Sadus
Motörhead

Here were are back again, ready for some more thrashing action. In my previous sections I focused on Thrash from the States and Germany, and so for this I’ll continue on the geographical theme and focus on bands from the rest of the world .Whereas the US and Germany both made immeasurable contributions to Thrash, bands from other countries did their fair share.

Anvil: A band only just now getting its due after toiling for three decades in relative obscurity. Anvil were among the innovators of Thrash, but despite being innovators and influential in the field, they were never a proper Thrash act. Their thrashiest album, Plugged in Permanent, is also arguably their worst. Anvil seemed at their best when they wrote songs that were heavy but still maintained a degree of restraint and catchiness. Today they might not sound like much, but when songs like 666, Mothra and March of the Crabs were released to an unsuspecting public in 1982, they were the closest thing to what we know call Thrash. Hence they helped sow the seeds for Thrash Metal as well as proved influential on Power Metal. Rec albums: Forged in Fire, Metal on Metal.

Artillery: A band that packed a bigger punch than the Schwere Gustav and about a thousand times as deadly, this howitzer of a band hailed from Denmark. Their opening barrage in their discography, Fear of Tomorrow, was an album bursting at the seems with Thrashy intensity, but even early on, this band showed a keen musical intelligence, incorporating technicality and more melodic passages without sacrificing intensity or aggression. This would only grow exponentially as the band continued on, releasing their masterpiece By Inheritance in 1990, an album whose progressive nature is matched only by its visceral strength. This is an album that deserves to be mentioned with all the other Thrash classics like Reign in Blood and Darkness Descends . Rec albums: Fear of Tomorrow, By Inheritance, Terror Squad.

Celtic Frost: Frost were among what’s now known as the first wave of Black Metal, but they were also firmly in the Thrash Metal camp for their best work. As well all know, Frost began as Hellhammer, a band of Swiss misfits who recorded a few demos before breaking up, trying to out-Venom Venom, and far surpassing them, and becoming something of a cult band and whose low-fi recordings were a wellspring of inspiration to Black Metal. This led to the formation of Celtic Frost. What I like best about Frost’s Thrash period is the unconventional riffing which is equal parts catchy and heavy. Tom Warrior’s decidedly un professional solos fit snugly within the band’s sound. To Mega Therion showed some experimentation in their sound, proving that Thrash wasn’t just about double bass drums and tremolo picking. Frost provided the kind of innovation that can only be supplied by autodidacts. Tom Warrior was also influential on another Swiss band, the almighty Coroner, providing vocals on their Death Cult demo. Rec albums: Morbid Tales, Emperor's Return, To Mega Therion.

Hobbs’ Angel of Death: The brainchild of guitarist and vocalist Peter Hobbs, HAOD were among the first Metal bands to emerge from Australia and to reach an international audience. Hobbs helped pave the way for such great Aussie bands as Alchemist, Destroyer 666 and others. Due to their name, they were unfairly dismissed in some quarters as being Slayer derivatives. But a close listen reveals this to be untrue. They weren’t the most original of bands but they weren’t plagiarizing one. Hobbs were a tried and true Thrash band, inhabiting all the standard formulas of the genre and fulfilling them with ease. They weren’t the greatest of bands, but they were very good at what they did. I wouldn’t call them essential, but nevertheless I do feel they’re underrated in many quarters. Rec albums: Hobbs’ Angel of Death.

Infernal Majesty: Like many other bands I’ve written about, Infernal Majesty are a band who recorded a monster of a debut album that hinted at future greatness, only to encounter insurmountable obstacles that prevented that greatness from fully manifesting itself. None Shall Defy is among the greatest debut albums in Thrashdom, probably in all of metal period. NSD is like a rawer take on Show no Mercy. There is the usual satanic imagery, fast sections that make you band your head into oblivion. But then, you’ll be headbanging along furiously, and the song slows down suddenly. But unlike most other bands who weave in slower sections in thrash, Infernal Majesty do it well. There’s no loss of momentum which is the usual result of said tempo change, if anything it serves to increase the momentum, leave you eagerly anticipating the breakneck fast part that’s just lurking around the corner. The songwriting on this album is a thing to behold and its what makes it such a great album. The band would encounter the usual lineup changes, inability to find a record deal, etc. Although they’re active now and still record decent material, they sound like a shell of themselves. Rec album: None Shall Defy

Mortal Sin: Mortal Sin were probably the biggest Thrash band to emerge from down under. I wouldn’t call them an essential band but they did release some good material while they were around. Their debut is also their best release, 1987's Mayhemic Destruction gets tagged as being fairly Metallica inspired. While that inspiration is clearly there, this isn’t plagiarism either. Mayhemic Destruction gave the band a foothold on the international scene, with many publications heralding them as the next big thing to happen in Thrash. But sadly that wasn’t to happen. Their follow-up, 1989's Face of Despair is a decent album but inferior to the debut. After this release, the band imploded in a morass of line up changes and litigation. This band has released little of note since. Rec album: Mayhemic Destruction.

Obliveon (Can): A band very much inspired by Voivod’s technical and cyber approach, but with the strength of personality to pave their own path. Although this band formed in the late 1980s, it wasn’t until the early 90's that they found a label and began releasing full lengths. Of course the 90s was a very tough decade for Thrash as most bands disbanded, went groove or were producing subpar material. For them to thrive in such an environment is a testament to their skill as much as their perseverance. Obliveon’s first release was 1987's Whimsical Uproar demo, one of the better Thrash demos I’ve heard. It’s a short recording that captured a young band already fully matured. Their sound was technical but not on the same level as a band like latter Voivod or Watchtower but still geared primarily towards songwriting and aggression. At their peak I would say they sounded something like Nothingface era Voivod but with better vocals and less mainstream influences. Rec albums: Whimsical Uproar, Cybervoid, Carnivore Motormouth .

Onslaught: The most famous of the UK Thrash bands, with only Sabbat rivalling them for the crown. Their debut was a heavily hardcore influenced affair but I still find a lot of enjoyment in this record, so don’t be scared off by the hardcore influence if such a thing raises your ire. Power From Hell is fine [Thrash record, one of the best debuts in this genre’s history. The follow-up, The Force, is far thrashier than the debut, and a far superior release. Their third releasing was a highly disappointing affair, and the band petered out of existence before doing like so many other bands and hitting the comeback trail. Rec albums: The Force, Power From Hell.

Pestilence: Like many pioneers of Death Metal, Pestilence’s sound at one point was heavily in the Thrash camp and it wasn’t until later that Pestilence became a through and through Death Metal act, paving the way for Dutch bands like Asphyx, Pungent Stench, Sinister, Pentacle and others. But their debut, Malleus Maleficarum is one of the more riff-tastic releases in Thrashdom. Van Drunen’s vocals don’t sound as sick or demented yet, but it doesn’t hurt the album one iota. As much as I like this band’s Death Metal albums, I think that their Thrash debut is actually their best, most consistent release, one that never relents, the production is perfect, the whole album flows perfectly (i.e. no distracting ambient interludes). Its almost a perfect release really. Rec album (for this journal): Malleus Maleficarum.

Razor (Can): The Rodney Dangerfield of Thrash. A band that recorded some of the best, most intense material this fine genre has ever known, only to get no respect, much less recognition for their efforts. Razor emerged in 1984 and demonstrated right from the beginning what they were about: fast, intense and aggressive thrash, with no compromises. There would be no selling out from this band. No progression. No regression. Just balls to the wall Thrash played the way it should be. They played a style that was reminiscent of Slayer, only more aggressive and less evil sounding. Razor’s best material came with Steve McLaren on vocals but they still managed to record a couple of very good albums with his replacement Rob Reid. Although as the title track to Evil Invaders and a few other songs show, when they occasionally slowed things down, they could write very memorable songs, they were mainly about writing Thrash that was the fastest and most aggressive out there and by and large, they succeeded. Rec albums: Armed and Dangerous, Executioners Song, Evil Invaders, Custom Killing, Open Hostility, Shotgun Justice.

Sabbat: I’ll be covering the Japanese Sabbat in the next guide, this entry will focus on the British Sabbat. Before Martin Walkyier discovered his inner folkie, he fronted one of the most seminal yet criminally underrated Thrash outfits ever. Even in his youth, Walkyier was ambitious. Unlike their countrymen like Onslaught and Xentrix, Sabbat weren’t content to follow in familiar patterns. Those of you used to Walkyier’s present vocal style will probably be shocked back to the neolithic age by the speed and venom in his vocal styles. As much as Walkyier’s vision, ambition and lyrical prowess powered this band, they were matched by the guitar playing of Andy Sneap. Together they were able to make Sabbat one of the more unique bands in Thrash. Sabbat’s riffing is intense and multi directional, Sneap’s riffing provides the perfect vehicle for Walkyier’s tales of Pagan England. As far as I know, Sabbat were the only Thrash band to record a full and proper concept album. Highly recommended. Rec albums: Dreamweaver, History of a Time to Come.

Sacrifice (Can): Another fine underrated band. Hailing from Toronto, Sacrifice played a simple, no nonsense Thrash much like their peers Razor. Sacrifice’s songwriting became slightly more ambitious as they lived on, best witness on the Soldiers of Misfortune album. One of my favorite all time Thrash riffs is actually the opening of the song Re-animation. This band’s only misstep was their final album before disbanding, Apocalypse Inside, which slowed things down too much and showed a band stretching itself too thin. As of this writing I haven’t heard this band’s new album yet, but the tracks I’ve heard sound promising indeed. Rec albums: Torment in Fire, Soldiers of Misfortune, Forward to Termination.

Sacrilege (UK): A band with an interesting evolutionary path, despite only releasing 3 full length albums before dissolving. Their debut is a strong slab of Thrash with a nice dose of UK Crust, sounding like a thrashier version of the godly Amebix, and with a nasty female vocalist to boot. Their second album was more a pure thrash recording, perhaps not as primal as the debut but still an excellent and highly recommended release. Their third and final album saw them channeling a strong Doom Metal influence. This is probably their weakest album but not by much. Despite changing styles so often, Sacrilege managed to maintain a consistent aesthetic throughout their career, showing the world how dreary and miserable the West Midlands were in the 80s and brilliantly encapsulating the musical heritage of this region. Rec albums: Behind the Realm of Madness, Within the Prophecy, Turn Back Trilobite.

Sepultura: It feels strange including this band in here. It seems more people know them for the groove and nu metal garbage of their more recent work, their past Thrash work seems almost forgotten under a chorus of “jumdafuckup!” and muddy, undefinable guitar “riffs”. Sepultura were the first band from South America to achieve a wider, international audience. Although this hasn’t seemed to spawn a surge of interest into the area. I’ve spoken with tons of people over the years who know of Sepultura, but haven’t bothered to investigate further, leaving them ignorant of bands like Hadez, Vulcano, Inquisition, Sarcofago, etc. But that’s their loss.

Sepultura’s beginnings were rather modest. Recording a split EP and a full length debut that were raw and under produced, showing a heavy Venom influence. Out of nowhere, 1987's sophomore Schizophrenia burst onto the scene. Showing far more musical refinement than the early material, combined with the over the top aggression on the album makes this one of the greatest releases in the history of Thrash. This album has everything, from epic instrumentals, to mad thrashers and mid-tempo crunchers. There isn’t a single blemish on that disc. Their follow-up was 1989's Beneath the Remains, an album which was more restrained in some ways but was still a seminal Thrash release. It was this band’s final Thrash release that they achieved a sizeable audience. Although heralded as a classic, 1991's Arise was a letdown in some respects. The production is dry and stifles any energy the music conveys. The performances seem mechanical and its almost like the band had hit its creative nadir, from which it would quicky descend. There exists a mix of this album done by Scott Burns that differs from the version released to the greater public. I’d recommend you look for this, rather than the regular mix. Rec albums: Schizophrenia, Beneath the Remains.


Slaughter Lord: A band from down under. Slaughter Lord were decidedly less polished than their countrymen in Hobbs’... and Mortal Sin (two of the members of SL found their way into Mortal Sin). But they were also rawer, more primal and far heavier. Listening to their demos I’m reminded of Sign of Evil/Obsessed by Cruelty era-Sodom but with better musicianship (the drummer actually stays in time on these recordings!). Slaughter Lord were a band who flaunted their disregard for the known conventions of Thrash of the time. Their demos are the sound of a band exploring the extremities of music and judging by the results, some of the heaviest and most primal Thrash ever recorded, they succeeded. They also succeeded in giving us the world’s first heavy metal comedian with drummer Steve Hughes. Rec album: Thrash ‘Til Death.

Xentrix: A decent UK band who were more at ease with the melodic possibilities of thrash than with the aggressive side. Their biggest claim to Metal fame is their silly cover of the Ghostbusters song, which is quite terrible to be honest. At times they sounded like the British answer to Anthrax, other times they sounded more like a UK version of Nasty Savage or Laaz Rocket. Overall I’d say this band was above average, worth investigating if you’re a completist but if you’re looking to something akin to Darkness Descends you’ll be disappointed. Rec albums: Shattered Existence, For Whose Advantage?.

This concludes my third part in my Thrash guide. As usual, if I omitted anyone worth mentioning please add ‘em in the comments since I admit that my knowledge of Thrash isn't as vast it is in other genres. The final part is on the way and hopefully will be up in the next few weeks. The final guide will focus on thrash hybrids like Progressive/Techincal Thrash, Blackened Thrash, Death/Thrash and the two crossover bands I like! This one would’ve been posted sooner but I had visiting in-laws to deal with that got in the way of some good Thrashing. I hope you find these equal parts informative and educational.











MetallicaMegadethTestamentAnthraxSlayerSabbatSodomkreator\KreatorDestructionHoly MosesNasty SavageLaaz RockitCoronerSlaughter LordHobbs' Angel of DeathPestilenceObliveonRazorSacrificeMortal SinCeltic FrostHellhammerXentrixOnslaughtSepulturaMekong DeltaWatchtowerTankardtToxicAnacrusisArtilleryAbattoirSacrilegeInfernal MajestyAnvilMotorheadProtectorNecrodeathDestroyer 666Vulcanothrashthrash metaltechincal thrashprogressive thrashSteve HughesAsphyxPentacleSinisterPungent StenchHadez

Mortal Sin
Holy Moses
Gothic Slam
Cryptic Slaughter
Infernäl Mäjesty
Uncle Slam
Mekong Delta
Quo Vadis (Pol)
Dragon
Testor
Carnivore
Razor
Protector
Xentrix
Atrophy
Toxik
Artillery
Necronomicon
MX
Coroner
Lääz Rockit
M.O.D.
Darkness (Ger)
Cyclone
Deathrow
Blind Illusion
Flotsam and Jetsam
Holy Terror
Fastkill
Abigail
Aura Noir