7. Anthrax – Among the Living
Track List: 1. Among The Living 2. Caught In A Mosh 3. I Am The Law 4. Efilnikufesin (N.F.L.) 5. A Skeleton In The Closet 6. Indians 7. One World 8. A.D.I. / Horror Of It All 9. Imitation Of Life
Stand Out Track: Caught in a Mosh, one of thrash metal’s most enduring anthems
Crunching, foot stomping, groove laden metal with a vocalist who did more that just growl. Anthrax bought the fun to thrash, you don’t see Metallica writing songs about Judge Dredd now, do you, and this plays like a greatest hits record. Scott Ian provided the crunch, matching Metallica’s James Hetfield in the rhythm guitar stakes, while Charlie Benante’s influential bass drum work propels the band onwards and upwards.
Featuring mainstay favourites such as ‘I Am The Law’, ‘Caught In A Mosh’ and the politically charged ‘Indians’ (in reference to singer Joey Belladonna’s ancestry and the treatment of the Native American) Anthrax have come close over the years to bettering this album, 1990′s Persistence Of Time springs to mind, but Among the Living remains their defining moment.
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183 Comments
WHAT? No Agent Orange?
Hi Noodles, Agent Orange is probably Sodom’s best album (although 2010′s ‘In War and Pieces’ was an excellent modern thrash record) but I only had room for 10. Still a great record though! Thanks for reading.
destruction release from agony and forbidden’s twisted into form blow all these guys away!!!
No Sodom, no Destruction, no Forbidden… Kreator’s Pleasure To Kill…?!?! Horrorscope instead of The Years of Decay.. But hey only 10 fit in ;-)
Great albums all, just not enough room in a Top 10 unfortunately. Sodom and Destruction get a mention in my 10 Classics of Modern Thrash article.
Pantera – Far Beyond Driven? Vulgar Display of Power ?
dude that aint thrash it has a sense of thrash but PanterA is more groove metal.
Still Thrash Metal IMO.
I have to agree, no Pantera as I class them as Metal/Groove Metal.
pantera are good but this is a thrash metal list. pantera aint that
Got to agree with you there Adam. \m/
thats groove metal not thrash metal
L2, Id say Pantera’s only trash album was Cowboys…other then that they were more hardcore. I wouldnt say Pantera is thrash metal. I dont mean that in a mean way lol.
Pantera are not a hardcore band. They were just a groove metal band. Hardcore isn’t a type of metal.
Thrash******
I gotta be the only Metallica fan in the world who thinks Justice is their shining moment. And at the guy above, I don’t think I’d put Pantera into a thrash category.
No, Justice is the best album ever released and its a travesty that its not #1. I love Slayer as much as the next psycho, but somethings are just obvious mistakes. Maybe they’re trying to look extra badass by picking an old school album. I’d have gone with Seasons anyway.
Got to say I’m with you two on this: I too would’ve put …And Justice in there rather than Ride. And definitely Seasons over Reign In Blood.
Oh well, that’s the beauty of this music and our opinions. It means so much to us and yet can be so varied. :)
Agree with you too dude, Justice is my fav album by far!! its flawless! as much as I love the other albums there is just something about the Justice album that makes it such a killer record. also Pantera does not belong in Thrash, i dont even like the term groove metal…..sounds like someone made it up just to make Pantera stand out from other bands IMO.
Reign in Blood’s influence is astronomical and I am generally surprised to see such animosity levelled at it. Maybe its cool to hate Reign in Blood nowadays, I don’t know (Seasons in the Abyss is my 2nd favourite Slayer album incidentally).
Justice had too many production issues. (Can’t hear the bass, the clicking bass drum track)… Musically it was probably Metallica’s most technical, but sometimes the songs got repetitive, plus you have the controversy on Dyers Eve with Lars oversampling/dubbing drum tracks to create something impossible to play live.
Justice was a great album, I still listen to it… However I think Master of Puppets is their absolute finest work. It was Cliffs favorite for a reason. Songwriting was solid, if not genius. Production was great for its day – still holds up almost 30 years later. It was the bridge from RtL to AJFA … You hear elements from both those albums in MoP. Also, the title song is in my opinion the best thrash song ever. It was probably responsible for thousands of kids picking up an instrument… MoP any day – should be the #1 thrash album of all time…
I agree. For a solid year after it was released, it was one of the only tapes that graced by walkman! Little background there. I had given up on Metallica and had forsaken them for the banner of Slayer. Then one day a friend gave me a duped copy of MoP…exit Reign in Blood, enter Master of Puppets! Given their actions afterward with Napster, I couldn’t tell you what disappointed me more. The fact that they were suing their fans (whose unlicensed distribution of their works no doubt had increased the volume of their legit listenership more than any marketing campaign any band had ever intentionally engaged in!) , or that they were doing so after they got famous by ripping off Diamondhead songs…
-Oz
Metallica’s saga with Napster will haunt them forever, a shame as it has definitely tarnished their reputation. There is no doubting that their first four records are nothing short of game-changing in influence and execution and truthfully any one of them could have appeared on this list, Ride the Lightning just happens to be my personal favourite \m/
There is no Master of Puppets ? Finally a decent TOP10 ! :D Pretty good TOP list, would`ve made some changes, but it`s ok
Agreed.
Thanks Guys!
Haters gonna hate, Master Of Puppets, KILL ‘EM ALL and Ride The Lightning > all
I would call Pantera groove before thrash
I totally agree Wayno, Groove NOT Thrash!!
I’m always surprised to see Slayer’s Reign in Blood on lists like this, and even moreso when it’s #1. It’s a fun album, but it really is a bunch of filler sandwiched between “Angel of Death” and “Raining Blood.” I’d take an album like “Kill ‘em All” for #1. But, hey, there’s always going to be somebody to disagree whenever a list is thrown around, right?
Master Of Puppets is the best thrash metal album of all time. Everything else is inferior
Nope, actually MOP is the most overrated album of all time. “Ride The Lightning” and even “…And Justice for All” are way better than MOP.
Totally agree, people rave way too much about MOP as if it were made of pure gold. It’s great, but not as good as the albums before and the one after it.
para mi megadeth es el n1 con diferencia y cada disco q saca metallica es una nueva desescion solo queda la fama y de eso viven estan muertos.
@L2
I don’t think Pantera is considered thrash metal. I think they’re categorized more as Progressive Metal.
I was honestly surprised Reign in Blood was number 1, since in most top 10 lists, Master of Puppets was there. I have no problems with this list and not uptight that they didn’t get the top spot. Just to ask, have you heard Havok’s “Time is Up”? It’s a really explosive album to me, and at certain points, you think back to the top album on this list.
Havok’s ‘Time Is Up’ features in my 10 Modern Classics of Thrash article \m/
Great list, love every album except overkill, I just don’t like them but my only knitpicking thing is you could have put the. Right picture of anthrax.
haha what a silly list! there is no …and justice for all in the top, just there’s ride the lightning and some of ordinary thrash bands in the list. this is a list just tries to show a thought like “thrash metal is not just metallica” . Everybody must accept that Metallica has 4 perfect thrash metal album and no band can reach Metallica’s level ever. Yes Megadeth, Slayer, Testament, Pantera etc. are the bands that everybody must respect, they are milestones of metal music but without Metallica, they could not bring metal to the top.
rust in peace is definitely better than ride the lightning. RIP is #1 for sure. mustaine helped metallica create thrash metal, without him they never would have been what they were. mustaine has released twice as much quality material as metallica has. you are just a retarded metallica fan, just like the rest of them
Bonded by Blood is no ordinary thrash album. It deserves to be way up on the list.
Couldn’t agree more.
Standard Metallica fanboy…
4 perfect Thrash albums? I count one Speed/Thrash album that sounds like Diamond Head, and one Thrash album called Ride the Lightning. Master of Puppets is eternally overrated, and nothing compared to their first two albums, and And Justice for All is a horribly produced experiment in turning commercial-friendly, which they would become completely with the Black Album.
Kill ‘Em All and Ride the Lightning are amazing albums, but don’t rate Metallica higher than they deserve.
Metallica’s influence on the scene is not under question. The reason only one Metallica is featured, as stated in my introduction, is because I formulated the list around one album per band. An all Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth list would be pretty boring. I wouldn’t call the likes of Kreator, Annihilator, Exodus, Sepultura etc ordinary either…I think they deserve more respect than that!
Rust in peace should have been #2 and there should have been a place for Peace Sells but great job! Reign In Blood is easily the best metal album released!
Finally, someone else who has something good to say about Reign in Blood!!!!
L2. Neither of those are thrash albums though they have thrash songs on them. People hate the genre Groove Metal but that’s what Pantera was. It’s a good thing, I don’t know why people get pissed at that name. It makes me think of the truth, of hard reality, of something that just won’t go away being driven into you slowly, intensely, and unceasingly.
Nice list I feel Rust In Peace is probably the best thrash album ever and Ride The Lightning is in the right spot. I like that RTL was chosen over MOP it’s a far better album. I take Pleasure To Kill over Extreme Aggression any day and it’s probably 3 on my list. I would have included Dark Angel – Darkness Desends, Holy Terror – Mind Wars & Death Angel – The Ultra Violence.
What? No SOD- Stormtroopers of Death????
Yeah, SOD Speak English or Die is top 3 with Slayer and Metallica. Among the Living close behind.
Crossover =/= Thrash
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I don’t agree….At least 2 Metallica albums should be there in the top 10 (Master and Justice), and also one from Pantera.
Only one Metallica album as I wanted to create a diverse list showcasing more than just the usual Big 4 entries. Pantera aren’t thrash!
Interesting list with some agreement and disagreement. Most glaring omission is the Stormtroopers of Death’s “Speak English or Die” which to me sits atop the mountain. Glad you included Anthrax but thought “State of Euphoria” better overall.
S.O.D are Crossover Thrash and will appear in a future list.
I guess Master of Puppets is greatest thrash album ever.
I agreed with 2 corrections: places 1 and 2 :))
Metallica with …And Justice for All
Slayer with Season in the Abyss
Together with Rust in Peace, this 3 are somehow … perfect.
But hey, de gustibus …
To my perspective, Rust In Peace kicks Ride The Lightning’s ass. Don’t you think? I also think Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying should have been there.
Those aren’t thrash albums, L2.
Good list, Chris! Personally, I would’ve put Among The Living higher, and I think Overkill’s The Years Of Decay is just a hair better than Horrorscope. I also would’ve traded Alice In Hell for Sodom’s Agent Orange. But again, solid choices.
Thanks Derek. It was a tough call between Years of Decay and Horrorscope but Horrorscope just does it for me. Both classics though! I’m a massive fan of Alice in Hell (and the follow up Never, Neverland) but I agree that Agent Orange is a great album. If I’d compiled a Top 20 it would have been included. Thanks for the comment \m/
Where is “Endless Pain”???? Must-have back in the 80′s.
Pantera could never be left outside the list, either.
My opinion.
USA FOR MOD!
dude, pantera is not thrash at all learn the defintions
Substitute the far superior “Master Of Puppets” instead of “Ride The Lightning”, get rid of the Kreator album and put in Flotsam And Jetsam’s “Doomsday For The Deceiver”. “South of Heaven” for “Reign In Blood” then the list might work.
Pantera is not thrash, first of all. Secondly, Why Ride The Lightning and not Master of Puppets?
I agree with Reign in Blood being first, but Among the Living should have been higher.
Reign in Blood #1?
Sure, if you enjoy uninspired open E riffs and dial-up modem guitar solos.
Uhm, a pretty good top though, but I wouldn’t have placed Exodus – Bondes By Blood so low. Neither Kreator, and I think that Overkill was better on The Years of Decay rather than Horrorscope. Same thing with Testament, The Legacy was a better effort.
I would have included Destruction – The Antichrist as being one of the best post 2000 thrash metal albums.
As for Pantera, Cowboys From Hell is their best effort, however, this one tends to be more groovy than thrash, so I think you did well to not include it.
Destruction’s ‘The Antichrist’ appears on my Ten Greatest Modern Classics of Thrash article, a great album!
Interesting. Other than Anthrax, do you intentionally pick each of these bands’ worst albums?
Nope, just the ones that had the greatest impact on me. Each to their own dude, each to their own. \m/
Sabbat – History of a Time to Come should be there
Dreamweaver.. The Best of Enemies!!!
Both Sabbat’s albums with Martin Walkyier on vocals are extraordinary and easily the finest thrash albums produced by a British band!!
This is just me personally, but I love Rust in Peace don’t get me wrong. However I would replace that with Peace Sells, or Killing is My Business. those albums were pure fire and for Metallica I’m okay with Ride, or Kill ‘em All.
Overall this is a pretty good list, but I would switch Slayer and move them a little lower. Maybe like 5th place
Choosing between Peace Sells and Rust In Peace was difficult, Rust In Peace edges it for me due to the inclusion of Holy Wars…., Tornado of Souls and Hangar 18; Thrash played to perfection!
no way in hell does ride the lightning beat rust in peace, rediculas. can’t believe how many fans keep defending them when they’ve done squat in over 20 years. ironically, ride the lightning still had influence from Mustaine (only time metallica was any good)
I agree. Master of Puppets was a better album than Ride, and far more influential. Ride only beats Rust because of chronology. If both were released at the same time, Metallica would have faded to nothing a long time ago…
As for Dave being the only good element in Metallica. I would agree but I don’t. I think Cliff was the heart, mind and mastery behind Metallica all along. I’m one of those few who think Justice was in the can before Cliff was in the ground. The guy they should have kicked from the beginning was Lars (did you know the man didn’t have any training playing the drums before Metallica?). If it weren’t for his rich parents, and contacts overseas, he would never have been more than a mediocre tennis player who loved the music of Diamondhead…
-Oz
Ride the Lightning IS the no. 1.
Anyone who loves this list, needs to check out the band: GHOUL. They capture the essence of this era with a bit of that GWAR presentation sprinkled on top.
Nuclear Assault anyone? Handle with Care or Game Over?
Pantera is thrash metal with groove elements much like Slayer is thrash metal with speed elements. I’d put Cowboys From Hell ahead of a few of those albums.
Well seeing as too how I am not a Slayer fan in the least,in my opinion they certainly do not deserve thee number 1 spot.That should have gone too Master of Puppets.Also,as far as Overkill is concerned,I would put Feel the Fire or Taking Over before Horrorscope!!! Also,how come no Nuclear Assault? And perhaps Restless and Wild from Accept,which with songs like Fast as a Shark,certainly was thrash!
I’m sorry, Thrash Metal with Speed elements? You’ve never listened to Speed Metal have you? I suggest putting on some Agent Steel or ADX and then rethink that statement.
Your list is incomplete with out Vio-Lence’s Eternal Nightmare
I’m with you on this. Eternal Nightmare is a great album. It has so much energy. I think overall, this list is spot on. I would put Megadeth over Metallica, and I would have exchanged Among the Living for Spreading the Disease.
In my opinion, The New Order should be number one. And I disagree with Horrorscope being Overkill’s finest. However, overall a pretty good list.
Thanks Eric. Horrorscope does appear to have been a contentious choice, happens to be my favourite but purely subjective. Glad someone else out there loves The New Order as much as I do! \m/
i cannot BELIEVE that Artillery’s By Inheritance isnt on here, definately shoulda been number 2 or 1
Yeah man it should be on the list at least
Good album, but I’m not sure it should be on the list. The stuff on this list is by and large just phenomenal over-and-above-game-changing, in a way.
I am a big fan of ‘By Inheritance’ and it would probably make a Top 20 but no room for it in a Top 10.
Pretty solid list covering some classic and awesome thrash albums. But there are so many other brilliant albums that deserve to be in this list, e.g. Helstar – Nosferatu, Realm – Endless War, Watchtower Control And Resistance, Toxik – Think This, Blind Illusion – Sane Asylum, Xentrix – For Whose Advantage, Aspid – Extravasation, Sieges Even – Life Cycle, Mekong Delta – The Principle Of Doubt, Artillery – By Inheritance and many more…
I’ll save these for a top 50 one day!!
U got it wrong,megadeth #1 for sure slayer2 metallica,not even in top 5 mabey 6 with and justice for all.
1st Peace Sells
2nd Rust in Peace
3rd And Justice for All
1- Coma of souls is far more better than Extreme Aggressions
2- The years of decay should be replaced with Horrorscope
3- Sabbat Dreamweaver should be included
4- Rust in peace should be the first one. No doubt!
I agree with you on the first and third option, a great debut of Frank Blackfire in Coma of Souls, on the other hand the latest album as vocalist Martin W, everyone has their discretion in these ambits.
This Is My Number One Album Of Any Metal Type .
Best Megadeth Lineup Ever .
Artillery – By Inheritence (#1, at LEAST as good as Rust In Peace; riff loaded, technically proficient, amazing song craft)
Metal Church – The Dark
Vendetta – Brain Damage
Coroner – No More Colour
Flotsam & Jetsam – Doomsday
Also, Sentenced – Amok, Deathrow – Deception Ignored, Holy Moses, Tankard, Deceased…
Happy to see Horrorscope so high. Not too many Overkill fans I meet prefer their post 80′s stuff (I definitely do). I’m also partial to Alice In Hell. Have you heard Raise Hell – Not Dead Yet?.
Always appreciate the effort put into theses lists! Thanks Christopher. I will say that this list reflects a main stream thrash appeal. I’m finding out how much more there is out there than what some of us have grown up hearing/hearing about.
Hey dude. I love Overkill too. It is a shame that they are not more popular. I think since 1992 or so that they could be considered the best thrash band since then. Every album has been great. I have seen them many times live and it is always a great show.
Nice catch on Doomsday!
I agree, Overkill should definitely be more popular and they are one of the most consistent Thrash bands around. ‘Ironbound’ was an amazing modern thrash record!
Great bands Blooby!
First off, I’d just like to say, South of Heaven kicks the crap out of all other Slayer albums imho and should be sitting right on top of this list.
And I would put Sodom somewhere in this list, kinda hard to pick someone to bump though, so that’s mostly subjective.
But mostly, where is the Anacrusis love? These guys have long been one of my faves, and they get little mention anywhere. Mind-blowing. Reason remains one of my favorite thrash albums to this day.
“South of Heaven kicks the crap out of all other Slayer albums imho and should be sitting right on top of this list.”
Someone’s never listened to Show No Mercy or Hell Awaits, obviously. Slayer deserves the number #1 spot with either of those albums.
Actually, I own and have listened to every Slayer album, and find that South of Heaven is their single most consistent and balanced album. It has heavy, it has fast, it has catchy, it has anything I could ask out of a Slayer album, all while feeling like a cohesive musical experience. Few albums of any genre offer as much.
Hell Awaits is a close close second place and I agree that it could stand in as top album on any list like this… but it’s definitely not my favorite, as it lacks the accessibility and polish of later Slayer. Still a balls to the wall album though :)
I don’t see Meshuggah’s Destroy Erase Improve, or Chaosphere…. Arguably the two most influential releases in modern metal history! The only ones who have pulled as much of the metal ear to the way they play only continue to do so out of momentum and sentimentality…and because they were released at least a decade earlier….
-Oz
Sorry Oz but Meshuggah’s Destroy Erase Improve and Chaosphere are not Thrash Metal in my book. They are more likely to fit into the extreme metal/progressive metal sub-genres. Check out my Ten Greatest Drummers article, Tomas Hakke gets a mention.
Everyone has an opinion of what should be in the list and what shouldn’t, but in all honesty I’m sure that at least one of these albums has affected someone’s listening preference at some point. I’m glad to see Exodus – Bonded by Blood up there as it’s THE album that got me hooked on thrash, which I remember picking up out of a Woolworths bargain bin…lol. I have to say it is an awesome album list and would make an excellent playlist for most thrash fans. Keep calm and headbang mutherfu**ers \m/ \m/
Thanks Chocblock. The thing to remember is this list is just my opinion, I love thrash and these are the albums that affected me the most. I can’t believe you picked up Bonded By Blood in a Woolworths bargain bin…that’s like finding gold! Thanks again for the positive comment and the balanced approach to something that is purely subjective. Keep moshing dude! \m/
You should have made a top 50 albums of thrash lol. I’ll add Atrophy and Hirax to the left outs like Death Angel (how could you?), Vio-Lence, Sodom, Metal Church, Coroner, Flotsam & Jetsam, Artillery…also agree that Years of Decay is better than Horrorscope, but i’d probably put Taking Over as definitive Overkill, just for Wrecking Crew alone…
I’m starting to think I should of made a Top 50 list! I certainly would have included killer cuts by the likes of Death Angel, Sodom, Holy Terror, Exhorder, Viking, Metal Church, Artillery….the list goes on. I was torn between Overkill’s ‘The Years of Decay’ and ‘Horrorscope’ in all honesty but ‘Horrorscope’ just feels like the more fluid, consistent album to me.
Pantera ain’t groove metal. That would be prong, Korn, soulfly.
With Dimebag shredding you can’t call it groove. They were the next level of thrash.
And you don’t have to be a dumb Metallica fan to realize they are the greatest
Thrash (or any genre) metal band. The results speak for themselves.
Korn? They aren’t even metal really. Heh, that’s kind of an insult to Groove Metal. Testament The Legacy should be on here somewhere. Slayer should not be #1 either.
If any Groove Metal band is going to be the “next level of Thrash”, it’d be Exhorder. Not their retarded, mainstream-friendly brother that tried too hard to be like Exhorder.
Got to agree, when Pantera drastically changed their sound they definitely took inspiration from Exhorder. Pantera took it to the next level though, hence their massive success.
Thanks for all the comments people, I didn’t expect such a response. A list of 10 meant many great albums had to be excluded, perhaps a top 20 or 50 would have been better.
Thrash for those who don’t thrash.
Pantera was a thrash band and gotta be on that. List end of the story.
Those who call Pantera thrash are nothing but posers. Yes, you can love that band as much as you want but they are not thrash metal, the only album that is close to the genre is Cowboys but let’s see:
-Before Cowboys: Heavy/glam
-Cowboys:Half thrash
-After cowboys: groove.
Nice lists, but Darkness descends should be here :(
Off course.. Dark f*****g Angel!! How could I forget?! Darkness Descends, Time Does Not Heal.. Greatness.
I was surprised that there was no room for Seasons in the Abyss but still a good list.
Personally, I would have put Chaos Ad ahead of Beneath the Remains but everyone has their own ideas.
Just as an odd-ball for you guys that are not from Australia – one that I think that stacks up against any of my Metallica/Slayer/Megadeth/Anthrax/Sepultura etc, etc is “Destitution” by a band called Allegiance.
Do yourselves a favour and get a copy of it! It is awesome!
Chaos AD, the album that began Sepultura’s journey into Nu-Metal-riddled irrelevancy, above Beneath the Remains?
Hi Barry, only one album per band and as much as I love ‘Seasons’ I just had to include ‘Reign In Blood’. I agree, Allegiance’s ‘Destitution’ is a great record, I also really enjoy Mortal Sin’s ‘Face of Despair’, excellent Thrash from down under!
I’m sorry. But this list is just incomplete without Peace Sells…But Whose Buying, Seasons in the Abyss, and Master of Puppets which is often considered the greatest album in all of metal, let alone thrash.
Bonded by Blood is criminally low on the list.
I’m cool with the inclusion of Beneath the Remains (hell, I bought it based on the hype without knowing anything about what the band sounded like), but I think it needs to be lower.
Alice in Hell can come off, and Dark Angel’s “Time Does Not Heal” needs to be on this list.
Also, Horrorscope isn’t the best choice. It might have been more commercially viable, but in all honestly, any of the preceding four albums (Feel the Fire, Taking Over, Under the Influence, or The Years of Decay) is a much better fit.
Also, while I think either The Ultra-violence or Frolic through the Park would be better for Death Angel.
Fun list, though, and makes me proud A) to know all of this music and B) that I got into it when I did (currently in my mid-30′s, and got into all of this stuff some months after …And Justice for All came out).
Oooh, Andy Moore brings up a good point about Vio-lence’s Eternal Nightmare! I’d say it could probably replace Kreator, but even then that’s a tough one.
*Andy Ford
I like this list, might not be mine, but I cannot argue, my only thought is why no modern stuff? 4arm is a great band, one of my favorites now, thanks to Dark Roots Of Thrash, but this is all of the old (not saying it is bad) why not new? Overkill’s Electric Age is a great album, my favorite of theirs. Not arguing, but you could make an old school, and new school.
Thanks for mentioning 4ARM, Mike! These guys are awesome, both live and on record. I think “Submission for Liberty” is one of the best thrash albums I’ve ever heard. You can tell they were influenced by Metallica and Slayer (and Trivium to a degree), but they’re still original too. And super nice guys. Definitely check them out, people. They are fairly new but I think they’re gonna be huge.
Just checked out 4arm, very good. Thanks for the tip!
I think “Master of Puppets” should be #1. It is the most influential thrash album of all time. It put thrash on the map, and Metallica perfected the genre on this album. “Ride the Lightning” is a great album, but MOP is better and more important.
Also, I think “Seasons in the Abyss” is Slayer’s best album, and should be #2.
No Dark Angel? I think they had a pretty big impact on the genre too.
Sorry but Master Of Puppets is leagues above Ride The Lightning. The 2 albums are almost identical in style, song structure and chord progression but Puppets is steps beyond Ride in every way from lyrics, solos, production and melody. Kill Em All is too young and cheesy and Justice suffers from poor production and overstetched songs. Master Of Puppets is the defining moment in thrash metal history. Reign in Blood is certaintly up there but it lacks the substance that Puppets or even Rust in Peace has. Slayer have written better thrash albums in my opinion.
Its because the 2 albums are almost identical in style, song structure and chord progression that I believe Ride the Lightning is the better album. Metallica knew they had found a winning formula and copied it wholesale (I’m not knocking Master of Puppets, its a great album).
Great list. I at least appreciate the mention of Death Angel’s Act III as it was one of the best albums of the 90s, imo. In addition to extending this to a Top 50, I’d love to see a “top 5″ album list for the big thrash bands. Top 5 Testament, Top 5 Slayer, etc. Although it could just be their first 5 albums in most cases. By the way, this got super popular because Testament and Anthrax put it up on their Facebook pages.
Cheers Shawn. Act III was at number 10 until the 11th hour and I desperately wanted to keep it in, something had to give eventually and Death Angel fell victim to the cull. I had to at least give them an honourable mention though! Top 5 Testament and Top 5 Megadeth have been written, check them out! \m/
good list. I was expecting some cookie cutter list of big 4 records with testament and exodus thrown in. I was kinda right but the order of the list and records chosen is awesome.
Cheers Dylan, can’t really avoid the Big 4 when compiling a list like this; such was their impact on the genre. I also found it difficult to ignore Testament and Exodus as they have always been hot on the heels of the Big 4. Glad you enjoyed my choices \m/
Don’t get me wrong, I love Alice In Hell, I just wouldn’t put it in my top 10. Such a frustratingly inconsistent band!
I certainly would. Annihilator may never have reached the heights of ‘Alice In Hell’ again, but that album is an absolute metal masterpiece from beginning to end.
And Metallica’s unsurpassed ‘Master of Puppets’ is highly conspicuous by it’s absence on this list… the single greatest metal album yet recorded, with Judas Priest’s ‘Painkiller’ a close second.
Except that Master of Puppets is surpassed by many Thrash Metal albums, including Metallica’s first two offerings, and many more Metal albums of various sub-genres.
Destruction: All Hell Breaks Loose and Death Angel: The Ultra-Violence
should be on this list
What no Sepultura Arise…WTF over !!!
Went for Beneath the Remains instead, overall a better album I feel….Inner Self, Mass Hypnosis, Sarcastic Existence, the title track…Sepultura at their best!
Reign in Blood does not even cut close to number 1! You can’t honestly think that any of the tracks other than Angel of Death, Raining Blood & possibly Piece by piece are worthy of number 1??? & Peace Sells is so much more worthier than Rust in Peace-great album, but it’s speed metal, not really thrash at all (Even So Far, So Good is more deserving!). Slayer’s Show No Mercy, Hell Awaits & South of Heaven are much better than Reign in Blood. I agree with the Metallica choice though, great album, absolutely killer stuff!
Honorable should be mentioned:
Sacrifice – Forward to Termination
Dark Angel – Darkness Descends
Sacrilege B.C. – Party with God
Hirax – Hate, Fear & Power
Sodom – Persecution Mania
Tankard – Chemical Invasion (or Zombie Attack)
“Think This”, by TOXIK is way better than a few on this list….especially anything Exodus has ever done!
Great album but Toxik are speed metal \m/
Oh, and:
Kreator – Terrible Certainty (instead of Extreme Agression)
Coroner – Punishment for Decadence
Death Angel – The Ultra-Violence
Angel of death is Best song for me!!
A list about the greatest Thrash Metal albums of all time, and not even a single mention of Voivod? Easily the better choice out of any Canadian Thrash Metal, and most Thrash from anywhere. And Sabbat are far too good to be a measly honourable mention.
Lastly, get Testament off’a there, all that band ever was, was safe Radio/MTV-friendly Thrash. Hardly deserving of being on any list to do with “Greatest Thrash Metal”, ESPECIALLY at number 5. Even then, a Testament album that isn’t “The Legacy”? Tsk, tsk.
Hi Korgull, I can see by your name that you are a huge Voivod fan. Killing Technology and Dimension Hatröss are two of my favourite Thrash Albums but a list of 10 is a very short list and I just couldn’t find a place to squeeze them in. Undeniably awesome band though. Can’t agree with you on Testament though, there is nothing mainstream about Chuck Billy’s death metal vocals or the music on ‘The Gathering’ and both ‘The Formation of Damnation’ and ‘The Dark Roots of Earth’ are examples of modern thrash at its finest.
I agree that ‘The Formation Of Damnation’ and ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ are modern thrash at its finest\m/ \m/
Very true, Killing Technology is one of a kind in the Trash genre, and Voivod are masters.
CORONER – “No More Color”
Forbidden should have been on this list both Forbidden Evil and Twisted Into Form are superior\m/ \m/
You forgot DARK ANGEL – Darkness Desends
Hi Kristen, Darkness Descends is a classic but I just couldn’t find a place for it in my Top 10, difficult to know what to remove in or order to include it. Thanks for he suggestion though \m/
Okay. No disrespect to slayer; they might have been one of the greatest thrash bands out there, but their overall sound just doesn’t appeal to me. I love Metallica and Megadeth and believe that either “puppets” or “killing is my business” should be up front, not slayer. And I’m going to say it but pantera is also one of my favorites but no it is not thrash; more groove and/or southern metal
(all respect to dimebag) R.I.P.
ALSO justice should be on this list for its “F*#! THE GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE”
>EYE OF THEBEHOLDER…AND JUSTICE FOR ALL<
Great list. BUT …..
GREAT BANDS AND ALBUNS YOU FORGOT…..
MACHINE HEAD – BURN MY EYES (1994)
HOLOCHAUST – VALLEY OF MISERY (2001)
PROPHECY – LEGIONS OF VIOLENCE (2008)
LISTEN TO IT… IS AWESOME !!!
I agree with RTL as best metallica album, was better production and musicality than kill em all but still retaining the punk roots. MOP is a great album but too ‘clean’ for my liking. AJFA, where is the bass?! Newstead left Flotsam and got shafted! Metallica lost their integrity with Cliff’s passing IMO. He WAS Metallica.
I’d replace Extreme Aggression with Terrible Certainty, and Horrorscope with Taking Over, and put Bonded By Blood higher up. I’d probably replace Annhilator with Nuclear Assault’s Game Over too. Alice in Hell IS a great album, but I would class it more as Speed as opposed to Thrash.
God, I miss the 80′s…….
10. Terrible Certainty – Kreator
9. The Ultra Violence – Death Angel
8. Eternal Nightmare – Vio-Lence
7. Spreading the Disease – Anthrax
6. Taking Over – Overkill
5. Reign in Blood – Slayer
4. The New Order – Testament
3. Bonded By Blood – Exodus
2. Ride the Lightning – Metallica
1. Peace Sells (But Who’s Buying) – Megadeth
To be honest, it’s hard to come up with a Top 10, because there are so many fantastic albums left out. I think a Top 25 would be easier. This is my Top 10 without repeating a band.
Good list!
It’s definitely difficult keeping it to a top 10.
And talking of Vio-Lence, I used to have their Ltd Ed. 10″ single that came in a ‘sick bag’, but it dried out!
Great list and one that stands toe to toe with mine. I dabbled with all of these titles before culling the herd and believe me , the decision to omit Death Angel and Vio-Lence was a tough one! Thanks for the comment.
Yes, I also wonder, why Pantera is not included in the list.
Anyway, put Rust In Peace on first place!!!
Gotta love lists like this. No two people are ever going to agree, but it’s fun to debate. I’d have Metal Church’s first album way up there. I’d also have “Among The Living” higher on the list. It’s all about personal taste, so it’s all good by me. Mosh it up!
Thanks Lucky. It was fun to compile and I knew it would stir up some debate! I love Metal Church’s first album and considered long and hard about including it….look for it in a future article.
No darkness descends and epidemic of violence, seriously? dude you just listen to most known thrash and dont have a clue about whole thrash scene then, these are by far the most extreme and most technical thrash albums ever… by the way reign in blood over show no mercy?? hahahah I laughed a lot… next time you make a list like this informe you better before please, have a nice day
Thanks for commenting. I do have an in depth knowledge of Thrash but you have to consider that this was a Top 10 list. Only 10 can be selected meaning many, more obscure, Thrash albums didn’t make the cut. Doesn’t mean I don’t know what else is out there! Show No Mercy is great but dated, you cant say that about Reign in Blood, the pristine production job alone sees to that. Glad I made you smile, keep moshing \m/
It’s just another top 10 thrash list that has one mistake: it only has 10 albums. Alice in Hell is in fact one of Thrash’s finest moments, but then there are certain ridiculous choices like Overkill’s “Horrorscope” when the band has so much better albums. Then, if you were to choose a Sep’s album, it would have to be “Arise”, even though my fave’s “Beneath”, but it’s not pure thrash that’s all. It’s a blatant mistake to make a list of 10 albums in a style as important as Thrash. No Sodom, no Sadus, No Dark Angel, no Coroner, no Nuclear Assault (WTF??!???), etc… fortunately you know better and didn’t put Pantera on the list lol.
I Love all these bands, regardless of ladder position. I just wish I could go and live in the 80′s again. Now i’m just old and my hair’s falling out. I’m glad i can still hear though! How about your top 10 Death?
Funny you should mention a Top 10 Death Metal List as that’s exactly what I’m working on right now! Keep thrashing dude, age don’t mean a thing! \m/
I really think a Top 50 is in order. Watch this space!
Amazing list. I have seven out of ten. People seem to post their own top 10 thrash albums, so here is my list:
1. Rust in Peace – Megadeth
2. Deliverance – Deliverance
3. Reign in Blood – Slayer
4. Human Sacrifice – Vengeance Rising
5. Stop the Bleeding – Tourniquet
6. Extraction from Mortality – Believer
7. Ride the Lightning – Metallica
8. Spreading the Disease – Anthrax
9. Forged in Fire – Anvil
10. The Legacy – Testament
Honorable mentions:
“Bonded by Blood” – Exodus and “Pleasure to Kill” – Kreator
Great list Reijo, some cracking thrash albums there. I love Extraction from Mortality, it should of reached a wider audience. I always felt that Anvil were more Speed/Heavy Metal though. Thanks for commenting \m/
That should have been one Accept album too, y know Accept – restless and wild example,, fast as a shark
Hi DF, I’ve always considered Accept more of a traditional heavy metal band with elements of speed metal thrown in hence their exclusion, ‘Restless and Wild’ and ‘Balls to the Wall’ are great albums just not really Thrash.
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Payday loans? Slightly off topic but thanks for adding another comment to my article!!!!
1 – Reign in Blood – Slayer
2 – Pleasure to Kill – Kreator
Best 2 albums ever made.
Short and to the point, I like it!
I can’t argue with Slayer and Pleasure to Kill is a Thrash classic! \m/