Of all the heavy metal subgenres out there, no one has seen more bands crawl from DIY underbellies to mainstream success than thrash. It may be synonymous with 80s Cold War politics, battle jackets and kegger parties, but it’s also given us a number of generation-transcending heroes, many of whom have filled arenas and taken home Grammy Awards.
Thrash metal got its name from legendary music journalist Malcolm Dome, who used it in reference to New York dissidents Anthrax and a song from their 1984 debut album, Fistful Of Metal. Before long, the term was applied to a scene on the other side of the United States, where Metallica, Slayer and others were staging a revolution against the more showy and hedonistic glam metal musicians dominating the area. The uprising soon claimed San Francisco, which is still considered to be the heartland of the genre more than 40 years on.
Since thrash proliferated, it’s become an endearing sound still inspiring younger talent. Metallica’s early material – especially Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets and …And Justice For All – is rightfully revered, as are fellow masterpieces by Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth, Exodus, Overkill and Testament. It halted in the 1990s, with numerous artists trying new things in the wake of grunge, but the 2000s saw a revival, spearheaded by Municipal Waste, Evile, Gama Bomb and more.
Given thrash has such a rich and pioneering history, we at Metal Hammer couldn’t possibly decide by ourselves who the greatest band to have come from it is. So, we turn the question to you. In the comment below, we want you to sound off on how the cream of the crop is, be it the titanic veterans or one of the younger acts who helped give the sound its second bite of the apple.
Let us know – but be respectful down there, OK?
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