10 Criminally Underrated Thrash Metal Albums Of All Time

A shining light in the declining darkness of mid-'90s thrash, Forbidden's third LP boasts a particularly groove-heavy take on the genre.

Coming four years after 'Twisted into Form', this one ups the sinister, mercurial vibe of its predecessor. Coming three years before the almost entirely groove metal-based 'Green' in 1997, 'Distortion' serves as a bridging of the gap between the two styles Forbidden are most synonymous with.

Tracks like 'Feed the Hand' provide the kind of gritty, brutal sound thrash enthusiasts long for. The chop and change of faster-paced, more speed metal-oriented tunes with progressive epics ensures the LP keeps listeners on their toes throughout as well.

For fans of both thrash and groovier groups like Machine Head and Pantera, Forbidden reached a rare level of perfection here. The group demonstrate great musical chemistry with one another throughout. Russ Anderson's vocals bounce off Craig Locicero's rebellious riffs with gusto. The duelling guitars are also a welcome sound, enlivening the noise with a sense of conflict.

For prog rock fans, there's also a curious cover of King Crimson's '21st Century Schizoid Man' to examine. Overall, while the lyrics throughout are hardly special, the dense and intricate nature of the music itself makes this a worthy and eccentric listen in the thrash canon.