I was around to witness first hand/ear the before and after that is Thrash Metal. As I mentioned in yesterdays post on Glam Metal I was kind of a young teenager searching for a sound. It was when I first listened to Metallica, and couldn't stop listening to Metallica that I felt I had found it. This continues my series on the Metal Family Tree that I started in an initial post which has all of the previous posts linked at the very bottom.
The Metal Evolution series by Sam Dunn and Banger Films documentary series does have an episode on Thrash Metal. It is good and worth watching. They do not have a version of it on youtube. You can look around and probably find it, or if you really want to see it you can consider purchasing the series and watching it that way.
Here is part of it:
Let Us Begin
Make no mistake there will be a lot of mention of Metallica in this post as they are credited with starting this sub-genre of metal. There are many awesome bands that would join them on the journey, but it is with them the sound began.
It could be viewed almost as a perfect storm of several things interacting that resulted in this music. This is why I made sure to cover those elements before writing about this sub-genre.
Those elements were as follows and each contributed in a different way:
It took the new metal stylings and inspirations coming from the NWOBHM movement and sounds such as the Double Bass drums from Motorhead and melded that with the speed of punk, and the rebellious attitude. The NWOBHM aspects also brought the idea of technical proficiency and skill in the instrument, which was not so much a concern with Punk Rock.
It was a brutally fast and powerful music. So what is with listing Glam Metal?
Glam Metal is worth listing as an influence, because they were a very present example of what these Thrash Metal musicians hated and did not want to become. They would say things like "Fuck off posers, we fuckin' hate them" which were words that would resonate with many people. They would talk about selling out. They would wear leather or denim jackets. In some occasions both. They would have totally worn out blue jeans full of holes. This was seen as a style though if you talk to many of them, at the time they just didn't have budget for new clothes. It was the anti-thesis of dressing up and acting like someone else. It was like the viking horde spilling out of their long ships onto the shores of an unsuspecting nation for the first time... I was very active in listening and collecting this sub-genre of music. It became one of the most important aspects of my life for a decade and a half. It was also sometimes called Speed Metal.
Anvil
Band First Released: 1981 (not Thrash at this point)
Nationality: Canada
This band was actually around prior to Metallica, but they were not playing Thrash Metal. They have noted a lot of the bands in this list as influence upon their sound. So while they are the earlier band, they were not Thrash Metal until after it had been introduced by Metallica and others. There are some documentaries about this band. Though only the trailer is not behind a pay wall.
Anvil! The Story of Anvil - Official Trailer - I actually thought this was another Spinal Tap movie the first time I saw it, but it is a true story.
Lips from Anvil talks about the albums, "Metal On Metal" influence on the Big Four of Thrash
Metal On Metal (Live)
Metallica
Band First Released: 1982 (on Metal Massacre I)
Nationality: United States of America
The basic story here is youth Tennis Star Lars Ulrich from Denmark moves to LA. He meets James Hetfield. They form a band. Brian Slagel meets Lars by chance and says he is making a Metal Massacre compilation. Lars wants to be on it. They release a version of Hit The Lights on it and the band is misspelled Mettallica on the album. They continue jamming and have Dave Mustaine on lead guitar and Ron McGovney on bass. They see Cliff Burton playing with the band Trauma on bass. He is amazing, they ask him to join Metallica. He says only if they move the band to San Francisco. The band moves. They have demo tapes being traded around the country as No Life Til' Leather. They have a fanatic following with no album. They eventually are signed to make the album Kill 'em All and they boot Dave Mustaine from the band prior to that. He is replaced by Kirk Hammett who came from a band named Exodus. They were going to originally call that album Metal Up Your Ass but apparently that didn't go over well with the record companies. In a performance they were noticed by Elektra and switched to them as their label. They would go on to release Ride The Lightning and Master of Puppets albums with NO music videos. In fact, they were interviewed as being very against videos. This was before Cliff Burton was killed in a tragic accident where their tour bus slid and threw a sleeping Cliff out a window that opened outwards and then rolled over the top of him. He in my mind was to the Bass Guitar what a person like Jimi Hendrix was to guitar. They had written some material, but not recorded it. Jason Newsted from the band Flotsam and Jetsam joins as the bass player.
I saw them in Denver, Colorado for Monsters of Rock in 1988. Kingdom Come came on before them. Metallica was followed by Dokken, Scorpions, and finally Van Halen. Remember at this point they had no video. Just word of mouth and radio play. They outsold ALL the other bands put together on merchandise. The energy level of their music was on a different level than the other bands. The other bands were good, but it is dangerous to be preceded by a band that is a higher energy level than you. You risk making the audience experience something similar to a sugar crash. I remember they played Harvester of Sorrow live at that show before they had released ...And Justice For All. That album would come out soon afterwards as the first Metallica album without Cliff Burton. They would also suddenly release the video One. This was the first sign of changes. It is to be expected with the death of Cliff. He was the only band member who actually had a music theory like background and his knowledge and influence was huge upon the band. It is only natural that something would change. The album was still bad ass... I found it ironic that people in High School that gave me shit about listening to Metallica suddenly liked them after they saw the video One. The mental statement fuck off you posers resonated in my mind. I saw this tour for this album front row at Red Rocks. They would then go on to release a self titled album known as the Black Album which is kind of an anti-thesis of the Beatles White Album. This album was the first that the non ballad songs I could actually learn easily while I listened to them. All prior albums required weeks of practice on the songs because they were tough. The vocals also had more emphasis. It went onto be a huge success. I saw this tour three times. They are an amazing live act...
Then the napster thing happened and Lars Ulrich came out very vocal against it. This is the opposite of the attitude they had helped to create. They got their notice due to people trading bootlegged/copied No Life Til' Leather demos. That is how they got a lot of their music as youth as well. So it seemed very hypocritical to come out attacking Napster. Up to that point I had purchased on Cassette Kill Em All x2, Ride the Lightning x3, Master of Puppets x2, And Justice for All x1, and then each of those again on CD. I purchased the Black Album on CD. After the Napster instance I never actually purchased another Metallica album. This was when I started drifting away from them. Years later I would buy a surround sound system for my home after hearing the Metallica S&M DVD. That was amazing so I bought the system. I still consider Metallica one of the best live acts of all time, and extremely influential on music and my life. I do think they did do a bit of what their younger selves would have kicked their ass for. I am sure making the massive amounts of money they make does change some people. It may have just been a Lars thing, but he was the most vocal of the band when it came to interviews.
Cliff 'Em All - Full - 1 hour and 30 minutes - great watch though if you are a Metallica fan
Seek And Destroy Live at the Metro 1983
For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live)
Master of Puppets Live in 1986 at Quebec City Canada
One [Official Music Video]
Enter Sandman[Official Music Video]
No Leaf Clover HD live S&M
Slayer
Band First Released: 1983
Nationality: United States of America
Slayer is a band of their own. I have written a post specifically focusing on them before. If you'd like more detail please look at it. I will link some videos, but if you want more that other post should give you a point to start from.
The early days of Slayer (mini-documentary 2004) - 16:59
War At The Warfield (2003) - 'Fans Rule' Short Documental Video - 48:44
Bloodline - also appeared in the movie Dracula 2000
War Ensemble
Dead Skin Mask
Pantera
Band First Released: 1983
Nationality: United States of America
I actually jammed with a drummer who had been an opening act for Pantera before. He mentioned them to me before I really heard about them. When Cowboys from Hell came out that all changed. It was an incredible well produced and full sounding albums with amazing vocals, and of course Diamond (then) Dimebag (later) Darrell just tearing up the guitar rhythmically and in solos unlike others at the time.
Pantera - Behind The Music - 40:11
Cowboys From Hell (Video)
Cemetery Gates (Official Video)
Walk (Official Video)
Anthrax
Band First Released: 1984
Nationality: United States of America
I actually somehow ended up with an Anthrax album before they really started getting big. I do remember that the first song of theirs that I really liked a lot was Madhouse. When the album Among The Living came out though this was also a masterfully produced album and every song on the album is excellent. I walked around one summer blasting that almost everywhere I went. Except when I was getting in my mandatory Metallica before I'd ever heard the "Mandatory Metallica" term.
Anthrax - Behind the Music Remastered - 41:55
Madhouse
Indians
Among The Living
Megadeth
Band First Released: 1985
Nationality: United States of America
Megadeth is the band that former guitarist Dave Mustaine went on to form after being kicked out of Metallica. For years it had a very "Fuck You Metallica" vibe that he presented. It is always very technically masterful and it did find a place of its own. It has some iconic songs. I'll sing like Mustaine as a joke at times and keep my teeth together and just sing through my teeth. This works on the older albums, but not so much later on. I like Megadeth a lot. I especially like the Rust In Peace album which has some great musical adventures.
Megadeth VH1 Behind the Music Extended DVDRip -1:16:34
Peace Sells w/ Lyrics on video
Holy Wars... The Punishment Due
Hangar 18
Symphony of Destruction
The Threat Is Real (Official Video)
Exodus
Band First Released: 1985
Nationality: United States of America
I first heard Exodus' Bonded by Blood song on a compilation album called Speed Kills. Kirk Hammett of Metallica came from Exodus, but that was long before they had been signed and recorded any music.
"Assorted Atrocities" An EXODUS Documentary (Special Edition) - 2:15:39
Bonded By Blood Live At Wacken 08
Downfall (Official Music Video)
The Toxic Waltz - I used to jam this song quite a bit. This is a Moshers theme song. :)
Overkill
Band First Released: 1985
Nationality: United States of America
With Bobby "Blitz" Elsworth on vocals this band has a unique and cool sound. I also found that in a pinch the song In Union We Stand is handy for tuning my guitar to E since they tend to hold it in a chugging E string rhythm for long parts. So I would in fact use it to tune my guitar by ear at times. They also have some very cool thematic songs, and their remake of Edgar Winter's Frankenstein is pretty bad ass too. On some of their albums they have brutally low tuned guitars and some very unique OVERKILL sounds that are pretty awesome.
In Union We Stand
Frankenstein
Overkill I, II, IIII, IV, V - Themeatic story vampire like songs that spanned multiple albums
Kreator
Band First Released: 1985
Nationality: Germany
I remember I kept reading about this band in magazines long before I heard them. A German Thrash Metal band. This community has always been open arms to thrash where ever it may come from. This band had a great reputation and was mentioned frequently. I did eventually get some of their albums and did enjoy them.
Thrash Altenessen (English Subtitles) - 1:27:13
Satan Is Real (Official Video)
Gods of Violence (Official Video)
People of the Lie - I remember liking this song the most off of the Coma of Souls album.
Destruction
Band First Released: 1985
Nationality: Germany
This is another German Thrash Metal act and I don't actually recall ever listening to these guys. UNTIL TODAY.
Under Attack (Official Music Video) - from their 14th album!!!
Carnivore (Official Video)
Sodom
Band First Released: 1986
Nationality: Germany
This is another German band I kept hearing the name of, but I really never heard much of them.
Sodom - Lords of Depravity Part 1 Full Version (English Subtitles) - 3:15:53
Remember The Fallen (Live With Full Force 2003)
Caligula (Official Lyric Video)
Sepultura
Band First Released: 1986
Nationality: Brazil
I remember when Sepultura became a big buzz. They were a Brazilian Thrash Metal band and they had glowing reviews coming in from all over the place. I had to jump in on that. They indeed are quite good and they were the most popular band in Brazil for some time. They also made the Instrumental Inquisition Symphony which Apocalyptica did an awesome cover of and I talked about in a previous post.
Roots Bloody Roots (Official Video)
Phantom Self (Official Video)
Territory (Official Video)
Flotsam and Jetsam
Band First Released: 1986
Nationality: United States of America
Jason Newsted their bass player went on to join Metallica after Cliff Burton's death. Not long after that F&J got their first recording deal. That one was not bad, but they really found their sound in the albums that came after that. They have written some good music.
Hammerhead - from the first Album Doomsday for the Deceiver
No Place For Disgrace
Time To Go (2016) Official Lyric Video
Wading Through The Darkness
Testament
Band First Released: 1987
Nationality: United States of America
Testament exploded onto the scene with the huge Native American Front Man vocalist Chuck Billy and the amazing melodic and sweeping arpeggio infused guitar solos of Alex Skolnick. Alex would begin writing columns for several guitar magazines. They are still going strong, and are quite the skilled and energetic band. I saw them with Judas Priest in concert.
Over The Wall (Official Music Video)
Disciples of the Watch (Live)
More Than Meets The Eye (Official Video)
Death Angel
Band First Released: 1987
Nationality: United States of America
Death Angel burst onto the scene and I remember one of the big buzzes at the time is that when they first came out their drummer was only 16 years old. By the time they released their third album they kind of called themselves D.A. on it and it seemed as though they were trying to get away with the negative connotations that could come with Late 80s Devil Worshipper fear that a name like Death Angel might cause. They broke up for quite some time and eventually got back together and are still going strong today.
Lost (Official Video)
Dethroned (Official Music Video)
A Room With A View
Word to the Wise with Lyrics
Sacred Reich
Band First Released: 1987
Nationality: United States of America
This was an interesting band from out of Arizona that had some amazingly catchy songs that sink their claws SLOWLY in an then kind of stay there. A lot of people likely missed this band, but they are very good. All of their albums I ever owned were very worth owning. They have performed as recently as 2007 so there are likely albums I have not heard.
Live At The Dynamo - Open Air (Full Live 1989 VHS)
Low (Official Video)
Surf Nicaragua (Live)
Ignorance
Who's To Blame (lyrics)
The American Way - These lyrics are pretty deep - especially considering how long ago they were written.
Closing
I added a few acts in there beyond what were on Sam Dunn's chart, but I know this post is already long and I am likely pushing up against the barrier of the block limit. I had a few more acts and I thought of many more and I went ahead and removed them. If I left out some bands you would like to see from this sub-genre then rest assured I left out some bands as well that I wanted to list. Perhaps I can do something about the forgotten acts in a later post in this series.
This sub-genre of metal is one of the genres that sings to my soul the most. I found a home among these bands. As I grow older I tend to slide happily between this sub-genre and progressive metal the most. I like all kinds of music and I love many types of metal, but Thrash Metal had a huge impact on my life. It killed any interest I had in Glam. It actually killed my interest in spectacle. I care more about how the music sounds, and the skill it took to perform it. I don't care about make up, clothes styles worn, pyrotechnics, etc. For me it is 100% about the music. I began getting that attitude when I encountered Thrash as it was blooming into its own.
Steem On!