10 Best Thrash Metal Bands Outside Of The Big 4

8. Sodom

Thrash isn't known for lewd band names in the same way that punk or black metal is, but that doesn't mean that groups with murky monikers don't exist.

For example, the German band named after a sexual act.

Sodom have been around since 1981, when they were formed by lead singer and bassist, Tom Angelripper, which unfortunately isn't his his real name. He formed the band as a way to get out of working in the coal mines, which is one of the best reasons to form a band ever.

With Angelripper as the only constant member, Sodom have been going strong ever since, putting out 17 studio albums, with their fourth release, 1989's Agent Orange, being the one to put them on the map. This was one of the first thrash metal albums to chart in Germany, earning the band their position in the German Big Four of thrash.

Everyone's got a Big Four!

Initially a Satanic band, Sodom's music has matured over the years to include themes of war, politics, and elements of world history. In a genre that can often be all about noise, it's nice to have some meaningful words in amongst the madness.

Contributor
Contributor

Jacob Simmons has a great many passions, including rock music, giving acclaimed films three-and-a-half stars, watching random clips from The Simpsons on YouTube at 3am, and writing about himself in the third person.