10 Criminally Underrated Thrash Metal Albums Of All Time

10. Sodom - Code Red

Following several years of toying with other genres, German shredders Sodom made a well-received return to form in 1999. The result? 'Code Red', a suitably gruesome, fast-paced, nuance-free thrill ride.

After several years of disappointing output, frontman Tom Angelripper rediscovered his fury here. The lyrics are ferocious and apocalyptic. The grim vibe they provide is accentuated and then some by Bernd 'Bernemann' Kost's wildman guitar work and Bobby Schottkowski's brain-rattling drums.

Arguably the kings of Teutonic thrash metal, Sodom helped inspire a wave of subgenres such as black and death metal in their earlier days. By the time of 'Code Red', the crew were in increasing danger of being disregarded as relics of the scene. Thanks to a modernised and elaborate approach to production, coupled with more intensity than ever, they put such notions to bed with this one.

While the '90s was, overall, a brutal decade for thrash, it still has some gems. 'Code Red' is one of them, an easily re-listenable, no-nonsense classic. Every track is kept under the five minute mark, ensuring a relentless pace that matches the bad intentions of the artists behind this pricelessly savage LP.