Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédéric Leclercq. The band's lineup has changed multiple times over its 41-year career, most noticeably with their bassists and lead guitarists. Petrozza and Reil are the only two original members left in Kreator, although the latter took a break from the band from 1994 to 1996. Yli-Sirniö has been the lead guitarist of Kreator since 2001, while Leclercq joined in 2019 as the replacement of Christian "Speesy" Giesler, who had been a member of the band since 1994.
Celtic Frost was a Swiss metal band from Zurich. They are remembered for their strong influence on the development of several varieties of metal and for their avant-garde approach to music more generally.
Possessed is an American death metal band, originally formed in 1983. Noted for their fast style of playing and Jeff Becerra's growled vocals, they are often called the first band in the death metal genre, and paved the way for the 1980s Bay Area thrash metal scene, along with Metallica, Exodus, Testament and Death Angel. The band is also notable for featuring future Primus member Larry LaLonde, who was the guitarist for Possessed from 1984 to 1987.
Stormtroopers of Death was an American crossover thrash band formed in New York City in 1985. They are credited as being among the first bands to fuse hardcore punk with thrash metal into a style sometimes referred to as crossover thrash. The band is also known for reuniting Anthrax members Scott Ian (guitars) and Charlie Benante (drums) with their former bassist Dan Lilker. Their instrumental song "March of the SOD" from their 1985 debut album, Speak English or Die, was the Headbangers Ball intro anthem for many years. Another song from the same album, "Chromatic Death", was also used during the show as a segue between ads and videos.
Heavenly is a French power metal band based in Marseille that was formed in 1993 in Paris by vocalist Benjamin Sotto and drummer Max Pilo, originally as a cover band under the name of Satan's Lawyer. In 1994, they changed their name to "Heavenly" and evolved into a full-fledged Helloween-influenced power metal outfit. In 1998, they released a three-track demo with new guitarist Anthony Parker. However, Parker's time with the band was to be short lived, leaving before a record deal with Noise Records was clinched. Heavenly then found a replacement in Chris Savourey and completed their lineup with bassist Laurent Jean.
Mortification is an Australian Christian death metal band which was formed in 1987 as a heavy metal group, Lightforce, by mainstay Steve Rowe on bass guitar and vocals. By 1990, in the Melbourne suburb of Moorabbin, they were renamed as Mortification with the line-up of Rowe, Michael Carlisle on guitar and Jayson Sherlock on drums. Mortification has released fourteen studio albums, three compilation albums, three extended plays, six live discs, one demo album, one box set, and several videos on major record labels such as Nuclear Blast. As one of the earliest internationally successful Christian death metal bands from Australia, they served as an inspiration for later similar groups.
Attila Csihar, also sometimes known as Void, is a Hungarian extreme metal vocalist, best known for his vocal work in Norwegian black metal band Mayhem and American drone metal band Sunn O))). Author Ian Christe describes his vocals as "operatic".
Torture Squad is a Brazilian death/thrash metal band, founded in 1990.
Frédéric Alexandre "Fred" Leclercq is a French musician and producer, best known as the former longtime bassist for British power metal band DragonForce. He is currently the guitarist and main songwriter in the death metal supergroup Sinsaenum, the guitarist and vocalist in Maladaptive, the bassist and a guitarist in Amahiru, and the bassist of German thrash metal group Kreator and French death metal band Loudblast. He is a session musician for various other bands, including George Lynch's Souls of We. He is also a former member of power metal band Heavenly and played several shows with Carnival in Coal and Sabaton.
Death Metal is a 1984 split album by the bands Helloween, Hellhammer, Running Wild, and Dark Avenger. It contains the only recorded material by the German group Dark Avenger besides their 1985 demo tape.
Lyzanxia is a French metal group that combine thrash metal with elements of death metal.
Disincarnate is the second studio album by the death metal band Loudblast, released in 1991.
Apollyon is a black metal/thrash metal multi-instrumentalist, formerly associated with Dødheimsgard and Cadaver, now playing in Aura Noir and also Immortal after its reforming in 2006. He has done guest vocals on the Darkthrone albums Plaguewielder and Sardonic Wrath, and also on Audiopain's EP 1986 (2000). He was a live guitarist for Gorgoroth from 2003 to 2004, and performed at Gorgoroth's now infamous Kraków gig in February 2004. In 2004 Apollyon participated in a live tribute to Quorthon of Bathory at the Hole in the Sky festival in Bergen, Norway. Apollyon played bass on all songs, and also did the vocals on the song Equimanthorn. In addition to Apollyon, the line-up of this tribute band consisted of Bård Faust (ex-Emperor) on drums and Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved) and Samoth (Emperor) on guitars, as well as guest vocalists Gaahl (Gorgoroth), Abbath (Immortal), Grutle Kjellson (Enslaved), Nocturno Culto (Darkthrone) and Satyr (Satyricon).
"Arise" is Sepultura's first official single, as well as the first of three to be released from the album of the same name.
United is a Japanese thrash metal band formed in 1981. They took their name from Judas Priest's song of the same name. United have had many personnel changes in their four decade career, with no member of the original lineup remaining. Bassist Akihiro Yokoyama joined in 1983, held de facto leadership of the group from 1988, and appeared on every recording the band had until his death in 2014. Guitarist Yoshifumi "Hally" Yoshida joined United in 1988 and is currently the longest-serving member. He and fellow guitarist Singo Otani, who joined in 1990, are the only two members who have performed on all 10 studio albums.
James Franklin Murphy is an American guitarist. He is best known for his work in metal bands Cancer, Obituary, Death and Testament. He founded Disincarnate, an early death metal band.
Reid Laurence "Larry" LaLonde, also known as Ler LaLonde, is an American musician. He has been the guitarist for the rock band Primus since 1989, where he is known for his experimental accompaniment to the bass playing of bandmate Les Claypool. Previously, he played guitar for several groups including Possessed and Blind Illusion. He also has collaborated more recently with artists such as Serj Tankian and Tom Waits.
Stress is a Brazilian heavy metal band. They were among the earliest Brazilian metal bands, and recorded what is considered to be the first Brazilian heavy metal album, the self-titled Stress.
Sinsaenum is a multinational blackened death metal supergroup, formed in 2016. The band features French guitarists Frédéric Leclercq and Stéphane Buriez, American vocalist Sean Zatorsky in a co-lead role with Hungarian vocalist Attila Csihar, and French bassist Heimoth. Up until his death in late July 2021, American drummer Joey Jordison performed drum duties. Sinsaenum released their debut album Echoes of the Tortured in July 2016.
Agressor is a French death metal band which started in 1986.
