From theearliest heavy metal albums that became essential listeningto glam rock’s evolution into hair metal, the ’80s was a turning point for the metal community. In the first half of the decade, bands began to feel an insatiable need for speed.Precision and unrelenting double bass began to overtake metal records. This aggressive new style ushered in one of metal’s greatest and biggest sub-genres: thrash metal.
When the speed and raw aggression of punk infiltrated the sounds established by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM), new titans emerged.Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeath, and Slayer, the Big Four thrash metal bands, were inescapable and continue to reign over some of the largest and most dedicated fan bases in music history. And yet, some of thebest thrash albums ever weren’t made by the Big Four, showing just how diverse the sub-genre is.
The origins of the genre are just as face-melting as the albums that represent the peak perfected essence of thrash. The raw punk elements of early thrash and undeniable NWBOHM influence make these albumsessential listening for anyone who wants to experience the foundations of thrash.
1Welcome to Hell - Venom (1981)
One of the most influential proto-thrash bands
Thrash metal owes its origins to the metal musicians across the pond. The sounds of the NWOBHM were the starting point for thrash.While Venom was never exactly a thrash metal band, their influence is undeniable and priceless. In order to truly understand the emergence of thrash metal, you have to be familiar with the work of Venom.
Their 1981 album,Welcome to Hell, came out at the tail end of the NWOBH. While the bands of this era were informed by punk, it wasVenom’s full embrace of punk speed and anger that brought bands closer to the advent of thrash. Conrad “Cronos” Lent, Venom’s bass player, originated in the world of punk, and argued the band’s speed was what set them apart from other metal acts on the scene. As the band gained credibility,crowds went from critical of their speed to awe-struck by it.
This album has what Jeff “Mantas” Dunn considersthe band’s very first thrash song, “Witching Hour.“Venom is an inspiration to so many of the best thrash metal bands of the American scene. The reissued album notes claim thatLars Ulrich of Metallica said that this album “started it all,“and Tom Araya has said that Slayer likely wouldn’t exist without Venom.
2Metal on Metal - Anvil (1982)
Inching closer to the very first thrash album
As the NWOBHM spread across the globe, this Canadian band Anvil took inspiration from the scene and made it their own.WhileMetal on Metalisn’t quite thrash, it is teetering on the edge, and brought the sound closer in proximity to the California thrash scene that was just on the horizon.
Metal On Metalis the group’s second album, but certainly their most promising from a critical standpoint and undoubtedly their most influential. This album isn’t as fast, heavy, or angry as the thrash sound would come to embody, butit was albums like this that future thrashers were listening to and drawing inspiration from. Anthrax’s Scott Ian called Anvil the “sickest, thrashiest, and heaviest band on the block,” in aVultureinterview.
Anvil’s legacy today is muddled.Metal fans and critics can’t seem to agree if they were one of the most influential metal bands of all time or if everyone looks back on their impact with rose-colored glasses. Their outrageous stage performances and constant coverage from popular ’80s metal magazines, likeKerrang!, gave them more than their fair share of the spotlight whenMetal on Metalreleased. The antics of Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow, the band’s lead vocalist and guitar player, was a madman on and off the stage, playing the guitar with sex toys and partying hard after the shows.
The documentary,Anvil! The Story of Anvil, makes it abundantly clear that the band is bothered by the fact that they were unable to replicate the success of their sophomore albumdespite being so influential. Unlike Venom, who directly worked with Metallica and Slayer, Anvil was just a portion of the soundtrack that inspired their work. While some critics discount the impact of Anvil, I believe that their role in thrash is relevant. If Scott Ian, Lars Ulrich, Geoff Barton, and Tom Araya believe that Anvil was a band that blazed trails and created the spark that lit the fire under thrash metal, who am I to disagree?In order to understand the influences of the Big Four and the debates about the genre today, you have to know Anvil.
3Kill ‘Em All - Metallica (1983)
The first thrash metal album
From the very first second of Metallica’sKill ‘Em All,you can hear exactly what sets thrash metal apart from anything that came before. The unrelenting fast tempo of the drums doesn’t sacrifice the precision and intricacy of riffs.
Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield were metal disciples, consuming all the metal albums, articles, and demos they possibly could. When the two came together to form a band in 1981, they carried with them their love for Venom, Motörhead and other heavy metal bands, pushing the envelope on speed and heavy riffs.
They were prepared to blaze trails on the frontier of this burgeoning genre
Metallica came out of the gate swinging, thrashing, and speeding. Not only is it the first thrash metal album, it is one of the greatest ever released. Metallica proved that they were not just another NWOBHM-inspired band, but visionaries in their own right. They were prepared to blaze trails on the frontier of this burgeoning genre.It had taken two years for the band to procure Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammettto create their classic line-up, but once all the pieces were in place, they were prepared to make history.
4Fistful of Metal - Anthrax (1984)
Thrash goes bi-coastal
Fistful of Metalis not Anthrax’s thrashiest album: the releaseSpreading The Diseasea year later is definitively thrash.Fistful of Metalcame out before Anthrax had officially settled into their sound,but is a display of the band’s budding potential as pioneers of the thrash genre. The band was made up of 20-year-old kids seeking out the heaviest, fastest, face-melting metal and turning up the heat on their own tracks.
The “Big Four” Thrash Metal Bands, Ranked Worst To Best
Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer have each had stellar careers, but these are the factors that separate them from one another.
Hailing from New York City,these guys weren’t a part of the underground metal tape trading scene in Californiathat disseminated Metallica songs before the release ofKill ‘Em All.Anthrax came to the speed metal and thrash metal sound on their own. Whilethis album lacks the vocals of Joey Belladonnaand has yet to make a full departure from the heavy metal sounds that preceded its release, it etches Anthrax’s place in the creation of thrash metal in stone.
5Show No Mercy - Slayer (1983)
A new titan emerges
Slayer’s debut albumShow No Mercyis raw, unfiltered and dirty. This album is fast, but maybe too fast. It is off the rails and all over the place, but it put Slayer on the map asa band doing it heavier, faster and nuttier than any other group.
Show No Mercyis one of Slayer’s rougher albums purely becauseit was an entirely self-made effort. When running on a limited budget, bands don’t have the time and equipment to create a perfect sound. However, I find that to be to this album’s benefit.This album is gritty, it’s punk, it doesn’t care what you think, and it is pure chaos. You can’t impose order on this rising band, and that drew in younger rabid metalheads that defended this album from critics.
This album is gritty, it’s punk, it doesn’t care what you think, and it is pure chaos.
Slayer toured this album with their friends and family supporting them. Tom Araya left his stable job as a respiratory therapist to risk it all chasing his dreams on the road. They only made enough money to live gig to gig, just scraping by to get from one venue to the next. They put their blood, sweat, and tears into this project, defiantly clawing their way up the heavy metal ladder.
Slayer may not have released at the same time as Metallica, butwhen they first heard Metallica’s demos they were blown away by how similar their styles were. Despite this,Slayer’s songs were faster and more sinister than Metallica’s. Slayer tested the limits of the genre: How fast is too fast and is satanism too evil? The answer seemed to be, the sky is the limit; it doesn’t matter what the critics were saying, because the crowds were loving it.
6Speak English or Die - S.O.D. Stormtroopers of Death
ASpreading The DiseaseSide Quest
Anthrax used their studio time to recordSpreading The Diseaseefficiently and quickly. After recording all of their tracks,Scott Ian and Charlie Benante wanted to make the most of the leftover studio time. They gathered a group of friends to record an album in under a week. The result is considered a pioneer of crossover thrash, a mix between hardcore punk and thrash metal.
While Speak English or Die is a crude album created as a bit of fun between friends,it was a really important piece of recorded metal history. This album is considered to be the first instance of a recorded blast beat played by Charlie Benante on the song “Milk.” The musicians on this album might have had a little too much fun when creating these songs, however.The lyrics are absurd and wildly offensiveto countless communities and identities. The tracks were intended to be satirical, making fun of racists and bigots, but detractors are not off base in calling these lyrics offensive. Whether you love it or hate it, this album changed metal.
7Bonded By Blood - Exodus (1985)
An unsung hero of thrash metal
Exodus didn’t make the cut when metal culture crowned the Big Four, butyou would be foolish to count them out of thrash metal’s origin story. Exodus is a huge part of Kirk Hammett’s career, having founded the band in 1979 with Tim Agnello and Tom Hunting.
Without Exodus, it is arguable that Metallica may not have reached the unimaginable heights it did. Kirk Hammett quickly replaced Dave Mustaine, but the process offinding a new guitar player had the potential to ruin the band.
Regardless of their Metallica connection, Exodus is a legendary thrash metal band in their own right. Exodus had to pick up the pieces when Hammett abruptly left to join Metallica. Rick Honult, Hammett’s replacement, worked well with Gary Holt.
Bonded By Bloodbenefits from being a largely live record.The songs maintain the energy and edge of a live performancethat couldn’t be accomplished with the security of retakes and overdubs. The band’s violent lyrics, precise chugging, and high-pitched shredding could have landed them among the best of the best. However, album delays set them behind the release of Megadeath’s debut album and Metallica’sRide The Lightning,an album that perfected the thrash sound.
8Feel The Fire - Overkill (1985)
First-wave thrash legends
While Overkill is not in the Big Four or incredibly formative to the trash sound,they are among the best bands the first wave of thrash metal bands had to offer. Beyond the pioneers and speed demons that sprouted horns from their skulls and left scorch marks in their wake, bands like Overkill amassed huge fanbases and expanded the scene’s scope. Overkill became a staple of the growing scene and helped to usher in second-wave bands as they embarked on headline tours and shows.
Feel The Fireis brutal, punk, but also surprisingly melodic. Their skull-splitting shredding can bleed so effortlessly into a riff that is an earworm or the enchanting sound of Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth’s warm vibrato. “There’s No Tomorrow” puts the band’s ability to blend beauty and brutality on full display. For listeners who have yet to wander far from the Big Four, Overkill is a band that you need to know.
9Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? - Megadeth (1986)
Megadeth comes into their own
I’m sure up to this point metalheads have been rolling their eyes at this list’s lack of Megadeth. Megadeth is a vital ingredient in the creation of the thrash genre. The group is Dave Mustaine’s recovery from getting a steel toe boot from Metallica in 1983 due to his substance abuse and aggressive nature. He formed Megadeth, andis the heart and soul of the band,being the sole consistent member.
However, includingKilling Is My Business… And Business Is Good!in this list didn’t feel right. Controversially,I firmly believePeace Sells… But Who’s Buying?is a better introduction to the band and their sound than their debut album. The debut Megadeth album is not very high quality because the band produced it themselves after blowing half of their budget on drugs. I don’t hate that album, but their sophomore album shows the heights the band is capable of.
Scalding political commentary is Megadeth’s hallmark. The band makes political lyricism a common feature of thrash as a whole. The band’s tight song structures, impeccable technique and powerful lyricism solidify Mustaine as a thrash legend, despite his flaws.
10Master of Puppets - Metallica (1986)
The peak of thrash metal
People could debate what the greatest thrash metal album is until the end of humanity. Each of the Big Four has created albums that are practically perfect.What setsMaster of Puppetsapart is its widespread recognition and pop culture significance. This album features long heavy songs that are perfectly arranged and imbued with social commentary. The band had grown up with thrash from its inception, as they matured, the music did too. This album produced cultural behemoths like “Master of Puppets” and “Battery” and also produced incredible feats of composition like Cliff Burton’s “Orion.”
Master of Puppetsis not only a representation of the heights thrash can achieve, but the lasting memory of Cliff Burton. This is the last record he appeared on before his tragic death in a tour bus accident. His passion for music consumed him from his adolescence until the day he died.Metallica was never the same without the special flavor and artistic ability that Burton had to offer.
From gorgeous acoustic harmonies to breakneck speeds,Master of Puppetsis as captivating as it is punishing. Everyone has their favorite albums, butany critic worth their salt would have to put this in their top five metal albums of all time.
