Recently, while engaging in some random internet wandering, a list of the ten greatest thrash metal albums was found. The original posting can be found at:
If you have a moment, the original list is worth the extra mouse click as the author has put together a pretty informative piece of work.
Obviously, this is not a list that I compiled, but rather one that I found interesting. I admit that I’ve only really been listening to more than the odd thrash metal album/artist in the last two years. While it’s not my favorite sub-genre of metal, I’ve been exposed to more thrash than I normally would have listened to through the people around me and have come to really enjoy the majority of it. As for the list itself, it was obviously written by someone who is quite knowledgeable about thrash metal. There’s a few bands on the list that the casual fan likely would not know about.
Ten Greatest Thrash Metal Albums of All Time
By Christopher Jennings
1. Slayer - Reign In Blood
2. Metallica - Ride The Lightning
3. Megadeth - Rust In Peace
4. Overkill - Horrorscope
5. Testament - The New Order
6. Sepultura - Beneath The Remains
7. Anthrax - Among The Living
8. Exodus - Bonded By Blood
9. Annihilator - Alice In Hell
10. Kreator - Extreme Aggression
Honourable Mentions: Sabbat - A History Of A Time To Come, Death Angel- Act III, Sacred Reich - The American Way, Forbidden - Forbidden Evil, Destruction - Infernal Overkill
Let’s start with the honorable mentions....
Personally I’ve never listened to Sabbat or Death Angel. My experience with Sacred Reich only amounts to having seen them live on the Barge To Hell cruise, and that experience was definitely quite good. Forbidden I’ve only listened to once or twice, which is not nearly enough to offer any kind of comment. Destruction is one of my favorite thrash bands, and I’m still trying to get around to writing a review of the album that they recently released.
Kreator is another one of my personal favorites, and honestly, pretty legendary in thrash circles. While my album choice(s) regarding Kreator are slightly different, there is no denying that they deserve to be represented on this list. Seeing Annihilator in the top ten was a bit surprising to me just for the simple fact that they are not nearly as well known as some of the other names on that list. Alice In Hell is an album that I cannot stop listening to. It’s absolutely fantastic from start to finish and there are a few songs contained within it that sound like Metallica before Metallica sounded like Metallica. While I enjoy listening to both Exodus and Testament, I’m not too familiar with either on an album by album basis. Overkill proves to be another one of those bands that thrash-heads keep recommending, but again, I haven’t given them as much attention as they probably deserve. Anthrax and Sepultura are both big-name thrash bands, but both prove to be bands that I have never grown to be overly fond of. I do not mind Sepultura, but I have never been able to enjoy listening to Anthrax. They just do not appeal to my ear for whatever reason.
Obviously Slayer, Metallica and Megadeth are huge names in metal, without even having to discuss sub-genres. Similar to several other metal fans, I cannot stand the personality of Dave Mustaine and it taints Megadeth to a point where they have become almost unlistenable. Slayer is hard and heavy, probably not to the liking of the very casual thrash fan. To the non-metalhead, Slayer would probably make eardrums bleed. Either way, Reign In Blood is a definitive album of the genre, and my personal Slayer favorite. As for Metallica, who does not like them? (Well, at least the material released prior to, and including, the Black Album).
Who do I feel has been left off this list? That answer is definitely Sodom. At least they should have made honorable mentions...
