Music: Greatest thrash

[Hippasus]

Which is the greatest thrash metal album?

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[VMBM]

Ride the Lightning; it 'thrashes' Kill 'Em All as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Cas]

Epidemic of Violence.

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Voted for Reign in Blood, but I prefer Seasons in the Abyss. Vocals are often a weak link in the genre for me, but I'd add Morbid Saint's Spectrum of Death to the list.

 

[Hivemind]

Voted for a few albums on the list, but if I had to pick one of those - it would be Merciless' The Awakening. The legendary ANTI-MOSH 001 itself. It's the peak of the "kids playing 30BPM faster than they can really sustain" thrash style. Such a great sense of urgency. There's a reason it's such a fundamental piece of thrash and death metal history.

"Greatest" thrash album ever? Probably not. But Antichrist's Forbidden World rips as hard as any album on that list (without resorting to overly simplistic or hammy songwriting) and is regular rotation for me.




Some others well worthy of shout-outs:
Children - Hard Times Hangin at the End of the World (progressive/technical thrash that doesn't devolve into wankery)
Razor - Violent Restitution (punch you in the mouth buzzsaw thrash)
Demolition Hammer - Epidemic of Violence (foundational death/thrash)

Plus other sick bands like A.R.G., Stone, Toxik, Vio-lence, Kreator, Sadus, Aspid, Nekromantheon, Deathhammer, Children of Technology, Bunker 66, Aura Noir, etc etc etc

 

[Xelebes]

I'm not a metal-head so the only thrash metal album that I dig is pretty much this:

Terrifier - Weapons Of Thrash (2017)

 

[Pranzo Oltranzista]

Razor - Violent Restitution (punch you in the mouth buzzsaw thrash)

That's pretty cool, thx.

 

[TheGreenTBer]

Reign in Blood is possibly my favorite album of all time.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Ride the Lightning.

And you're missing Sepultura - Arise

 

[kook10]

honorable mentions:

 

[Hippasus]

Thank you for the recommendations. I added a bunch of options to the poll. I probably shouldn't have included Necrovore since they are more death metal.

 

[Ouroboros]

Slayer - Hell Awaits [1985]
-This is Slayer at their most ambitious, powerful and raw. Honorable mention to Haunting The Chapel and Reign In Blood.

Kreator - Pleasure To Kill [1986]
-Crown jewel of the Teutonic thrash scene. Utterly raw, sloppy and feral. Legendary rototom abuse.

Merciless - The Awakening [1990]
-This is like a streamlined version of Kreator, but constantly on the verge of careening out of control.

Pentagram - Pentagram [2000]
-Demo compilation from the Chilean band. Way ahead of its time in terms of riffing and songwriting.

Possessed - Seven Churches [1985]
-Absolutely killer A-side on this LP, but it falls off slightly on the B-side. Still rules. Sloppy drumming really adds to the chaotic feel.

Slaughter - Strappado [1987]
-Just the right amount of punk attitude mixed in with the neanderthal metal. Disintegrator/Incinerator is all time great 1-2 punch.

Sepultura - Morbid Visions [1986]
-Primitive roots of the biggest band to come out of the Cogumelo scene. Shout out to Schizophrenia and Beneath The Remains.

Hellhammer - Apocalyptic Raids [1984]
-Not technically thrash, but proto-everything isn't really a genre. Foundational text for metal bands that are actually good.

Mutilator - Immortal Force [1987]
-Not as powerful as their unhinged tracks on the Warfare Noise compilation, but still very good.

Poison - Into The Abyss... [1987]
-Ugly and sloppy, but also really ambitious songwriting and distinctive melodies.

Deranged - Place Of Torment [1989]
-Another demo. Ludicrously ferocious thrash, but the real star here is the rabid vocalist.

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Slayer - Hell Awaits [1985]
-This is Slayer at their most ambitious, powerful and raw. Honorable mention to Haunting The Chapel and Reign In Blood.

This is my favourite Slayer album as well. "Raining Blood" is faster and more intense, but I like the length and complexity on "Hell Awaits". It has one of the greatest introductions of any metal albums (thrash or otherwise). The bridge in "At Dawn They Sleep" is one of the most disturbing moments in the band's catalogue. And I like that they played the riff from the title track at the end of the final song, which makes it feel like the album is coming full circle.

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Everything Voivod released in the 80s.

 

[zombie kopitar]

Shouldn't Vulgar Display of Power be on there?

 

[Bixby Snyder]

Shouldn't Vulgar Display of Power be on there?

Yes. I know some will say it's groove metal but groove metal is just a style of thrash metal more than it is its own genre. Plus if Prong is on the list then so should Pantera.

 

[Hippasus]

I was trying to avoid NWOBHM, speed metal, first-wave black metal, death-thrash, crossover, and grindcore to go for some notion of pure thrash, but there is overlap and some death-thrash for instance is really high-quality so it's tempting to include it. But I think Pantera, Vio-lence, and groove metal just aren't good enough to be in contention for greatest thrash releases. Great thrash should at least have a jagged bounce and killer riffs to it.

 

[Hivemind]

Pantera also sucks, so it makes the decision easy

 

[sdf]

From my experience reading this site people think that nickelback is the greatest trash, but they aren't a metalic

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

what would happen to a guy in a mosh pit if he wore a nickelback tee to motorhead, slayer, or exodus show?

 

[Hippasus]

what would happen to a guy in a mosh pit if he wore a nickelback tee to motorhead, slayer, or exodus show?

If that was in the pit he would get knocked around at some point I'm pretty sure. Moshing, not fighting. I was at a metal fest where Venom or someone was playing and I was really targeting this guy with a suit and tie in the pit. I think he was just a young punk but I was kind of crazy. Usually even metal pits are peace loving though.

 

[zombie kopitar]

Pantera also sucks, so it makes the decision easy

Eh, I mean imo it's the greatest thrash album of all time; but then again I compartmentalize artistry and being shitty humans, so there's that

Ride the Lightning would be my # 2 so I will just vote that and other ig

 

[Behn Wilson]

If that was in the pit he would get knocked around at some point I'm pretty sure. Moshing, not fighting. I was at a metal fest where Venom or someone was playing and I was really targeting this guy with a suit and tie in the pit. I think he was just a young punk but I was kind of crazy. Usually even metal pits are peace loving though.

what would happen to a guy in a mosh pit if he wore a nickelback tee to motorhead, slayer, or exodus show?

I think most people would just think it was a joke and fine it funny

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Why the hell are Megadeth’s three 80’s albums not on this poll???

 

[PANARIN BREAD FAN]

I think most people would just think it was a joke and fine it funny

sure but that's most. but if that nickelback guy is in that pit he's a primetime target. he's going to receive a bunch of dents and welts.

years back i think it was on mtv. the cameras were following this kid wearing a poison shirt walking around the arena parking lot right before some thrash show. like you said most people went haha. but a couple of guys did say that kid could wind up getting hurt if he kept wearing that shirt.