10 Criminally Underrated Thrash Metal Albums Of All Time
1. Viking - Man Of Straw
One of the greatest, most criminally unsung LPs in all of heavy metal, 'Man of Straw' is a mindblowing piece of glorious insanity.
This 1989 barnburner should have, in an ideal world, lead to Viking conquering the world of thrash metal. Unfortunately for pretty much everyone, the Los Angeles headbangers disbanded soon after and didn't release any new material until 2015.
While the United States' Big Four were unlikely to become a Big Five, Viking's output here gives them a run for their money quality-wise. The volatile, explosive nature of tracks like 'White Death' and 'They Raped the Land' are enough to rattle even the edgiest of listeners out there. Better yet is the grand scale ferocity of the near eight-minute epic 'Winter'.
'Man of Straw' was Viking's sophomore LP. 'Do or Die', though well-liked by mosh enthusiasts in 1988, was widely caned for its subpar production and scatterbrained compositions. With frontman Ron Eriksen and Metal Blade CEO Brian Slagel's producing efforts, the sins of their debut were vanquished here.
With far more elaborate, technically sound riffs and more aggression than a bull on steroids, Viking turned out a near perfect thrash metal LP. 'Man of Straw' is essential listening for all thrashers out there.