Thrash metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and often fast tempo. The songs usually use fast percussive beats and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead guitar work. The lyrical subject matter often includes criticism of The Establishment and concern over environmental destruction, and at times shares a disdain for Christian dogma with that of black metal. The language is typically direct and denunciatory, an approach borrowed from hardcore punk.
Sepultura is a Brazilian heavy metal band from Belo Horizonte. Formed in 1984 by brothers Max and Igor Cavalera, the band was a major force in the groove metal, thrash metal and death metal genres during the late 1980s and early 1990s, with their later experiments drawing influence from alternative metal, world music, nu metal, hardcore punk, and industrial metal. Sepultura has also been credited as one of the second wave of thrash metal acts from the late 1980s to early-to-mid-1990s.
Voivod is a Canadian heavy metal band from Jonquière, Quebec. The original line-up consisted of vocalist Denis "Snake" Bélanger, guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour, drummer Michel "Away" Langevin and bassist Jean-Yves "Blacky" Thériault. The band has had numerous members changes throughout its 41-year career, with Langevin as the only consistent member. Their current line-up includes Langevin, Bélanger, Daniel "Chewy" Mongrain (guitar) and Dominic "Rocky" Laroche (bass). Voivod's musical style has changed several times since the band's origin in the early 1980s. Starting out as a speed metal band, Voivod have added a mix of progressive metal and thrash metal to create their own unique metal style. Voivod is also credited as one of the "big four" Canadian thrash metal bands, along with Sacrifice, Razor, and Annihilator.
Dark Angel is an American thrash metal band from Downey, California, that formed in 1981. The band's current lineup includes guitarists Jim Durkin and Eric Meyer, drummer Gene Hoglan, bassist Mike Gonzalez and frontman Ron Rinehart. In its history, they have gone through many lineup changes, and there are no original members left in Dark Angel besides Durkin, who was out of the band from 1989 to 2013. Meyer, who joined in 1984, is the only member to appear on all of their albums.
Sacred Reich is an American thrash metal band based in Phoenix, Arizona, that was formed in 1985. The band split in 2000, but reunited in 2006. Sacred Reich has been credited, along with Testament, Destruction, Death Angel and Dark Angel, for leading the second wave of thrash metal in the late 1980s.
Crowbar is an American sludge metal band formed in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1990. The band is fronted by vocalist/guitarist Kirk Windstein, Crowbar's sole constant member. Through infusing a slow, low-keyed, brooding doom metal sound with the aggression of hardcore punk, they pioneered a style known as sludge metal – albeit Windstein admitted a mild dislike to the term – alongside other bands of the New Orleans heavy metal scene such as Eyehategod, Soilent Green, Acid Bath, and Down.
Rough Cutt is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles who released two studio albums on Warner Bros. Records in the mid-1980s. Rough Cutt never achieved the commercial success enjoyed by many other Los Angeles bands of that time but various members went on to success in other groups, including Jake E. Lee with Ozzy Osbourne, Amir Derakh with Orgy, Paul Shortino with Quiet Riot, and Craig Goldy and Claude Schnell with Dio.
Heathen is an American thrash metal band originating from the San Francisco Bay Area, active from 1984 to 1993 and again from 2001 onwards. Despite never achieving commercial success, the band is often credited – alongside Exodus, Testament, Forbidden, Death Angel and Vio-lence – as one of the leaders of the Bay Area thrash metal scene of the mid-to-late 1980s, and they have gone through several lineup changes, leaving guitarist Lee Altus as the only constant member. To date, Heathen has released four studio albums: Breaking the Silence (1987), Victims of Deception (1991), The Evolution of Chaos (2009) and Empire of the Blind (2020).
Independent is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Sacred Reich, released in 1993 via Metal Blade and Hollywood Records. The album is considered to be a slight departure from the band's early thrash metal style heard on their previous releases, with the album featuring a groove metal sound. Independent was Sacred Reich's first full-length album with Dave McClain on drums.
Ignorance is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Sacred Reich. It was released on October 13, 1987 by Metal Blade Records, and was followed up by the 1988 EP, Surf Nicaragua.
The American Way is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Sacred Reich, released on May 15, 1990 via Metal Blade Records. The video for "The American Way" was used in the 1992 film Encino Man. The album debuted at No. 153 on September 1, 1990 on the Billboard 200 charts, lasting for nine weeks. An enhanced remastered version released in 2009 contains pre-production demo recordings and a free patch. A second remastered version released that year contains the same songs plus "The American Way" promo video CD-ROM. The American Way is also Sacred Reich's final full-length studio album with drummer Greg Hall, who left the band in 1991.
Surf Nicaragua is an EP from Arizona thrash metal band, Sacred Reich. It was released on October 4, 1988 on Metal Blade Records and follows the band's debut album, Ignorance, released the previous year.
Still Ignorant is a live album by American thrash metal band Sacred Reich. It was released in November 1997 via Metal Blade Records and follows the band's fourth studio album, Heal, the previous year.
Arise is the fourth studio album by Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura, released in 1991 by Roadrunner Records. Upon its release, the album received top reviews from heavy metal magazines such as Rock Hard, Kerrang! and Metal Forces. Arise is considered Sepultura's finest hour among longtime fans. While the music on Arise was mostly in the same death/thrash style as their previous album, Beneath the Remains, it was clear that the Sepultura sound was acquiring an experimental edge.
Evildead is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1986. The band was originally composed of members of two former bands, Agent Steel and Abattoir, including guitarist Juan Garcia, who is their only remaining original member. During their initial nine-year run, Evildead released only two studio albums: Annihilation of Civilization (1989) and The Underworld (1991). Although their commercial success was limited, their music is still highly regarded amongst metal fans. Evildead was plagued by extended inactivity due to lineup changes and problems with making a follow-up to The Underworld. This resulted in their official breakup in 1995. After a short-lived reunion from 2008 to 2012, the band reformed once again in 2016, and released their third studio album United $tate$ of Anarchy, their first in 29 years, in October 2020.
Addictive were an Australian thrash metal band formed in 1987. The original line-up was Joe Buttigieg on guitar, Greg Smith on lead vocals and bass guitar, and Matt Coffey on drums. In February 1988, Mick Sultana was recruited on lead guitar. They released two studio albums, Pity of Man and Kick 'Em Hard. In July 1990 Steve More (ex-Enticer) had replaced Coffey on drums. They were influenced by Metallica, Sacred Reich and Nuclear Assault. Addictive disbanded in 1996. In 2004 both Buttigieg and Sultana joined a reformation of fellow thrash metallers, Mortal Sin.
Forced Entry is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1983 in Seattle, Washington under the name Critical Condition. The band released two studio albums, one EP and three demos before breaking up in 1995, and briefly reunited in 2002. They announced in 2020 that they were planning to reunite again for a series of shows and possibly new material. Although Forced Entry never achieved mainstream success, they are often regarded as pioneers of the Seattle thrash metal scene, along with Metal Church, Panic, Bitter End, Coven, R.I.P. and Sanctuary.
Kadavar is a German rock band from Berlin, founded in 2010. Their retro style, incorporating psychedelic rock and stoner rock, has been compared to bands of the 1970s hard rock/heavy metal era such as Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. Kadavar currently consists of guitarist/lead vocalist Christoph "Lupus" Lindemann, drummer Christoph "Tiger" Bartelt and bassist Simon "Dragon" Bouteloup.
Gravity is the sixth studio album by Welsh heavy metal band Bullet for My Valentine. The album was released on 29 June 2018 via Spinefarm Records, their first album under the label. It is the first album with former Pitchshifter drummer Jason Bowld, who joined in 2016 to replace founding drummer Michael "Moose" Thomas. It is also the first album to feature bassist Jamie Mathias as a contributing member. Gravity represents a significant change in sound compared to the band's previous releases, moving toward the nu metal sound similar to their early years as "Jeff Killed John".
Awakening is the fifth studio album by American thrash metal band Sacred Reich, released through Metal Blade Records on August 23, 2019. This is the band's first full-length studio album since Heal (1996), marking the longest gap between Sacred Reich's studio albums, as well as their first release with rhythm guitarist Joey Radziwill, who replaced founding member Jason Rainey right before the recording sessions began.
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