Entertainment Earth

2/25/2008

The Top 10 Thrash Metal bands Ever

Like I said over on my myspace, thrash metal is my absolute fav type of metal. So, here then is my comprehensive list of the Top Ten thrash Metal bands of all Time:

  1. When, Dave Mustaine was fired from Metallica it was the best thing that could happen to metal. Because, Megadeth is not just the best thrash metal band, ever, but my personal fav band in the whole world. Mustaine is one of the greatest guitarists the world has ever seen. And, Megadeth have made some many classic albums and songs; as well being one of the most technically sounding bands, ever. Plus, they have some of the coolest covers, ever! Their best album remains Rust in Peace, a technically ferocious godlike work that leaves your jaw dropping and your headbanging away till it falls off.
  2. They sign about Satan, hell, the occult, evil, Nazis, war, atrocities, death, murder, serial killers, horror, and other unsavory subject matter, with amazing power and viciousness. Their mosh pits are legendary in their brutality. Their music controversial, but loved by both fans and critics. No list of great metal bands would be complete without them. Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman play the twins guitars with amazing speed and quality. While, Lomabardo is one of the finest drummers, ever, in any genre. Many will swear by Reign in Blood, but I prefer Season in the Abyss. Why? Because that is one of the albums that truly changed my life. Slayer has amongst the most ardent fan following anywhere, and rightfully so.
  3. Listening to filth like St. Anger, Load, and Reload, it is many times hard to believe that, in the first four Metallica albums lie four of the greatest thrash metal albums ever. Kirk Hammet has said that Metallica invented thrash metal. While, this is debatable, what is not debatable is the magnificence of their early work. One of the first thrash metal bands to not be afraid to slow things down in masterpieces like Fade to Black and yet play blistering music like Creeping Death, Damage Inc, The Four Horsemen, etc, Metallica were metal gods. Master of Puppets remains their best work, as well as the best metal album, ever, thrash or otherwise.
  4. Mixing heaviness without right fun Anthrax rounds the big four of thrash metal, with the aforementioned three other bands. Yeah, they were one of the first bands to bring rap to metal, and their work with John Bush had a different feel that the Joey era stuff. But, the real point is that when it came down to it they made some killer music. And, they help bring moshing to metal. So, now you did not just bang your head, but you thrash around and got busted up. Fuck yeah! I actually prefer John Bush signing and Sound of White Noise is one of my fav albums, but the Joey era is more in tune with classic sounding thrash metal, and some purists will say that is all that matters. For them, I pick Persistence of Time, the best album of that era. And, by the way, is Charlie Bennatte an amazing drummer or what?
  5. Often underrated, and unjustly so, the best damn band to ever come out of Jersey (it sure as hell ain’t Bon Jovi!), Overkill are fucking heavy as hell and, when the song fits it, fast as fuck. With songs filled with badass attitude Overkill destroy much of the competition. Horrorscope is their best work, being immensely heavy and utterly and completely awesome.
  6. What can be said about the band that made THE definitive song about mosh in the form of The Toxic Waltz? Yeah, they have had three different signers, but guess what? The quality of the music has never, ever suffered. Their debut Bonded by Blood is one of the greatest and most influential thrash metal albums ever put on this Earth. Exodus, at their best, make you wanna beat the crap out of someone. All hail!
  7. Chuck Billy truly has one of the best voices in all of thrash metal. He can sign a ballad (The Legacy) or rip your fucking head off with his ferocity (Dog-Faced Gods). The same can be said of the band. Souls of Black remains my fav album, a great mix of melody and brutality, but arguments can be made for the viciousness of The New Order.
  8. Germany proved they can thrash with the best of them. In fact, Kreator’s heaviness would be influential in the creation of death metal. Coma of Souls is one fucker you can hear a million times and never tire. And, guess what? They still have it. See the amazing Enemy of God for proof.
  9. by mixing hardcore punk and thrash Suicidal set themselves apart from the rest of the thrash metal heap. Their later day work incorporated more melody and more metal, and me thinks, their best work, as evident by Lights, Camera, Revolution.
  10. Much like the rest of the supposed second tier thrash metal bands like Exodus and Testament, Nuclear Assault don’t get the respect they deserve, but if you listened to stuff like Something Wicked, you would know they deserve to get much more respect.

7 comments:

Kim Dubuisson said...

Good choices there but Megadeth as #1?!
Hummmm not for me!
Their first album was crap (especially compared to Kill 'Em All and Show No Mercy).

It took them years to actually be able to play something!
AhahahhahA!

Ro-Beast Rollie said...

Have you seen this? Worst metal albums covers by Brian Posehn:

http://www.stuffmagazine.com/articles/index.aspx?id=1414

Giovanni Deldio said...

Damn, Can't look at it from work. I'll check it out when i get home. Thanx for the link, though. Posehn is the man!

thrashmetalmike said...

Hmmm...you have a very limited knowledge of thrash metal and heavy metal in general. Megadeth the best thrash band? Seriously, dude, if you don't mention Onslaught, Dark Angel, Exhumer, Voivod, Infernal Majesty, Morbid Saint, etc among the greatest thrash bands ever then you need to have a listen!! Also, MOP is good but it's far from the best metal album ever.

Unknown said...

I enjoyed the article - very informative and entertaining.

I agree with everything you wrote except one minor thing - I would consider Exodus to belong to the first wave of thrash, because they started to play thrash when KH left the band to take DM's place in Metallica. The reason that BBB came out so late is because they had problems with Torrid Records and it wasn't released till they were able to sign with Combat Records.

It looks like I'm gonna be the mod of the thrash forum at the Gates of Gore msg board. Stop by if you get a chance.

Thanks again for writing the article.

Kane said...

Megadeth is the best definitely

uh
your missing a few that you might not know about or just maybe dont like

uh municipal waste (new but amazing)
flotsam and jetsam (old)
NUCLEAR ASSAULT
Celtic frost
M.O.D
Sacred Reich
Acid Reign
Tankard
Annihilator
Dark Angel
Grave Digger

and more

Giovanni Deldio said...

You guys bring up some good bands, and some of them i like, but others, not so much, yet others, i admit to never hearing.

Never was a Flotsam and Jetsam fan. Dark Angel is good, but i prefer Death Angel (the new album is a masterpiece).