TOP 25 THRASH METAL ALBUMS OF ALL TIME
It’s summer, the worst season of the year, and now we’re in the midst of what’s possibly the worst summer ever recorded. However, one of the only things I like about it is that it sets the perfect tone for one of my favorite metal genres; thrash.
So for the final month of summer, I’ve decided to make one last countdown this year, looking at some of my favorite albums in this magnificent genre. Before we start, though, there are a few things I should point out:
First of all, I’ll only be including one album per band. Otherwise, at least half the list would consist of the same three or four bands.
Second, no blackened thrash. That’s for another countdown.
And lastly, my taste in thrash is very, very weird. Expect a lot of bizarre and obscure albums that deviate from the genre’s norms.
As usual, the list will be updated gradually, so you’ll be kept in suspense until we reach #1.
Now without further ado, put on your tight jeans and denim jackets, because we’re about to explore some of thrash’s best albums!
#25: Watchtower — Control and Resistance (1989)
Best songs: “Instruments of Random Murder”, “Mayday in Kiev”, “Control and Resistance”
Right off the bat, we’re starting with a total weirdo of an album.
Widely regarded as one of tech-thrash’s biggest pioneers, Watchtower entered the arena with Energetic Disassembly. While it was definitely the genre’s most technical album at the time, within a year or two it got surpassed by a handful of other groups. It wasn’t until Watchtower released Control and Resistance when they truly established themselves as a band that’ll stick out from the rest for years to come, and in all the right ways.
Instrumentally, Control and Resistance sounds like what would happen if a robotic alien species made a thrash album; incredibly complex, a lot of time signature changes, very proggy, and despite sounding improvised at times, the band members are all extraordinarily well-coordinated.
The vocals are, well…out there, to say the least. Imagine if someone multitracked the vocals of Geddy Lee, Joey Belladonna, and falsetto-screaming Rob Halford all at once. The result would probably sound like Alan Techhio on Control and Resistance. It definitely takes some time getting used to, but once you accept that it’s part of the band’s way of giving the album an exotic flavor, it’ll grow on you a lot.
Another point worth noting is the guitar solos. They’re not only harmonized, but also quite melodic, further adding to the record’s wacky charm.
The true star of Control and Resistance, however, is Doug Keyser’s bass playing. He injects a jazzy vibe into each song in his own distinctive way that really gives the album a lot of its identity. The drumming is also very jazzy and superb, but most of the influence comes from the bass.
Sadly, what keeps Control and Resistance at the bottom of the list is the fourth track, “The Fall of Reason”. The rhythm guitar tone in it is so heavily compressed, it’s downright headache-inducing. And the song goes on for 8 minutes…yeah.
Nevertheless, Control and Resistance is still an S-tier thrash album. One that I highly recommend to any thrasher who’s gotten tired of the genre’s age-old formula, and now seeks something different. It’s a near-perfect record, and it pains me to put it at the very bottom, but hey, that just goes to show how great the albums on this list are.
#24: Strident — March of Plague (2019)
Best songs: “No Faith, No War”, “Dirty Blood”, “Fallen One”
One of the most intense albums on this list, March of Plague is a skull-crushing banger that puts every other Strident release (so far…) to shame. Everything from the vocals, to the drums and guitar work has enough ferocity to severely injure even the beefiest of moshers at a pit.
I find that far too often, whenever bands go all in on the extreme thrash style, they lose sight of making a well-rounded album that keeps things interesting. Thankfully, this isn’t a concern you’ll have with March of Plague.
Don’t get me wrong, this record is incredibly brutal, but still manages to offer a bit of variety, with memorable riffs and solos to keep each song distinct. And whenever a bass riff rears its head, it sounds so deeply sinister.
March of Plague also has a noticeable grindcore influence. Grindcore happens to be one of my least favorite metal genres, but in this case, Strident integrated it quite well, as it doesn’t get in the way of the enjoyment. The grind-ish segments are sprinkled in between chunky, galloping riffs and drumming to keep the listener engaged. I can scarcely believe it, but Strident actually managed to make grindcore not sound mind-numbing. That right there is an achievement.
And even when the album resorts to overused extreme metal tropes, the vast majority of them are still so much fun to listen to here. For example, “Dirty Blood” starts off calm, but halfway through the song comes the drop, and that’s when you’ll find yourself grinning like an idiot throughout the rest of it. It’s a cliché in metal, sure, but man, it’s pulled off so well in this track.
The production is delightfully tight and punchy to match the record’s tone and each band member’s playing style, especially Dmitri Samoylov’s vocals, which never get old.
“Fallen One” is definitely the peak of the album, as it remains extreme while going through so many twists and turns.
So with all these positives, why is March of Plague so low? Well, half the songs on this record have brain-dead choruses. You know the kind; where it’s just the name of the track sung over and over. If it’s utilized to fit with a song’s overall theme, or only used once or twice, I can accept it. But the presence of five songs on the same record that didn’t need to have this issue gets a little annoying after a while.
With that complaint in mind, March of Plague earned its place on this list. It’s a thrash record I keep coming back to whenever I want something gnarly from the genre to rile me up, and it never disappoints.
Even if their newest album was held back by a shitty production choice, March of Plague is living proof that Strident are capable of creating outstanding material.
#23: Wrathchild America — Climbin’ the Walls (1989)
Best songs: “Climbin’ the Walls”, “London After Midnight”, “Day of the Thunder”
I could have chosen either one of Wrathchild America’s two albums for this countdown, but I find that the debut is just the tiniest bit better.
Like many tech-thrash albums, Climbin’ the Walls has much more complexity than your typical thrash record, but at times, it also has a lot of moments that sound like they could perfectly fit in old prog rock songs. If you’re a fan of 70's progressive rock bands like Rush, Yes, and Supertramp, Climbin’ the Walls is right up your alley.
Then again, a lot of oldschool tech-thrash bands took notes from prog rock, but if that’s not enough for ya, what truly makes Climbin’ the Walls shine is how much musical ground it covers, all while still being a thrash record first and foremost.
Besides 70’s prog rock, the album is also strongly influenced by 70’s punk, and especially the Ramones. What makes this especially intriguing to me is that as genres, punk and prog are extreme opposites, and yet they both go hand in hand surprisingly well in Climbin’ the Walls. The record pulls this off while still having that light, catchy East Coast thrash sound associated with bands like Anthrax and Nuclear Assault.
But the genre crossovers don’t stop there…the title track and “No Deposit, No Return” both give classic rock n’ roll vibes, and the former features a bluesy mid-section. As for the latter, it has a calm, country-style interlude, and there are even some neoclassical solos scattered throughout the album, which is something I’m a huge sucker for.
“Hernia” is a fun instrumental, followed by “London After Midnight”; a mid-tempo banger and love letter to one of my favorite books (Dracula), making it a highlight for me.
The record ends with “Day of the Thunder”, which essentially takes all the album’s best moments and condenses them into one song.
However, Climbin’ the Walls is held back by an issue that can’t be ignored; the penultimate track is a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Time”, and it’s not good, nor is it fitting.
Look, I LOVE oldschool prog. Most of Climbin’ the Walls showcases moments of prog bands that fit well. And although I’m not the biggest Pink Floyd fan, they have made a few good songs besides their legendary debut. For the most part though, I find many of their songs to be all buildup with no payoff, and Wrathchild America’s cover of “Time” kills the mood for five and a half minutes.
I’m glad they left their impact on music and inspired countless fantastic artists, including Wrathchild America, but man…this cover is a drag to sit through in an otherwise perfect record.
It hurts, putting such a unique release towards the bottom of the list, but unlike all the albums above it, Climbin’ the Walls has a flat-out bad song in its tracklist. Had the Pink Floyd cover been removed or replaced by a cover of a song from a different prog rock band, Climbin’ the Walls would have made it to the top 15; there are barely any other thrash albums like it.
#22: Sepultura — Arise (1991)
Best songs: “Dead Embryonic Cells”, “Desperate Cry”, “Meaningless Movements”
Going back to the more extreme side of thrash, Sepultura’s Arise is another ferocious banger kindly given to us by the genre.
I was very split over which Sepultura album to put here. It was gonna be either Arise or Quadra, which I love equally, but I decided to go with the former because if we're being completely honest, the latter's only thrash songs are in its first quarter, meaning I couldn't really classify it as a thrash album.
Beneath the Remains is often cited as Sepultura's best work, but it's way too monotonous for my tastes. I'm just not crazy about one-dimensional albums full of cookie-cutter riffs. Fortunately, two years after Beneath the Remains came out, the band released Arise, which was so much better in just about every way.
Arise keeps the grit and extremity present in their first three albums while making the songs more dynamic and interesting, not to mention leaning further into their death metal influence. The title track starts off not too different from their previous records, but then halfway through the song comes one of the best riffs on the album, and from that point on, the gloves really come off.
“Dead Embryonic Cells” is possibly the greatest Sepultura song ever written, however, the rest of the album doesn’t disappoint either, as Arise takes you on a highly memorable deathrash journey. Ya know that sudden surge of gratification you get whenever you hear a really sick riff or solo? Because Arise is such a diverse, yet brutal thrash record, you’re bound to have that reaction at least once in every song.
“Desperate Cry”, “Altered State”, and “Under Siege (Regnum Irae)” are mostly slower, mid-tempo songs, which took me by surprise during my first listen of the album. But fear not; there’s no shortage of fast and furious songs to balance it out with an unmistakable 80’s hardcore energy, like “Murder”, “Meaningless Movements”, and “Infected Voice”.
Of all the band members’ performances, Igor Cavalera’s drumming sticks out to me the most on Arise. It’s absolutely incredible here, and really shows us the full extent of his skills and influences while keeping the album’s thrashy style intact.
It’s been quite a while since Sepultura released a full-on thrash record, but to this day, Arise is still arguably their best. It doesn’t have any blatant flaws I can point to, and the only reason why I placed it lower on the list is simply because I like the next albums more. Yep, they’re that good.
#21: Overkill — Ironbound (2010)
Best songs: “Ironbound”, “Give a Little”, “Endless War”
Overkill took the same path as many 80’s thrash bands; they started off making some fantastic albums, then at some point during the 90’s began experimenting, but never really reached the same level of quality as their early days. Throughout the 2000’s they took steps in the right direction, until finally we got Ironbound, which is one hell of a comeback.
Ironbound is a showcase of everything Overkill are good at. Even though the band members were all middle aged during the making of this album, it’s got a youthful vigor in every moment.
The drumming and guitar work is fantastic, with occasional chuggy breakdowns in between all the thrashing to spice things up. And despite being one of Overkill’s more progressive albums, at no point does it lose that tongue-in-cheek punk vibe they’re so well known for.
The mix perfectly matches the dirty, over-the-top energy of this record, which gives you an adrenaline rush every time you hear it.
The band member with the most impressive performance on Ironbound is definitely Bobby Blitz. His instantly recognizable vocal style, which sounds like that of a psychotic drug addict, is at its best here and it just never gets old…
What’s strange, though, is that Bobby also experiments with his voice on a few occasions, and somehow nails it each time. In “Give a Little” there’s a small part with clean singing, and “The Head and Heart” has moments of him going for a straight-up death metal voice; it’s super impressive.
Ironbound’s title track is by far the best song the band ever made, but there are plenty of other highlights on the album, too.
Apart from the aforementioned “Give a Little” and “The Head and Heart”, “Bring Me the Night” is basically thrashified Motörhead worship, which is very run-of-the-mill in Overkill’s music, but hey, who says that’s a bad thing? And “Killing for a Living” is the record’s most elaborate song, going through a lot of tempo and time signature changes while still staying true to Overkill’s identity.
However, I think the biggest selling point for Ironbound is that it's just fun, more than every other album on this countdown. The fun factor emanating from this record is downright infectious.
In an era where nearly every metal band takes themselves too damn seriously, it’s great to know there are still groups like Overkill, who chew up and spit out the “no fun allowed” policy. Just don’t listen to Ironbound while driving, though. It would probably result in an irrepairable car crash…or worse.
#20: Potential Threat — Threat to Society (2019)
Best songs: “Root of All Evil”, “Don’t Look Back”, “Victims of the Fall”
You probably haven’t heard of Potential Threat, and I can’t blame ya, they’re one of the most obscure thrash bands I know. But interestingly enough, these Bay Area thrashers have been around since the 80’s, and didn’t release a full-length album until the 2000's.
Their first two albums aren’t anything to write home about, but holy shit, their third album Threat to Society was a massive leap in quality.
At first glance, Threat to Society may just seem like another above-average Bay Area thrash metal album, which isn’t a bad thing, but still not enough to warrant its spot on this countdown…until you hear the solos.
I mentioned earlier that I’m a sucker for neoclassical guitar work, and Threat to Society delivers that in spades. The solos almost all have a baroque influence not unlike Yngwie Malmsteen, but what’s really intriguing to me is that at times, the rhythm guitar plays classically influenced riffs, too. Threat to Society keeps you on the edge of your seat, teasing you until finally the payoff comes in the form of an astonishing neoclassical solo or riff.
Best of all, though, when the dual lead guitars hit, you’re transported to metal heaven.
The band’s guitarist, Daniel Sheridan, deserves so much more attention, as he really helps Potential Threat stand out from the rest of their Bay Area kin.
While the solos are definitely the best part about Threat to Society, everything in between is great, too. The riffs are varied and unique, the drumming and vocals do their job well, and while no two songs sound too identical, everything still feels like part of the same record. Production is always important too, and it delivers with a mix that keeps everything sufficiently punchy.
I’m also quite a fan of the album’s ballad, “Victims of the Fall”, which goes back and forth between being somber and emotional to angry and intense. It’s almost like a very thrashy metalcore song.
I really hope this band gets the attention they deserve, since a pretentious, obscure journalist like me won’t be enough to make their name known.
#19: Testament — The Legacy (1987)
Best songs: “Burnt Offerings”, “First Strike is Deadly”, “Alone in the Dark”
This review’s gonna be one of the shortest ones on the countdown, because seriously, what can I even say about The Legacy that hasn’t been said a billion times before?
The Legacy is known for being a timeless classic, and no honest metal head can call themself a thrasher unless they’ve listened to it at least once.
Every band member’s performance is immaculate, the dark, occultish lyrics perfectly match the record’s overall vibe, and Alex Skolnick’s solos are all amazing. In fact, “First Strike is Deadly” has one of the best solos in thrash metal history. Other highlights include “Over the Wall”, “Burnt Offerings”, “Do or Die”, and especially “Alone in the Dark”.
On top of just the solos, every passage is memorable and gives each song its own identity.
What more is there to say?!
Don’t get me wrong; Testament have released plenty of amazing albums after The Legacy, like The New Order, The Gathering, and Dark Roots of Earth, just to name a few. But for some reason, none of them resonated with me quite like their legendary debut.
#18: Nukem — The Unholy Trinity (2016)
Best songs: “Warwolf”, “The Atomic Age”, “Nukem All”
It seems as though so many people believe thrash was only good in the 80’s, and barely pay any attention to all the great stuff coming out of the genre now.
The 2010’s introduced a lot of excellent newcoming bands to the thrash scene, and Nukem are undoubtedly among the best of the bunch. So far they’ve only released one album, but god damn, it’s set a very high standard for the band. For fuck’s sake, I put it above Testament’s The Legacy. That’s not a placement to be taken lightly.
So what makes this album so special? Well, to make it on this list, it’s got sick riffs/solos/bass licks/drumming/vocals…that’s a given. But above all else, I think what truly makes The Unholy Trinity stand out from most other modern thrash albums is that the lead guitar is given A LOT of room to shine here.
Throughout the album, you’re bound to come across many melodic passages besides the solos, which keeps things fresh and engaging. What makes this even more interesting is that whereas Threat to Society’s melodies are very classical in nature, The Unholy Trinity is a thrash n’ roll album through and through…wait, that’s not a genre? Well it should be, and this is it.
If you’re a fan of classic rock n’ roll bands like Motörhead, Aerosmith, or my personal favorite, Thin Lizzy, The Unholy Trinity will be a blast for you.
Of course, the riffing in the rest of the record is great, too. The rhythm guitar work on “Bloodseeker” is especially impressive.
My favorite song on the album is probably “The Atomic Age”, if only because it quotes J. Robert Oppenheimer’s infamous “I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds” speech (I haven’t watched the movie since I heard it’s shit, but the real story is interesting).
The Unholy Trinity also features cameos by multiple legendary thrash guitarists. Namely, Forbidden’s Craig Locicero, Havok’s Reece Scruggs, and most notably, Dark Angel’s Jim Durkin (R.I.P.) and Laura Christine. Is that awesome or what?!
The closing song, “Nukem All”, has a very melodic riff, as well as the best solo on the album, courtesy of the aforementioned Laura. I’m glad she’s since joined the band, because she absolutely killed it in The Unholy Trinity, so having her play on every single Nukem song from now on is like a blessing from the metal gods.
Admittedly, I think the full version of the album featuring two cover songs drags the record on for longer than it needs to, but hey, I’m basing this review on the normal version, which is just the right length.
Ignore all the cross-armed boomers who insist thrash stopped being good after 1990. If anything, the genre is just getting better and better, and The Unholy Trinity is one of the best examples to prove that.
#17: Coroner — Punishment for Decadence (1988)
Best songs: “Absorbed”, “Arc-Lite”, “The New Breed”
It wasn’t easy, choosing which Coroner release would make it to the list. It was gonna be either Punishment for Decadence or Mental Vortex. I decided to go with the former because while the latter is more influenced by jazz fusion (which is still great!), Punishment for Decadence is neoclassical riff porn, and that’s a fetish I am SO into.
In all seriousness and putting my bias towards baroque-style guitar work aside, there’s actually a very solid reason for my decision; Punishment for Decadence’s classically influenced sound is the perfect vehicle to carry Ron Royce’s screeched vocals and Coroner’s dark lyricism. As a result, this album feels so much more sinister than the band’s other releases.
Of course, the composition and songwriting are amazing in their own right, but the same could be said about the rest of Coroner’s albums. Punishment for Decadence is the only one that genuinely leaves you feeling uneasy, and an achievement like that isn’t something to be taken for granted.
Despite the intense neoclassical metal influence and acoustic interludes, Punishment for Decadence still manages to be an unmistakable thrash record, which is quite an impressive feat to pull off.
As far as the tracklist is concerned, highlights include “Absorbed”, “Masked Jackal”, and “Sudden Fall” for their haunting themes, “The New Breed’s” solo is fucking crazy, and let’s not forget the elephant in the room; “Arc-Lite”.
“Arc-Lite” is an epic instrumental, and despite its lack of lyrics, is still able to distill the album’s foreboding vibe into a single song. It’s also got the best guitar work of any Coroner song, so much so that it would even intimidate Yngwie Malmsteen (though he’d still deny it because of his unfathomably gargantuan ego).
My only minor complaint with Punishment for Decadence is that it ends with a cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Haze”, which isn’t a bad song or cover at all, mind you. However, it does feel a bit unfitting, considering the rest of the record’s tone is so much more grim. That being said, you could do a lot worse (like Sodom choosing to end one of their albums with a cover of “Surfin’ Bird”. The fuck were they thinking?!).
Overall, Punishment for Decadence is a magnificent album, and shouldn’t be ignored by any thrash aficionado.
#16: Aspid — Extravasation (1993)
Best songs: “Towards One Goal”, “Where the Night Is”, “Comatose State”
Of all the thrash albums I sat through to fill this list up, Aspid's Extravasation has got to be the most peculiar one I came across.
Ya see, Aspid were a Russian tech-thrash band from the early 90’s that made only one album before splitting up. To this day they’re still quite obscure, and that’s a shame because god damn, Extravasation is a fucking insane album from start to finish.
Before we even get into the meat and potatoes of this album, I have to acknowledge the opening instrumental. It’s commonplace for intense albums to open up with a brief instrumental, usually not having as much effort put into it as the rest of the record, but this…this is different.
Despite only being two and a half minutes long, the intro song is a bone-chilling orchestral epic that immediately sets the mood for the remainder of the album. From the start, you can tell this ain’t your average tech-thrash record.
From that point on, things get crazy. Vitaly Kholopov’s vocals are downright vicious, and really give Extravasation its extreme edge. But that’s only part of why it made it to the list.
What truly makes Extravasation such a fantastic record is the way it’s written. The composition in this album is comparable to Metallica’s …And Justice for All…ON CRACK. It’s so extraordinary, you’d be hard-pressed to find many thrash albums that are as good or better than Extravasation in terms of composition, and I’m counting Punishment for Decadence when I say that.
This is one of those cases where breaking down the composition into words or music theory really doesn’t do the album justice. Just listen to at least one song and you’ll understand what I mean.
On top of that, we also get some kickass bass riffing and varied drumming. “Where the Night Is” even throws some blast beats into the mix.
Thematically, Extravastion is uh…Russian…yeah, I don’t speak it at all and there aren’t any official translations available. I doubt these guys expected their album to reach anyone outside Russia, so they never bothered to have anyone localize it. But hey, Google Translate seems to think the lyrics are pretty brutal. Oh well…
If I had to name any flaws in Extravasation, the only one I can find is that the fourth song, “Give Me (A Ballet Piece)” could have had a stronger effect if it were just two minutes shorter. Apart from that nitpick, I have only good things to say about the album.
It's such a shame Aspid disbanded shortly after Extravasation's release. They briefly reunited in the early 2010’s to release one more song, but then split up again. Since then, their immensely skilled drummer Vasily Shapovalov died. Not to mention that if even a smidgeon of Google Translate’s take on the lyrics is accurate, it’s hard to imagine an underground band like this building a career in an oppressive nation like Russia. So from the looks of it, we'll sadly never get another release, let alone another reunion from these tech-thrash savants.
One more thing I should add is that the whole album is available for free on Bandcamp! So if you're a fan of bizarre, well-written tech-thrash, there's no excuse not to get this hidden gem.
#15: Fatal Opera — Fatal Opera (1992)
Best songs: “Evil Tears”, “The Unwilling”, “Kill ‘Em”
The name Gar Samuelson might ring a bell for a few readers, and that’s because he was the drummer for Megadeth’s first two albums. However, a little known fact about him is that after being kicked out of Megadeth for his immense drug abuse (which is saying a lot, considering the band’s history with addiction in the 80's), Gar started his own group called Fatal Opera that released two albums before he tragically passed away in 1999.
Since Gar came from a jazz fusion background, he incorporated that style to its fullest extent in Fatal Opera’s work. Of their two records, the self-titled debut (which I’ll refer to as “The Masked Album” for convenience) seemed like the natural choice for this list, as their second release, The Eleventh Hour is also great, but not much of a thrash album.
What makes The Masked Album’s jazz fusion elements different from other tech-thrash albums that were influenced by the genre is that Fatal Opera took very direct inspiration from the Mahavishnu Orchestra.
Given the Mahavishnu Orchestra’s bizarre and eclectic approach towards jazz fusion, you wouldn’t expect it to mesh well with thrash metal at all. But somehow, Gar and the gang were able to pull this seemingly impossible feat off while also adding many inventive twists of their own. As a result, The Masked Album is so much more than a Mahavishnu Orchestra-influenced thrash record.
A lot of The Masked Album’s creativity boils down to the pacing in its songs. Many of them will start off similar to a different genre, then get progressively thrashier as they go on while still carrying a bit of the initial influences along the way. Apart from just jazz fusion, these genres range from grunge to psychedelic rock and even folk, and yet the album still remains thrashy.
The closest thing to a traditional, straightforward thrash song here is the highly aggressive “Kill ‘Em”, but even that track deviates from thrash’s typical formula quite a bit.
My favorite song on the album is without a doubt “The Unwilling”. It starts off as a King Crimson-esque ballad before bursting into a fast-paced flurry of punk riffs and shouts. It’s also got some incredibly profound lyrics.
The album ends with a 14 minute-long cover of Jimi Hendrix’s “1983, Moon Turns the Tides” which is frankly quite excessive and I wish they chose a shorter song, but Fatal Opera still do an amazing performance in it. Besides, it could have been worse; they could have covered Pink Floyd’s “Time”.
Every band member does a great job here, but the star of the show is obviously Gar, displaying some of the most impressive drumming you’ll ever hear in thrash, even more so than the first two Megadeth albums.
Although Extravasation is arguably better in composition, the reason why I placed The Masked Album a spot higher is because it’s more innovative. Ever since Peace Sells came out, the integration of jazz fusion into tech-thrash wasn’t very uncommon, but never to this extent and never in such a creative way.
I think everyone can agree on Peace Sells being the best record Gar ever worked on, but The Masked Album is still a very close second.
#14: Dark Angel — Time Does Not Heal (1991)
Best songs: “Pain’s Invention, Madness”, “The New Priesthood”, “Trauma and Catharsis”
Picture the following scene:
You’re walking through the city streets at night and from the corner of your eye, spot something truly grotesque going on in an alleyway. You immediately run away, unsure if what you saw was true or not, but suddenly you’re attacked by dark memories from your past. Perhaps that sight opened up a Pandora’s Box in your mind; something that never should have been touched.
If that moment were manifested into reality in the form of a thrash metal album, it would probably sound like Dark Angel’s Time Does Not Heal.
A cerebral, frantic, and highly complex record, Time Does Not Heal is often overshadowed by one of its predecessors, Darkness Descends. And sure, Darkness Descends remains a cornerstone of extreme thrash, but I think Time Does Not Heal is a far more powerful album in nearly every regard.
While Darkness Descends and Leave Scars are (marginally) more extreme, Time Does Not Heal is much darker, both musically and thematically. I mean, the band is called DARK Angel.
Time Does Not Heal is known for its “246 riffs” claim as advertisement from back in the day. Of course, the 246 riffs thing wouldn’t amount to much if they were lackluster, but the riffing in Time Does Not Heal is very captivating. It really grabs your attention and holds onto it in the many twists and turns throughout the record.
Every once in a while there’s a melodic section, usually with a Middle Eastern tinge, which I greatly approve of.
Apart from the insane guitarwork, Ron Rinehart’s tortured, almost mournful shouts shine through the mix. It’s a bold choice of vocal style for Dark Angel to take, but it most certainly worked in the album’s favor.
Time Does Not Heal peaks quite early on with the song “Pain’s Invention, Madness”, but the rest is still excellent. For example, “Psychosexuality” starts off with a grand, Middle Eastern-style intro that catches you off-guard, the lyrics to “An Ancient Inherited Shame” are just…wow, and the closing track, “A Subtle Induction” is probably the most extreme song on the album, with a strong hardcore punk influence.
The album is a bit over an hour long, which may seem excessive at first, but unlike say, Metallica’s 72 Seasons, Time Does Not Heal lacks any filler moments. Therefore, even with its long runtime, Time Does Not Heal is well-worth the listen.
#13: Artillery — By Inheritance (1990)
Best songs: “Khomaniac”, “By Inheritance”, “Bombfood”
Well folks, we’ve reached the halfway point, and it marks the start of the albums that to me, are absolutely perfect. And boy howdy, we’re kicking this second half off with a real banger.
Let’s just jump right into the tracklist, because things immediately get crazy from the intro track, “7:00 from Tashkent”. Despite not being as grandiose as the one from Extravasation, it’s still very different from nearly every other opening instrumental in metal. The moment you hit play, you’re immediately greeted by Middle Eastern melodies, which last throughout the rest of the intro…but they don’t stop there.
The Middle Eastern melodies are obviously very prominent in the next song, “Khomaniac”, given the fact that it’s a diss track aimed at a Middle Eastern demagogue. Strangely enough though, these melodies are equally present throughout every song on the album (besides their cover of Nazareth’s “Razamanaz”, which still goes hard). It’s such a bizarre choice coming from a Danish band, but I fucking love it.
This might just be the most melodic entry in the entire countdown, so to any readers who like a lot of melody in their thrash, this is your go-to album.
Although some may easily see these melody choices as a “gimmick” if they so choose, there’s plenty more to love about By Inheritance. The riffs and solos are stunning, there’s a lot of variety, no two songs sound identical, and yet the album still feels very cohesive with nothing being too out of place.
By Inheritance is also a favorite of mine because it’s somehow able to seamlessly combine the very serious subject matter of bands like Dark Angel with the lighthearted silliness of bands like Overkill. Hell, the singer, Flemming Rönsdorf even sounds like a European, quasi-operatic Bobby Blitz. We also get bits of clean singing from him in a few of the songs, which prevents the album from getting stale.
Artillery have made plenty of great albums over the years, but I think most of us can agree that By Inheritance remains the most dynamic, the most unique, and definitely the most incredible release in their discography.
#12: Flotsam and Jetsam — No Place for Disgrace (1988)
Best songs: “No Place for Disgrace”, “Escape from Within”, “I Live You Die”
Most people know Flotsam and Jetsam as the band Jason Newsted co-founded before joining Metallica. However, they’re actually a kickass band with a very impressive discography, and their second album, No Place for Disgrace, remains Flotsam and Jetsam’s magnum opus.
Their debut record, Doomsday for the Deceiver, gets much more attention because it’s the only one to be released when Jason Newsted was still in the band. And it’s a great album, don’t get me wrong, but I think that No Place for Disgrace is a much heavier, darker, and more mature effort. Not to mention, although Jason left the band before the album was recorded, his influence can still be heard throughout most of it, even the tracks he didn’t have a part in writing.
Jason’s distinct riffing style is present in every song, proving that he really left a long-lasting effect on Flotsam and Jetsam. On top of that, he’s indisputably one of the greatest bassists of all time, but the band somehow managed to find someone who’s almost as good to replace him in No Place for Disgrace, Troy Gregory. The bass playing is very precise and captivating, just like in Doomsday for the Deceiver.
No Place for Disgrace features some of the fastest bass and guitar picking you’ll ever hear in thrash, which is quite impressive, but with just enough slower parts to prevent it from getting monotonous. And if we’re on the subject of guitars, the album also has a lot of melody thrown in for good measure, usually in the form of dual leads. Alongside that are many call-response solos between Edward Carlson and Michael Gilbert, and not a single one of them goes to waste.
As for the vocals, Eric A.K. gives off a fantastic performance, as always. His falsettos are almost on par with Rob Halford’s (yes, really) and his singing in the album’s ballad, “Escape from Within”, is downright beautiful.
The tracklist is incredibly varied in pretty much every way, all while none of it ever feeling forced, so you’re very unlikely to get bored while listening to this album. We even get a great cover of “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”. That’s right; an Elton John cover in a thrash metal record, and somehow it fits right in. How cool is that?!
But I think it’s time we focus our attention towards what is in my opinion, the best part about No Place for Disgrace; the title track. As you can probably guess, it’s a really intense song about Hara-Kiri. However, I think unlike some other metal songs which merely document terrible moments throughout history, this one also functions as a means of mourning those lost.
I say this because the bridge is very slow and melodic compared to the rest of the song, and it depicts the Samurai’s final moments. It does a phenomenal job of pulling at your heartstrings.
Overall, No Place for Disgrace is a flawless album, and a semi-hidden gem in 80’s thrash metal.
#11: Vektor — Terminal Redux (2016)
Best songs: “LCD (Liquid Crystal Disease)”, “Collapse”, “Recharging the Void”
Here’s a smokin’ hot take I briefly alluded to earlier; in my opinion, thrash metal’s best decade was the 2010’s. We got lots of great classic albums in the 80’s when thrash was still young, but in the 2010's, bands new and old learned from the genre’s past mistakes while aiming towards innovation. Despite the experimentation, they still made sure to keep thrash’s identity intact, and Vektor are one of the best examples of this.
When I first heard about Vektor, I thought they’d just be modern Voivod worship. However once I finally listened to their stuff, I realized that although Vektor did take a few notes from Voivod, these guys have been one of modern thrash’s greatest innovators, and their third album, Terminal Redux, is their finest work yet.
Okay, get this: Terminal Redux is a concept album about a lonely astronaut who discovers the secrets of immortality, time and space, and uses them to overthrow his regime’s oppressive tyrants, only for things to not turn out the way he expected at the end.
If that alone was somehow not enough to convince you to listen to Terminal Redux, maybe this description will: it takes the sci-fi themes of Voivod, the dark lyricism and tone of Coroner, the astonishing composition of Aspid, and sharpens them to form something better than all three. Not to mention, it’s the only thrash album I know to feature appearances of a fucking soul choir.
Even with these influences, Vektor manage to establish their own touches through their insane drum fills, melodies and riffing style, as well as David DiSanto’s black metal-tinged vocals.
Ya know what? Call me lazy, but I’m gonna end Terminal Redux’s review here because seriously, what more can I even say to convince you this album’s a goddamn masterpiece?! Any more gushing would just be self-repeating at this point.
The only thing I struggle to comprehend is that Terminal Redux isn’t any higher on the list. But despite its greatness, there are indeed 10 other thrash albums which I think are better, and that really shows how high the bar’s being set for the top 10.
#10: Hammercult — Built for War (2015)
Best songs: “I Live for This Shit”, “Ready to Roll”, “Road to Hell”
Prior to splitting up and being forgotten by the rest of the world, Israel’s very own Hammercult were a force to be reckoned with throughout most of the 2010’s. For fuck’s sake, these guys won 2011's Wacken Open Air Battle before even releasing their first album. How insane is that?!
Debuting with Anthems of the Damned, which on top of being a banger is also the most extreme thrash metal album ever made, Hammercult only sought to improve their already staggering resume. Their second album, Steelcrusher was cool, but not quite as good as its predecessor. However, their third and sadly final opus, Built for War, deserves to be widely regarded as a milestone in modern-day thrash metal.
Since this is Israeli thrash we’re talking about, Built for War naturally fits in the extreme thrash category. However, in spite of the album being an assault on the senses, Built for War is much more well-crafted than Hammercult’s previous work.
The first thing you’ll notice about Built for War is its strong and frequent use of melody. It’s important to note that melody was hardly a new thing for Hammercult by the time Built for War was recorded, but never to this extent. The style takes a lot of influence from Sweden’s melodeath scene, and charges it with a bolt of thrashy goodness. Now, I know Skeletonwitch have done this as well, but I’d argue Built for War alone leaves every album of theirs in the dust.
Not only is Built for War both extreme and melodic as hell, it’s also strangely empowering. The best way to explain it is imagine being a metalhead kid getting bullied or ostracized, and you need to find an album to keep you going. In that regard, Built for War serves as the perfect fuel to keep the fire inside you alive, as well as a boost of courage to stand up to those fools.
The whole album has this angry, yet reassuring aura that keeps you hyped throughout every second of it. With many melodic harmonies that enhance the album’s intensity and gang vocals that are downright anthemic, songs like “I Live for This Shit”, “Raise Some Hell”, “Let it Roar”, and “Blood and Fire” give the listener enough adrenaline and determination to survive a journey to Hell and back, all in 40 minutes.
It’s a bummer Hammercult disbanded a few years after Built for War’s release, because it promised even bigger and better things for the band. Though, despite being forgotten by most of the world, it seems their legacy left quite the impact on Israel’s thrash metal scene, as it continues to live on and thrive even in Hammercult’s absence.
Either way, I live for this shit.
#9: Slayer — Seasons in the Abyss (1990)
Best songs: “Spirit in Black”, “Dead Skin Mask”, “Seasons in the Abyss”
Slayer’s Reign in Blood is one of thrash metal’s most iconic albums. It helped raise the bar for thrash in terms of extremity and shock factor. Although there were a very small handful of more extreme thrash albums that came out in 1986, Reign in Blood stood out due to its release on a major label and the record’s infamous opener, “Angel of Death”.
And Slayer’s next album, South of Heaven, is also held quite highly. Instead of trying to surpass Reign in Blood in velocity or anger, it slowed things down to make the songs feel more dark and heavy. As well, it established a blueprint for all the groove metal bands to emerge in the 90's.
These two albums work because each one presented a style that appeals to a different audience. To this day you can’t go wrong with either one, but man, if only there were an album that combined both…oh wait it exists, it’s called Seasons in the Abyss, and it’s a fucking flawless match made in Hell.
It’s really quite impressive how seamlessly Slayer were able to mix the fast and furious with the slow and foreboding. Seasons in the Abyss keeps jumping back and forth between the opposing ends heard in its predecessors, and dare I say, it even improves each one. Furthermore, this fusion of styles means we get to experience a spectrum of each of the band members’ abilities much broader than on any other Slayer album.
You get relentlessly brutal pieces that sound as though they could be in Reign in Blood like “War Ensemble”, “Hallowed Point” and “Born of Fire”. On the other hand, there are droning South of Heaven-like cuts such as “Expendable Youth”, “Skeletons of Society”, and my favorite; “Dead Skin Mask”. It’s a horrifying ode to Ed Gein that never fails to send chills down my spine.
“Blood Red” and “Temptation” carefully tread on the line that separates the two styles apart, which makes them standout tracks in their own way.
Though, the two songs that stick out to me the most are “Spirit in Black” and the closing title track. The former because it starts off controlled and collected before turning into a chaotic mess halfway through, and the latter because, well…it just goes hard, and is definitely my all-time favorite Slayer song. It might as well be the official theme of Fear & Hunger.
Regardless of whether or not you agree on Seasons in the Abyss being Slayer’s best album, it’s inarguably their most complete. I realize there are other albums on the list that are more creative or innovative than Seasons in the Abyss, but come on! It’s a Reign in Blood/South of Heaven hybrid! What more could a thrasher ask for?!
#8: Toxik — Think This (1989)
Best songs: “WIr NJnB/In God”, “Machine Dream”, “Time After Time”
Whenever people talk about thrash bands from the East Coast, you often hear the names Anthrax and Overkill being tossed around like crazy. And while those bands are definitely the scene’s most iconic, I think it’s about damn time Toxik get the love they deserve, because even today they’re the East Coast’s greatest thrash band.
As much as I love Toxik’s newest album, Dis Morta, Think This remains my favorite of theirs. On top of being about as well-crafted and dynamic as possible, it really pushed thrash’s capabilities to new heights.
The songs in Think This twist and contort in ways that you don’t see very often, even in tech-thrash, but somehow that never gets in the way of them having proper pacing. What’s more, every band member’s performance is fucking wild, and they add elements of both jazz fusion and classical into their playing styles, not to mention all the unhinged keyboard sections.
In a way, Think This is one of the most intense albums on the list, but it doesn’t achieve this through extremity. Rather, it’s just so complex, fast, and eclectic to a point where it can feel overwhelming, though not in a bad way. Imagine if Dream Theater did a ton of crack and decided to go for an insane thrash sound in the 80’s, the result would probably sound like Think This.
Even with all the intensity, Think This is still quite the diverse record. On top of Think This’s many acoustic interludes, “There Stood the Fence” serves as a ballad to give you a break from the madness, as does the cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Out on the Tiles”. Other notable moments include “Machine Dream” for its use of synths, the jazzy “Greed”, the neoclassical “WIr NJnB/In God”, and “Technical Arrogance”, which is basically just Watchtower worship.
But as great as the music is, I think the best part about Think This is that conceptually, it took everything thrash initially stood for to a whole new level.
See, we all know that thrash started in the 80's as a backlash against the Cold War, corruption, as well as the media and propaganda at the time. But I don’t think I’ve ever come across a thrash album that makes me feel as though I’m experiencing all those things at once quite like Think This. Everything from the lyrics, to the found footage audio of 80's TV/radio ads and movie clips, to the haunting cover art made by Ed Repka makes Think This feel less like a studio album and more like a sonic time capsule
Speaking of which, Think This might just have my favorite album artwork ever.
It sucks how such a unique album that should be widely recognized as a classic gets ignored by so many metal publications. It’s been over three decades since Think This was released, and it’s still one of the most relevant, kooky, and fascinating thrash metal albums out there.
#7: Sinnery — A Feast of Fools (2016)
Best songs: “Magic Bullet”, “Holy Grounds”, “A Feast of Fools”
Up next, we have yet another choice cut of technical thrash metal. As some of you may know, Sinnery appeared in this blog before. Last year, I not only reviewed their second album, but interviewed them, as well. What we’ve heard so far from their upcoming EP is quite impressive (more on that in a future post…), but it’s hard for me to imagine the band topping their first album, A Feast of Fools.
Despite being the debut record of such a little-known band from Israel, A Feast of Fools has some of the best riffing and songwriting thrash has ever seen.
From the moment the album starts, hearing Alon Karnieli shout “WELCOME TO SELF-DESTRUCTION 101!!!!!!!!!!!” as the opening riff plays gets me fired up every time. In general, Alon’s vocals in A Feast of Fools are brutal, and a big part of why I love this album so much, but more interestingly, occasionally they’re accompanied by a woman’s clean singing. This creates a nice dissonance which further contributes to A Feast of Fools’s uniqueness.
A Feast of Fools has a very dark, dreary mood throughout every moment, and Sinnery are able to make the most of it in very creative ways. I already mentioned the unconventional use of backing vocals, but there’s plenty more to appreciate here.
“Magic Bullet” is quite a highlight, with the sickest solo in the entire album, to boot. While we’re on that topic, I should note that like in Black Bile, Idan Kringel’s solos are neoclassical in nature, which as you know by now, is an easy way to win my approval.
The production is fantastic, and most impressive is the drum tone, which is among the best I’ve heard in thrash metal. The drummer Sinnery had at the time, Ari Roth, made good use of his set here, so have no fear about the good production going to waste.
Like in Black Bile, bass is a thing, and Saar Tuvi was amazing at it back then, too.
There’s also a good bit of melody thrown into the album for good measure, most notably in the song “Mad Dog”.
On the surface, the song “Black Widow” is just very good Annihilator worship, but like with a handful of other songs in A Feast of Fools, it’s got orchestral sections to mix things up in between all the thrashing.
“Symphony of Sorrow” serves as the record’s token thrash ballad, and the band are able to adapt to this style wonderfully while keeping the album’s spirit consistent.
The closing title track is hands down the album’s best song. It encompasses everything A Feast of Fools has to offer in seven and a half minutes of absolute bliss.
I’m proud to be acquainted with Sinnery, because on top of just being great guys to be around, they’re one of the select few thrash bands that immediately hit the ball out of the park from their very first album. Take a moment to think about all the big names this tiny little band beat on this list…crazy, right? And if you think I’m exaggerating, go ahead; listen to A Feast of Fools and tell me it’s not a masterpiece. I’ll be waiting.
#6: Metallica — Master of Puppets (1986)
Best songs: “Master of Puppets”, “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”, “Disposable Heroes”
You know the top 5 are gonna be something when right behind ’em in line is Master of Puppets.
While 72 Seasons made it tragically clear that Metallica’s days of being a good band are over, there’s no denying they’ve made a few bangers throughout their career. There have obviously been a lot of debates over which of their albums is the best one, but overall, it’s mostly agreed upon that Master of Puppets is their magnum opus, and I can’t really argue with that.
To this day, Master of Puppets remains thrash metal’s most iconic album, and for good reason. It’s the perfect thrash record to introduce to a newcomer if you’re trying to get them into the genre, while also never getting old no matter how many times a hardened veteran returns to it.
This review would have been a lot shorter if 72 Seasons was a good album, but since it’s not, I wanna take some time to reminisce on Metallica’s greatest effort, back when they were a sick band.
Master of Puppets came out during a time when each member of the classic lineup was at the top of their game in both performance and songwriting.
As fun as it can be to shit on Lars’s drumming capabilities, in all honesty, he’s on fire in Master of Puppets. And looking at Kirk’s playing in 72 Seasons, it’s hard to believe he used to write such God-tier solos like the one in “Disposable Heroes”. As for Cliff and James’s performances? They speak for themselves.
The songwriting in every track is just amazing. You’ve got blood-pumping pieces like “Battery” and “Damage, Inc.” alongside more droning tracks like “The Thing That Should Not Be” and “Leper Messiah”. “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” is a highly melodic thrash ballad with thought provoking lyrics, and “Orion” feels like a beautiful swansong from Cliff.
And of course, there’s the title track. Due to the many reaction videos it got and its appearance on Stranger Things, I think people have forgotten just how incredible the title track really is. It’s arguably the best song Metallica ever made.
Production-wise, Master of Puppets is nearly identical to what would later end up in Testament’s The Legacy. That’s an odd coincidence, but I can’t say I have any complaints with it.
As much as I love Ride the Lightning, …And Justice for All, and even Hardwired…, I think each of those three albums has at least one glaring flaw that holds it back. Master of Puppets, though? It’s the only Metallica record that reached its full potential.
Every time I listen to Master of Puppets, I make sure to savor every moment, because as much as I hope they’ll come around to making good music again, it’s highly unlikely Metallica will ever release another album that holds a candle to this masterpiece.
#5: Annihilator — Criteria for a Black Widow (1999)
Best songs: “Schizos (Are Never Alone) Part III”, “Loving the Sinner”, “Double Dare”
Here’s a bit of trivia about me; I’m neurodivergent (shocker, I know). Specifically, I suffer from severe anxiety, which means I stress and panic on a daily basis, my constant worrying makes it hard for me to do certain things other people find easy, shit keeps me up at night, all that fun stuff!
I mention this because had I not known first-hand how debilitating acute anxiety can be, I never would have had such a profound appreciation for Annihilator. Jeff Waters has quite the deep understanding of mental illness, the issues it can create in society when left unchecked, and more importantly, what it feels like to have it.
It was quite the challenge, choosing which Annihilator release would make it to the countdown. It was gonna be either Alice in Hell, Criteria for a Black Widow, or For the Demented. However, while the other two could have also earned this spot on the list, Criteria for a Black Widow always struck me as a more accurate musical depiction of dealing with anxiety, and after doing some research, it makes sense why.
During the writing process of Criteria for a Black Widow, Jeff Waters was at an all-time low point in his life, and you can really hear that in every song. I know Annihilator’s songs often tackle the topics of insanity and mental illness, but more than any of their other albums, even more than their debut and For the Demented, Criteria for a Black Widow feels and sounds like a descent into madness.
Besides the debut Alice in Hell, this is Randy Rampage’s only other appearance on an Annihilator album before his death. Very rarely will you ever come across a vocalist who truly sounds like a madman, and even though ten years have passed in between the release of the two albums, Randy sounds just as demented here as he did on Alice in Hell.
But on top of just sounding insane, Randy also does an amazing job of making his voice go through a variety of emotions and characters. At times he sounds panicked, sometimes malicious, sometimes delirious, sometimes perverse, sometimes confused…and this is all made even more impactful through the occasional clean vocal sections, courtesy of Jeff Waters. Like I said before, he was going through a lot when writing this album, and you can hear that in his voice, too.
In many ways, Criteria for a Black Widow is the true follow-up to Alice in Hell. Randy’s presence is a huge part of why, sure, but there are other factors at play. The riffing style is almost identical to the one heard in Alice in Hell, but dare I say, it’s even more intricate and more frantic, which is saying something, considering the fact that Jeff Waters is probably thrash metal’s fastest playing guitarist.
That’s not to say Criteria for a Black Widow doesn’t have its own sense of individuality, because it most certainly does. For example, its production is much more raw than Alice in Hell’s. It’s as if the mental demons have taken control over the mind and now everything sounds a lot blurrier. That’s the thing about Criteria for a Black Widow; instead of just being a copy-paste of the debut album, it takes the original’s concept to its logical conclusion.
“Back to the Palace” is a sequel to Annihilator’s big hit, “Alison Hell”. In this scenario, Alison manages to escape the confines of the asylum, only to succumb to her own inner demons and paranoia once out. You even see that on the cover art.
“Schizos (Are Never Alone) Part III” is an instrumental that picks up where the first two parts left off in the debut, and hot damn, it’s a powerful song. Plus, it’s got the best solo in the whole album, carrying a rock n’ roll vibe with it.
There are also a couple of songs which show inspiration from what was hot at the time; “Punctured” and the title track take a lot of influence from Korn, and while I’m not big on nu metal, I gotta say, Annihilator integrated it perfectly into their sound in these two songs.
“Nothing Left” and “Sonic Homicide” are both relentlessly fast rides down Insanity Lane, and “Loving the Sinner” is slower-paced, giving Jeff a lot of moments to shine with his clean singing.
My favorite song on the album has got to be “Double Dare” because I think it’s Annihilator’s best depiction of having a panic attack in the presence of other people, and the somber interlude in the middle is just heart-wrenching.
The closing song is “Mending”, a sequel to Alice in Hell’s opener, “Crystal Ann”, and it’s a strangely calm, beautiful instrumental that ends the album on a rather solemn note.
I really hope Criteria for a Black Widow gets more love and recognition, because a thrash metal album that so accurately portrays extreme anxiety has to be near the very top of this list.
#4: Kreator — Gods of Violence (2017)
Best songs: “World War Now”, “Totalitarian Terror”, “Death Becomes My Light”
While most of the Teutonic Four don’t impress me, Kreator are hands down the greatest thrash metal band to come out of Europe. Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of their early albums, as most of them were pretty monotonous, but ever since the release of Violent Revolution in 2001 (which is probably the best thrash album of the 2000's), they’ve been unleashing bangers left and right.
You really can’t go wrong with any of Kreator’s albums from the current millennium, but Gods of Violence is arguably the best one. If any thrash album could serve as the soundtrack to an uprising against fascism, this would be it.
A melting pot of Kreator’s greatest achievements in musicianship, songwriting, and creativity, Gods of Violence is an exceedingly melodic album that still maintains the same level of extremity heard in the band’s earlier records.
Like Hammercult’s Built for War, Gods of Violence is a very empowering record. “Totalitarian Terror”, “Side By Side”, and “Hail to the Hordes” are just a few examples of songs that rather than just addressing everything wrong with society, are also about overcoming it. The addition of orchestral sections, power metal elements, and Mille Petrozza’s riffing/vocals being more expressive than ever further push Gods of Violence’s triumphant qualities.
So essentially, what we have on our hands here is an optimistic thrash metal album. Now how about that…
Another noteworthy quality of Gods of Violence is its production. It was produced by Jens Bogren, who’s got one of the most impressive resumes in the history of metal producers. I’m yet to find even a single album he produced that doesn’t sound amazing.
Going back to highlights from the tracklist, “World War Now” kicks the album off to a hectic start after the suspenseful intro, and every moment going forward is absolute hype, as well. “Satan is Real” is basically “For Whom the Bell Tolls” on steroids, and “Totalitarian Terror” might be my favorite, as it really takes every strength of Gods of Violence and displays it in a single track. I’m also quite fond of the band’s love letter to their fans, “Hail to the Hordes”.
The title track and “Side By Side” even have some folk metal aspects thrown in, and on paper, this sounds like a horrible idea, I know, but Kreator were able to somehow pull it off. Like I said earlier, in the 2010’s, thrash bands got experimental while learning from the genre’s past mistakes, and Gods of Violence is a prime example of that, which is especially impressive, since it came from a band that’s been around since the early 80's.
“Death Becomes My Light” also sticks out to me, as it’s a perfect closing track, and includes a bit of clean singing from Mille, which he does a surprisingly good job at.
There are other songs I haven’t mentioned, but everything in between is fucking incredible, as well. I just don’t want to drag this part on for too long.
Gods of Violence is one of those albums I listen to whenever I feel like I’m about to lose hope over the idea of society ever improving, and it never fails to pick me back up. That alone is remarkable enough, but more impressively, it achieves this while obliterating thrash metal’s boundaries with grace, as well as being a staggering album from start to finish.
#3: Exodus — Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010)
Best songs: “The Ballad of Leonard and Charles”, “March of the Sycophants”, “The Sun is My Destroyer”
It was pretty obvious to me that an Exodus album would make it to the top 3, but the difficult part was choosing which one.
Now, don’t get me wrong; I fucking LOVE Bonded by Blood. I’d go so far as to call it the best thrash metal album to come out of the 80’s. But when it comes to Exodus’s backlog, I think Exhibit B just barely surpasses it.
Picking up where The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A left off, Exhibit B is the band’s final album to feature Rob Dukes on vocals.
Now, before I delve into what makes Exhibit B such a phenomenal record, I need to mention a huge point of controversy about it, that being Rob Dukes. So many fans hate him simply because he’s not Paul Baloff (R.I.P.) or Zetro. I mean, Exhibit A has an average rating of 53% on Metal Archives, and Exhibit B’s score isn’t much better.
Admittedly, Let There Be Blood was an unnecessary re-recording of Bonded by Blood, but apart from that, Rob Dukes gave us an excellent era, and is a remarkable vocalist in his own right. See, Paul Baloff sounded like a mental asylum escapee and Zetro sounds like an angry, cheeky, roided-up goblin. Both are great at what they do, but Rob Dukes? It’s like his vocals are seething with all the vitriol and contempt in the world, and they never sounded more scornful than on Exhibit B.
This vocal style works because Exhibit B is Exodus’s most brutal album in pretty much every way. Not only is it their most extreme sonically, but also thematically. “The Ballad of Leonard and Charles”, “Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)”, and “Nanking” are some of the most fucked up songs in Exodus’s entire discography, and that’s saying a lot. Those three are the record’s most overtly disturbing songs, but the rest are also downright vicious, as well.
Exhibit B is quite long, clocking in at 74 minutes, but don’t let that deter you from listening to it, since it makes the most of every single one.
As you can expect from a thrash release, most of Exhibit B is relentlessly fast, but there are still some songs that offer something a bit different. “Hammer and Life” and “Democide” are both great groove metal songs, with the former having especially stellar riffing and pacing. The aforementioned “Nanking” is a very slow, droning tune, befitting of a song depicting the historical atrocity.
My favorite track, though, is one of the final songs, “The Sun is My Destroyer”, which is a highly complex 9 minute epic that showcases the absolute best from each band member. It takes what you’ve heard from the record so far and injects it with a healthy dose of early death metal, only to throw in a bluesy mid-section that somehow still sounds as brutal as everything else. It also renders every bandwagoned complaint over Rob Dukes’s abilities completely meritless, as his performance on here is truly one of a kind.
Like most Exodus albums, Exhibit B’s riffing is nearly unparalleled. Gary Holt is one of the best riff writers on the planet, and this record has some of his most impressive riffs. Just listen to “March of the Sycophants” and tell me it doesn’t have one of the greatest riffs ever written. I dare you!
Heathen’s Lee Atlus is the lead guitarist, and his solos never sounded better, especially when played alongside Gary’s. Jack Gibson is an overlooked king at bass, and adds a lot of heaviness to each song. And finally, Tom Hunting’s drumming is spectacular as usual, and bold statement incoming: I think he might just be thrash metal’s greatest drummer.
Production-wise, like every modern Exodus album, Exhibit B was produced by Andy Sneap, so no complaints in that department. Not only do all his records sound amazing, he also makes sure to never let his production style get in the way of a band’s individuality. I know I gave insanely high praise to Jens Bogren earlier, but Andy Sneap is just as good a producer, if not, better.
Ultimately, Exhibit B is an underrated treasure of a record that every thrasher needs to listen to. Even if you’ve dismissed this album when it first came out, I highly suggest you give it another try, because god fucking dammit, Exhibit B earned its place in the top 3.
#2: Shredhead — Death is Righteous (2015)
Best songs: “Hallucinations”, “Walk with the Dead”, “Witness Hell”
Ya know, I find it surprising how the most extreme album on this list is all the way up at #2.
Like I said before, extreme thrash is often very lacking in anything interesting, usually consisting of the exact same cookie-cutter riff throughout half the album. That’s why I could never get behind albums like Kreator’s Pleasure to Kill or Sepultura’s Beneath the Remains.
Shredhead on the other hand, took the extreme thrash formula in the right direction in their wonderful debut Human Nature, and took it about a thousand steps further in their second album, Death is Righteous.
Seriously though, what differentiates this album from other extreme thrash releases and why did it rank so damn high on the list? Is there any neoclassical stuff to win me over? Nope. What about melody in general? Not much of that, either. Is it favoritism since I’m acquainted with them and they’re an Israeli band? That’s a VERY good guess and I appreciate your critical thinking, but no.
Truth be told, Death is Righteous is a melting pot of influences from a ton of different metal genres, and also has a lot of innovative traits I’m yet to see in any other thrash album.
How do I even begin to describe this album’s sound?
Imagine if Exodus’s Tempo of the Damned, Demolition Hammer’s Tortured Existence, Pantera’s Vulgar Display of Power, and Death’s Scream Bloody Gore all fucked and had a demonic, four-way baby together. One that would later grow up and move to Israel during the early 2000’s, becoming even more twisted and enraged in the process after witnessing so much conflict.
That was my best attempt, guys.
Basically, this means Death is Righteous is a thrash album that takes a lot of influence from groove metal and early death metal, with the extremity being dialed up tenfold. And yet, it has something none of the aforementioned bands have: dissonance.
There are a ton of moments where the band are all playing in completely different time signatures. For example, imagine if Dimebag Darrell was the guitarist for a song, and Tom Hunting was the drummer. Or alternatively, Vinnie Paul as the drummer, and Chuck Shuldiner as the guitarist. It’s as if every band member is playing in a separate style, with a general leaning towards thrash. On paper, this idea shouldn’t work at all, but somehow Shredhead made it look easy.
Death is Righteous takes the same concept Seasons in the Abyss made use of, and multiplies it by enough times to break your neck before you even reach the fourth song. The ways they play around with the rhythm is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before or since in metal, especially since it’s coupled with composition that’s just mind-bogglingly good. Some of the best examples of this are “Devil’s Race”, “The Lie”, “Walk with the Dead”, “Witness Hell”, and “I Am”.
Oh, and if we’re on the topic of the tracklist, there’s plenty of variety to be found here, and each track is distinguishable from the rest. “Last Words Are Lost” adds some Metallica-style riffing to the mix, “Can’t Be Left Alive” is straight-up Pantera worship (which really ain’t a bad thing), and “Walk with the Dead” has the most badass breakdown I’ve ever heard as the chorus. “I Am” has the best solo on the album, not to mention the only song I know to feature a chorus with fast punk riffing over slow, groovy drumming.
On top of that, like Annihilator, Shredhead have a deep understanding of mental illness, as there are a lot of themes regarding corruption, inner turmoil, and struggles with identity. These themes reach a boiling point with “Hallucinations”, one of the most extreme metal songs I’ve ever heard, not to mention an accurate representation of what it feels like to lose your mind.
The production on Death is Righteous is more than perfect for the album. Everything is super punchy and crisp, but never compressed, you can hear every instrument, and is still sounds organic and real.
As far as the band performance is concerned, I can’t give them enough praise. Aharon Ragoza’s insane vocal range at the time and all the tricks he employs with it are just stunning. Not only does he sound furious, he also sounds like he’s in pain. Lilo’s given a lot of moments to shine, and his bass playing is really unconventional, having a strong funk influence, with bouncy riffing scattered about the record.
Nagorath is an insanely good guitarist, and his riffs and solos are really something else in Death is Righteous. Lastly, Roee Kahana is probably the best drummer in the entire Israeli metal scene. His drumming is on par with Tom Hunting’s, and every drum fill is just breathtaking.
At this point in time, Shredhead are not really a thrash band anymore, considering I Saw You Burn goes all in on the groovier part of the board. Not that that’s a bad thing, I still love their later albums. It’s just so crazy to me that only two albums in, and they were already able to create such a masterpiece.
Death is Righteous is a one of a kind album. In all my years of being a metalhead, I’m yet to encounter even a single album that sounds quite like it. Shredhead are an excellent band otherwise, but Death is Righteous is on a whole other ballpark compared to the rest of their discography. It’s also the only album on this list that can hold a candle to my pick for #1, which is…
#1: Megadeth — Dystopia (2016)
Best songs: “The Threat is Real”, “Dystopia”, “Poisonous Shadows”
Those of you who’ve read my Megadeth album rankings surely saw this coming. Dystopia may be dismissed by many fans as a mid-tier album, but I will proudly die on the hill that it’s thrash metal’s greatest and most underappreciated release.
I suggest you read my previous review of Dystopia in the Megadeth countdown before proceeding any further, but regardless of your choice, there’s way more I decided to save for a future post, and this is it. Last time, I went over all the general traits that make Dystopia such an ass-kicking album, so because I don’t want to repeat myself, most of this is just gonna be me gushing over every track.
Dystopia goes worlds beyond everything I could possibly ask for in a thrash metal album. I could just as easily have placed Rust in Peace at the very top, but I still stand by my argument that Dystopia barely beats it. There’s a one album per band rule, after all...
If what you’re looking for is the sickest riffs and solos, yes, Rust in Peace would be #1 (granted, Dystopia is still pretty damn close in that department). However, when you look at how much it excels in variety, emotion, songwriting, and originality, Dystopia is simply unmatched.
A culmination of all of Megadeth’s greatest moments both before AND after its release, Dystopia was a massive leap forward for thrash 30-some years after the genre was conceived. From the pacing and structure of “Bullet to the Brain” to the Black Sabbath-y intro of “Fatal Illusion” and so much more, the amount of ballsy moves that Dave and co. pulled off with flying colors is astounding.
Every song has a different mood that separates it from the rest. Every riff, every solo, every lyric, every drum beat…it’s all so memorable, and yet still cohesive enough to be considered part of the same album.
Furthermore, I have to give credit to Brent Elliott White for designing the cover art. Much like with Toxik’s Think This, the artwork alone adds so much to each song and overall makes the album even more immersive than it already is.
“The Threat is Real” is a God-tier opener with a Middle Eastern intro, and the title track starts off melodic and catchy before going full-on Rust in Peace mode in its instrumental outro. It’s worth noting that I mentioned earlier how I normally don’t like the “chorus is the song’s name” trope, which is true, but Dystopia’s title track is one of the few exceptions.
Ya see, considering the title track’s depiction of an Orwellian nightmare, one of the concepts that comes to mind is repeated, brainwash-y slogans. The way I see it, having the chorus be the word “dystopia” over and over again, it’s like someone’s trying to use the same tactic to get someone out of that brainwashed state.
On top of being a love letter to anyone who liked Peace Sells (AKA everyone who listened to it), “Fatal Illusion” also functions as a love letter to society’s outcasts. “Death from Within” is a thunderous ode to the Trojan Horse, with the chorus containing one of the best riffs I’ve ever heard.
Things take a turn with “Bullet to the Brain”, presenting an unconventional approach towards thrash I’ve never seen before or since, and “Post American World” is just sinister. I know Dave Mustaine considers it a sequel to “Symphony of Destruction”, but it’s honestly so much better in every way and then some. Apart from Dave’s most haunting vocal performance ever, we also get some ear viagra from Kiko Loureiro’s solos.
“Poisonous Shadows” is my favorite off the album, and I’ll save a full analysis of it for when I make a post of my all-time favorite songs. All I’ll say for now is that it’s the most psychological, introspective, and profound Megadeth song ever written. And even if it wasn’t, it’s still an immensely pleasant listening experience.
Dystopia is chock-full of neoclassical guitarwork, but that element reaches its peak in the aforementioned “Poisonous Shadows” and the instrumental “Conquer or Die!”. The latter even has a “Tornado of Souls”-tier solo by Kiko.
“Lying in State” is the album’s most intense track, and I can’t really say anything else about it because it just speaks for itself. “The Emperor” is a favorite of mine; it’s tongue-in-cheek, it’s relevant, and the main riff is like “Jump in the Fire” but way chunkier and angrier to fit the song’s tone.
Boldly finishing off with an insane and massively improved cover of FEAR’s “Foreign Policy” as a final warning for the future, Dystopia left a deep, profound impact on me once I finished listening to it for the first time…and continues to do so every single time I revisit it, which is approximately once a week.
Is there any more I can say about this album to further build a case as to why it’s an underrated masterpiece that deserves to be at the very top of this list? Probably, but I’ll save us both an even greater headache and leave it at that.
So what’s your favorite thrash album, and why? Was there anything in particular you agreed or disagreed with on here? Feel free to share your thoughts or even make your own countdown, I’d love to check it out!
Good fucking god, this was my largest project so far, but it did help me make it through the final month of this abhorrent summer. I have another similar countdown about albums from one of my other favorite metal genres in mind, but that’ll have to wait for another time. In the meanwhile, I’ve got other projects in the works.
Until next time, Shana Tova, and for all intents and purposes, stay metal, my friends!
