Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music. The origins of thrash metal are generally traced to the late 1970s and early 1980s, when a number of bands began incorporating the sound of the NWOBHM with elements of Hardcore Punk, thus creating a new genre, Thrash Metal. This genre is much more aggressive as compared to its relative in Speed Metal.
Beyond this, thrash metal has proven somewhat difficult to categorise. Some fans and musicians have a firm concept of genre and subgenre, but others reject such categorisation as limiting or useless. There is often significant crossover from one metal category to another, and the influence of non-metal genres, including classical music and jazz is not uncommon.
Generally, the musical base of thrash metal is composed of fast paced time signatures, and low-register, fast or complex guitar riffs, sometimes layered with high-register guitar solos, often in combination with palm muting to create a "chugging" sound. The speed and pacing of the songs is usually what defines basic thrash metal. The music tends to have a visceral, propellant feel to it due to the often intense drumming, most commonly utilizing the snare drum on the 1/2 beat, or the 2nd and 4th beats of the measure. Frantic bass drum use is also common. (Thrash drummers often use two foot-pedaled bass drums, known as "double bass").
Beginnings
1981 is seen by some fans as a critical year, though others cite earlier influences on the genre: The first riff of Black Sabbath's "Symptom of the Universe" (1975) is possibly one of the first thrash riffs, though their "Into the Void" and "Children of the Grave" (both 1971) were influential as well. Some point to another early example, Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy" (1974) (from their Sheer Heart Attack album), which was unusually heavy and fast for its time (and indeed for Queen as well), and ultimately covered many years later by Metallica. Speed metal pioneers Judas Priest had some thrash ideas on their Stained Class LP (1978), including the punkish counterpoint riff on "Saints in Hell" or the general structure of "White Heat, Red Hot". Also, the live version of "Tyrant" on 1979's Unleashed in the East is very close to thrash metal, combining new drummer Les Binks's uptempo delivery with a more distorted guitar sound than the 1976 studio version (from the classic Sad Wings of Destiny album).
Scott Ian of Anthrax cites Dave Mustaine as "the inventor of Speed/Thrash Metal" in the liner notes of the booklet to the reissue of Megadeth's Killing is my Business... and Business is Good! album. Others suggest that Motörhead's Overkill LP (1979) would give the name to a New York band that would write what is often considered the first thrash metal song in 1981: "Unleash the Beast Within". Soon thereafter, the short-lived Southern California band Leather Charm would write "Hit The Lights". This band would break up, but the primary songwriter's next band, Metallica, would feature this song. The band Metal Church recorded a few rehearsals in 1980-81, which were similar to the early Metallica and Overkill efforts, though not quite as thrashy. Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich was offered a spot in Metal Church in 1980 but then later kicked out again.
A highly influential band, Venom, would release its album Welcome To Hell in 1981. Venom would continue to be a heavy influence on the development of thrash metal.
The first thrash metal demo may very well be Metal Church's Red Skies from late 1981. An instrumental demo that combined thrash, speed, and power metal, it did not receive much circulation, and was overshadowed by their October 1982 Four Hymns demo. Chronologically, though, Metal Church were probably the first.
Metallica were second on the scene (the Power Metal demo, April 1982, and then No Life 'til Leather in July) and the first with a studio LP (Kill 'Em All, July 1983). Meanwhile, in Europe, Artillery recorded a demo in November, 1983. Their We Are The Dead took a more Black Sabbath oriented direction, resulting in a thrash metal form that was not quite as fast as that of Metallica but had similar riff ideas.
Take off
Thrash metal took off in 1984 or so, with Overkill releasing their second demo (Feel the Fire), and Slayer's seminal Haunting the Chapel EP, which featured the song "Chemical Warfare". This led to a darker and heavier sounding thrash, which was then reflected in Exodus's Bonded by Blood and Slayer's Hell Awaits in 1985. Outside of the U.S. in 1985, the German band Kreator released their debut album Endless Pain and the Brazilian band Sepultura released their EP Bestial Devastation. In Canada, Eudoxis who performed live in full body armor, metal spikes, and the legendary six-foot long stainless steel bass drums released the Metal Fix demo in 1985. This was followed by the 1986 EP Attack From Above and the 1991 LP Open Fire. Also Megadeth, formed by former Metallica axeman Dave Mustaine, debuted with the release of Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! in 1985. Megadeth combined the riffs of thrash metal with the more fancy soloing of speed metal à la Judas Priest, and their sound would become best realised on 1990's Rust in Peace.
1986 was a landmark year for thrash metal, with some of the greatest thrash albums of all time being released in this year. Dark Angel put out the generally underrated Darkness Descends, which is one of the heaviest and fastest thrash albums ever. Slayer's Reign in Blood is universally acclaimed as a classic, and also the German band Kreator had Pleasure to Kill, which set new standards for brutality and would be a heavy influence on the death metal genre. Megadeth put out the complex, technical Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?, Metallica had Master of Puppets, which had a few staple thrashers and some more complex pieces that moved away from the genre, and Nuclear Assault debuted with the punkish Game Over — an album stripped to its bare riff essentials. Hobbs' Angel Of Death emerged from Australia, playing a brand of thrash metal drawing heavily on early Slayer, yet geared towards the European market.
Thrash metal developed in the mid 1980s to split into many subgenres and influence a lot of bands like Death and Possessed (who are best known for guitarist Larry LaLonde, who would later join popular alt-metal group Primus). Possessed were among the first death-metal bands, making a demo in mid-1984 of a more dark-sounding thrash metal. This sound would be called death metal, and perhaps the first example of it would be the death-thrash classic Seven Churches, from 1985. Some bands combined speed metal and thrash metal, like the aforementioned Megadeth, and also Metallica, Helstar, Testament, and Heathen were known for their flashy lead guitar work. Watchtower's Energetic Disassembly (1985) set new standards in technical, jazzy songwriting, which would later be further developed by the thrash metal band Coroner and also the technical death metal bands Atheist and Cynic, as well as later efforts by Death.
By 1988 or so the genre was quite saturated with new bands, but classic albums would continue to be put out. Sepultura's third album, Beneath the Remains (1989) earned them mainstream appeal as it appeared on Roadrunner records. Vio-lence, a relative latecomer to the Bay Area thrash metal scene put out an acclaimed debut in Eternal Nightmare (1988), combining relentless riffage with a hardcore punk vocal delivery. However, the genre was also filled with many bands that were not attempting to expand on the style. Rust in Peace (1990) by Megadeth is sometimes thought to be the last good classic thrash metal album, and to this day it is still thought to be Megadeth's finest work. Also Metallica released their fourth album ...And Justice For All (1988), which included longer songs and what at the time was considered James Hetfields' best guitar riffs. The album also has the bands' first video, the WWI themed song, "One."
Evolution in the 1990s
Soon, post-thrash metal bands with a newer sound would continue the more innovative direction, whilst those that played classic thrash metal were seen as throw-backs, though the 1990s had some excellent thrash metal, for example Iced Earth's Night of the Stormrider (1992), which combined power-metal and thrash metal. Many bands, however, opted for a slower, more groove-oriented sound, including Machine Head and Pantera who were strongly influenced by Exhorder. This would give rise to many 1990s-metal bands. Pantera's 1992 album Vulgar Display of Power really revitalized the genre of thrash metal with hard-hitting heavy metal anthems such as Fucking Hostile, Mouth for War, A New Level and the riff-driven Walk. Pantera's critically acclaimed album Far Beyond Driven, the 1994 follow up album to Vulgar Display of Power, debuted at no. 1 on the Billboard 200 Charts. It is one of the heaviest albums to ever debut at no. 1 on the charts. Another album that most people would consider "heavier" than thrash metal, is Metallica's self titled album, also known as the The Black Album (1991)by more hardcore fans. The Black Album was the first album that put the band at the top of the charts with shorter, more radio-friendly songs than And Justice.
While alternative rock was the prodeominant genre of the 90's, thrash managed to gain influence. Popular 90's funk metal group Primus (who featured ex-Possessed guitarist Ler LaLonde), particularly in their earlier years, blended Les Claypool's funky bass lines with considerably thrash influenced guitar riffs and songs played at an overall high speed. After a haircut Metallica released two albums, Load (1996), and RE-Load (1997), that had more bluesy and alternative songs.
Thrash metal has seen something of a comeback in the late 1990s with European bands like Hypnosia (sounding much like Pleasure to Kill) or Carnal Forge, a fast death-thrash hybrid. Some bands also combine Swedish death-metal riffs and punk influence, like The Haunted, but these stray too far from the original ideals to be really called thrash metal bands. Meanwhile, other bands soldier on — including Overkill, who have recently put out a 14th studio album, Relixiv, and Destruction, whose The Antichrist (2001) is a staple of modern thrash metal — updated production values, and a classic riff sound. The recently released Exodus album, entitled Tempo Of The Damned, is another recent highlight of the genre, as is Megadeth's 'comeback' album, The System Has Failed. The latter, while not 'true' thrash, is a complex hybrid of thrash and power metal, reminiscent of Rust In Peace. Indeed, the opening track, "Blackmail the Universe", shares much in common with Rust In Peace's opening track, the seminal "Holy Wars". The album's cover art also seems like a cross between 1986's Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? and Rust In Peace. More importantly, the album met with strong commercial success, reaching #17 in the United States. Exodus opened for Megadeth on their 2004 Blackmail The Universe tour. Metallica's latest album St. Anger, has more thrash metal songs then their mid '90's albums. Soulfly's new album The Dark Ages, is reminiscent of Singer/Guitarist Max Cavalera's former band, Sepultura, by going back to a more thrash metal style than Soulfly is known for. Another band that is keeping the Metallica, Overkill, Megadeth thrash/ speed metal alive is Trivium, with their first album "Ember To Inferno" (2003) and their second album "Ascendancy (2005)."
Key artists
See also List of thrash metal bands.
Often considered the four most important bands in this genre (especially in the US, and generally called the "Big Four Of Thrash") are:
And Testament is right behind those bands.
As well as the "Big Four Of Thrash," the three most important bands in Teutonic Thrash, are:
Other crucial thrash metal bands include:
- Annihilator
- Artillery
- Celtic Frost
- Coroner
- Dark Angel
- Death Angel
- Exodus
- Flotsam And Jetsam
- Forbidden
- Heathen
- Nuclear Assault
- Onslaught
- Overkill
- Sadus
- Sepultura
- Stormtroopers Of Death
- Trivium
- Vio-lence
- Voivod
- Watchtower
- Wrath
- Tankard
Subgenres from Thrash Metal
- Black Metal (Venom's earliest albums are more Black Thrash than just Black Metal)
- Death Metal
- Groove Metal
Books
- Dome, Malcolm. Thrash Metal. Omnibus Press, 1990. ISBN 0711917906.
See also
External links
- Carnage Inc. - Underground thrash metal and other extreme metals bands
- The Gauntlet - An archive of metal bands with reviews, interviews, and more
- List of Thrash metal bands
- The Thrash List List of many Thrash Metal bands