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The Official Thrash Metal Recommendations Thread


RelentlessOblivion

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  • 1 year later...
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I didn't realize how long it had been since I had added to these threads. Well, better late than never I suppose, so here's another round of thrash:

(moderator's note: there was an issue with this post which could not be resolved therefore there are no band descriptions attached to any videos)

Cryptic Slaughter - Convicted

 

Evil Army - Evil Army

 

Hatriot - Heroes of Origin

 

Hirax - Hate, Fear, and Power

 

Num Skull - Ritually Abused

 

Protector - Urm the Mad

 

Seventh Angel - The Torment

 

Slaughter Lord - Thrash 'til Death 86-87

 

Solstice - Solstice

 

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11 hours ago, RelentlessOblivion said: I don't mind Xentrix. Don't enjoy them enough to buy any of their albums though.

Yeah, I've listened to both albums a couple of times on YouTube now and they're already wearing a little thin, so doubt I'll bother buying them either.

I like a lot of UK thrash, but Xentrix seems to be one of the less exciting bands to come from the scene. Don't let it deter you from checking out the amazing Sabbat, or other great acts like Deathwish and Onslaught.

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I'm somewhat familiar with Onslaught but not the others, will have to investigate...

Sabbat's first two albums are some of the best thrash ever written IMO. Deathwish's Demon Preacher is a killer riff fest of an album, but the vocals take some getting used to. Onslaught is a bit derivative, but still pretty good, The Force is worth your time to check out.

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  • 10 months later...

The Mist (Brazil) - Phantasmagoria (1989)

How these guys don't get more recognition is beyond me. They were easily in the same league as any well-known thrash band at the time (far superior to quite a few of them), while still offering up their own unique style. Notably, this album features Marcelo Diaz on bass, who later went onto Soulfly, and the voice of Vladmir Korg of Chakal. Also, the original cover "borrows" quite a bit from Micheal Whelan's Lovecraft's Nightmare A, which is kind of strange since it was done by Kelson Frost (who did the covers for the next album from The Mist, Sarcofago's Rotting, The Laws of Scourge and Chakal's The Man is His Own Jackal, among others). Greyhaze Records reissued Phantasmagoria earlier this year--as well as some other Cogumelo releases--which has the original Micheal Whelan art. The Mist followed up this album with The Hangman Tree (1991, featuring Jairo Guedz on guitars, who left Sepultura after Bestial Devastation), also a great album, a so-so EP, and Gottverlassen (1995) before breaking up. If you're a fan of thrash at all, Phantasmagoria is a must.

 

 

Chakal (Brazil) - Abominable Anno Domini (1987)

Abominable Anno Domini and The Man is His Own Jackal (1990) are the only albums from Chakal that I'm very familiar with, but are both great offerings. The sound on the latter is a bit more filled out, the vocals are a little odd, but it's still a solid album worth checking out, if not only for hearing a song called "Santa Claus Has Got Skin Cancer". Anyway, this is a great track from Abominable Anno Domini.

 

 

Post Mortem (U.S.A.) - Coroner's Office (1986)

I've only recently started listening to these guys, but if you're looking for some old, chaotic sounding thrash, this won't waste your time. This album definitely ventures off into some wild territory.

 

 

Pentagram Chile - Pentagram (2000)

Pentagram (known as Pentagram Chile since 2012) are legendary. Technically they're more of a death/thrash band, but their early demos on this compilation blur the distinction. They released their only full-length, The Malefice in 2013 which is also worth seeking out. This is early South American thrash that one might think of being in the same vein of Possessed or even Holocausto, but not comparable in terms of individual style or execution.

 

 

 

 

 

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Sacrifice (Canada) - Forward to Termination (1987)

This is Sacrifice's second album. Their first, Torment in Fire (1985) is passable, but also a mess. This one is where the meat is. A first listen to this will probably draw comparisons to Destruction and Kreator, which it isn't too far removed from aside from having a much more progressive edge.

 

 

 

Defleshed (Sweden) - Abrah Kadavrah (1996)

Defleshed made a few varied releases from the mid nineties into 2005. Their first EP, Ma Belle Scalpelle was pure death metal with some unique twists and turns in it. Abrah Kadavrah is an awesome, original death/thrash album, with enough of either to belong here. Great lyrics, great riffs... check it out.

 

 

Nephastus (Brazil) - Tortuous Ways (1991)

It's hard to get anymore obscure--Nephastus are a band from northeastern Brazil, who released one album on a small label. Some of the tracks here are a little choppy, and the sound quality is crusty. But if you're looking for a different take on the style, this might do it for you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Here are some of my favorites other than the ones you listed in the original post:

Havok, Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, Warbringer, Revocation, Violator and SkeletonWitch. Really a damn shame that SkeletonWitch isn't around any more. 

On 1/31/2016 at 8:48 AM, MacabreEternal said:

 

My latest thrash/speed metal find on Bandcamp via Avenger's page.

Wow this is pretty awesome. Thanks for sharing \m/

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On 8/11/2017 at 0:17 AM, PvtHudson206 said:

Here are some of my favorites other than the ones you listed in the original post:

Havok, Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, Warbringer, Revocation, Violator and SkeletonWitch. Really a damn shame that SkeletonWitch isn't around any more. 

Wow this is pretty awesome. Thanks for sharing \m/

Other than a bit of Municipal Waste, I can't say that I like any of that retro thrash that you mentioned here. Revocation is good instrumentally, but the vocals put me off. They did play a great live set though.

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A conversation in another thread got me feeling like posting a bit of thrash. Here's a fresh set of recommendations, since there haven't been any here in some time:

Antichrist - Sinful Birth:

As a vocal dissenter of the supposed "new wave of thrash metal", finding a new thrash metal band that excites me is a rare occurrence. That's not to say that I have a problem with the idea of bands carrying on the thrash sound that died in the mid-90's, there have just been astonishingly few out of these new waves of retro-worshipers that can step out of the shadows of their idols and engage in anything beyond self-parody. I had heard the name Antichrist before, and after seeing them live, I can say that not only does this band step outside of the shadows of their idols, this is good enough to cast their own shadow over many of the albums that clearly inspired them. This is overflowing with sick riffs that sound familiar, but also original, with a bit of black metal melody and original vocals thrown in for good measure. Antichrist gets it all right, and it's painful that so many others can't pull their heads out of their asses and make something this ripping and awesome themselves. Class is in session for the new school, and Antichrist are the professors. Put down the PBR and pizza and take note, retro clowns.

Armoros - Pieces:

Armoros is something of an underground legend from the fertile Canadian thrash soil. They made a big name for themselves with their demos, which were widespread and showcased the bands massive talents. However, their debut album Pieces was never released for some reason. Thankfully, this is one that was rescued and finally given a proper release in the internet age, and we're all better for it. Pieces is absolutely raging, but also quite professional sounding, which makes one wonder why it never saw the light of day until 20 years after it was made. A sick, devastating album that fans of the more savage side of thrash, like Dark Angel, Sadus, and Sodom should love.

Believer - Sanity Obscure:

Christianity wasn't ever a popular topic in the metal world, but it seemed to enjoy a bit more success within the realms of thrash metal and doom, where a decent number of bands were able to keep this theme restricted to the lyrics instead of using the music as a prop upon which to preach. Believer was one such band, a very impressive technical/progressive thrash metal band that featured excellent musicianship and songwriting, especially on Sanity Obscure. Despite the "progressive" tag, this is still plenty aggressive, with tons of high speed punch and energetic vocal and drum lines complimenting the guitar and bass acrobatics. Another example of a band criminally being written off because of their lyrics, don't make the same mistake if you're a fan of thrash.

Black Fast - Starving Out the Light:

Black Fast occupies the rare position of being a modern thrash metal band that is actually seeking to do something different with the genre. Along with Vektor, Black Fast is taking the ideas that became stagnant in thrash and putting them into a new vehicle and shuttling them forward into something that's as exciting as thrash was when it first hit the stage. Also like Vektor, the musicianship is top notch and the songwriting is very progressive, and the modern sound with a wider assortment of chords and melodies than classic thrash makes this a fresh new take on a genre that had all but died out. If you want to hear something new from thrash metal, then you simply must give Black Fast a listen.

Hexx - Morbid Reality:

Hexx began their existence as more of a power metal band, but took a dramatic shift toward thrashing brutality with their third album Morbid Reality. This is a spazzy, frantic technical thrash metal album with a lot of nods toward death metal that didn't really sound like much else at the time, or since really. Everything here has the sense of being fired on overdrive, with sharp jumps and twists between a number of different tempos, riffing styles, and textures, especially in the drumming department. The end result is an insane, almost schizophrenic sound that should have technical thrash enthusiasts banging their heads like crazy. Insane, wild stuff.

Inquisitor - Walpurgis Sabbath of Lust:

Inquisitor's Walpurgis Sabbath of Lust was one of the last truly great thrash albums, being released in 1996, after the rest of the thrash world had essentially flat-lined. Hailing from The Netherlands, a country that had become well known for its many quality death metal exports, Inquisitor stands out with an absolutely savage thrash riffing onslaught of an album that does owe a fair bit to the death metal sound of many of its peers. As it's still written very much as a thrash metal album in terms of composition, I have included it in the thrash section, though I'm sure that death metal fans would likely love this too. Rabid vocals, hyper-speed drumming with lots of blast beats, and absolutely sick riffs, this is essential, must listen death/thrash. 

King's Evil - Deletion of Humanoise:

King's Evil is a Japanese thrash metal band that debuted at a very unfriendly time for thrash metal. Other than a couple of 80's acts that had just started reawakening and releasing so-called "comeback" albums, and their related Japanese thrash act Ritual Carnage, King's Evil was pretty much on their own. However, regardless of how un-trendy this was, they absolutely knocked it out of the park with Deletion of Humanoise. Using a more modern sounding production that you would expect to hear on any number of death metal albums in 2001, this is very full and boisterous sounding presentation that highlights that ass kicking riffs and relentless pacing of the band. Thrash 'til Death.

Mekong Delta - The Music of Erich Zann:

Mekong Delta was a pretty strange German progressive/thrash metal band. All of the members went by pseudonyms so that they didn't break their exclusive contracts with their other bands, so their true identities weren't known until some time after the band began. Their music also matches their strange name and (originally) enigmatic identity, with many nods to classical and progressive music interwoven with eccentric and energetic thrash riffing. Bizarre melodies, off-kilter rhythms, odd time signatures, this all makes for a really heady, deep thrash experience, one that you really have to sit and think about. Give it time to absorb, and you will be rewarded as it reveals more to you with each subsequent listen. Once you have solved its mysteries, it's difficult to call this anything less than genius.

Meliah Rage - Solitary Solitude:

Meliah Rage was another US power metal band that moved toward heavier, thrashier sounds as the popularity of thrash grew (I'm sensing a pattern here...). The album name is a bit redundant and stupid, as is the cover art, but the music is absolutely worth your time. Meliah Rage didn't revel in speed and aggression as most thrash bands of the time did, opting for a more driving mid-paced sound that is still quite compelling. There are a lot of melodies and leads leftover from their power metal days, which are excellent and give the band a lot of flavor, and the vocals stand out for the same reason. While this is accessible and straightforward, it is also heavy and satisfying. Good stuff.

 Speed Kill Hate - Acts of Insanity:

Speed Kill Hate is a side project of Dave Linsk, the most recent and longest standing guitar player from the thrash metal institution Overkill. Speed Kill Hate seems to be an outlet for Dave's heavier and more brutal ideas that wouldn't fit with Overkill, as Acts of Insanity is a pretty punishing modern thrash album with elements of groove. His signature lead and rhythm style are here, but are shown in a much more relentless setting with harsher, more shouting vocals than Overkill would use. It's not an unexpected formula, but it's punchy, and it works. 

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It's amusing to look back on some of those earlier posts when I presumed what I knew was all there was. These days I've resigned myself to the fact that I will never tick of every on my list.
I remember doing that several times when I was younger, only to have my eyes forcibly ripped open. I try not to assume anything anymore, as even when I do have a good bit of background knowledge on the subject in question (metal or otherwise), I can still be surprised pretty often.

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1 hour ago, BlutAusNerd said:

I remember doing that several times when I was younger, only to have my eyes forcibly ripped open. I try not to assume anything anymore, as even when I do have a good bit of background knowledge on the subject in question (metal or otherwise), I can still be surprised pretty often.

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I was such a naive guy back then. Never heard of doom, seeing shelves of record stores dominated by kse and the like, fortunately MF has some great people like yourself all too keen to share what they know.

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