5 Reasons Why You Should Love Classic THRASH METAL

5 Reasons Why You Should Love Classic       THRASH METAL

   We all love Thrash. You don't need to have been around in the 1980's to be classed as a real Thrasher, all you need is a thirst for riffs and a hunger for the mosh pit. Luckily for Thrashers, their chosen sub-genre of Metal is rich in classic albums. So here is a short list of 5 reasons why you should love Thrash-Metal. These are only some of the hundreds of incredible albums to emerge from when the scene was on the rise, but that's not the point. You can hardly call yourself a Metal-Head or a Thrasher if you dislike these albums. So, just how Metal are you?

5:DESTRUCTION: INFERNAL OVERKILL

  

   You can't find much more of an underground classic than this. Destruction's first full length album is built purely from the fibers of Thrash-Metal. With its sound that is clearly heavily influenced by Venom and the rising scene around them, Infernal Overkill has solidified its place in history as a timeless beacon of Metal.     
   Lets face it ,no-one can resist headbanging to classics like "Bestial Invasion" and "Tormentor". Those primitively produced riffs and snarling vocals are undeniably youthful and timeless. There is no doubt that without this album, Destruction would not be the heavyweight Thrash legends that they are today.



4: METALLICA: RIDE THE LIGHTENING
   This album isn't just one of the greatest Metallica albums, its one of the greatest albums of all time. With their second album, Metallica clearly wanted to show the world that they meant business. Away from the teenage mentality that earned them the name "Alcoholica", they crafted genuinely masterful slices of Thrash. Such as the legendary "Creeping Death", "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "Fight Fire With Fire". 
   Despite not having a single track below breathtaking brilliance, Ride The lightening seemed to be dwarfed by the popularity of its monolithic successor, Master Of Puppets. No matter what album you may favor more, Ride The Lightening is certainly a storming force to be reckoned with.



3: TESTAMENT: THE NEW ORDER   
   To call this album "game changing", would be doing it a severe disservice. After all, The New Order is far more than just game changing. It is one of the greatest, genre defining releases of all time.
   Not initially earning the same status and success as their fellow American Thrashers, Testament clearly decided there was some serious work to be done. The finishing product being Testament's second, and most unique release. Everything about The New Order is drenched in perfection.
   The New Order boasts a spectrum of different sounds and styles. The most important being the teeth shattering Thrash riffs that make the album such a masterpiece. This album also shows that Testament aren't opposed to using the odd bit of acoustic guitar here and there. The iconic, deep and masculine vocals of Chuck Billy round the album off as the flawless testament to Thrash-Metal that it is. With songs like "Eerie Inhabitants" and "Trail By Fire", its plain to see why any Thrasher would hold this album in high esteem.     




2: SLAYER: SHOW NO MERCY
   You just don't get much more Metal than Slayer. They are a band that are loved universally by all Metal-Heads. In the unlikely event that a Metal-Head didn't like Slayer, they would probably claim to be a fan none the less, to avoid serious ridicule and savage beatings by virtually every other fan of Metal music. But that isn't important. What is important is that Slayer kick-ass and have been doing so for three decades. Show No Mercy is just one of the weapons in Slayer's arsenal of ass kicking. 
   Slayer's first full length release may not be as mercilessly brutal as later releases such as Seasons In the Abyss and the iconic Reign In Blood, but it is certainly a timeless classic deserved of recognition. Today tracks like "Evil Has No Boundaries", "Die By The Sword" and "The Antichrist", are regarded as classics. When the album was first released, the songs were heralded as Satanic offerings of unrivaled heaviness. Since Show No Mercy was released, it has influenced whole new waves of Metal bands. Even though there are newer and better produced Thrash gems to compete with, Show No Mercy has no problem holding its own. A true classic. 

1: KREATOR: PLEASURE TO KILL

    The bone shattering riffs, The throat shredding screams, The machine-gun drums, The persistent dedication to both fans and Thrash-Metal. It can only be Kreator.
   For the last three decades, Kreator have created flawless release after flawless release, and in the process they have acquired a dedicated following. A large amount of the credit for what made Kreator such a successful band and a fortress of Thrash, has to be given to their second full length release, Pleasure To Kill.
   Pleasure To Kill combines elements of Thrash, Death and Heavy Metal. The product being classic and prodigious songs such as "Ripping Corpse", "Riot Of Violence" and "Under The Guillotine". Today, Pleasure To Kill has lost none of its attraction and fresh sound, and is still one of the greatest Thrash albums of all time. It would be fair to say that without Pleasure To Kill, kreator would never have become the kings of the underground scene, or the Gods of Thrash-metal that they are today.

Thanks for reading!!!

Feel free to comment or ask any questions \m/

Please remember that all albums chosen for this list are entirely of my own opinion and that I realise there are many more legendary Thrash albums and bands out there.

R.I.P Jeff Hanneman 

(1964-2013)

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