Top 10 Thrash Bands You Need To Be Listening To Right Now
Do you like thrash metal? Of course you do, it’s likely the entire reason you’re reading this in the first place. There was once a time when thrash was considered some of the most dangerous noise on the planet, and with good reason, considering it used to be championed by bands like SLAYER, SODOM, KREATOR, ANTHRAX, early METALLICA, and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES. When these are you standard bearers then there is always a level of intensity to be expected, and dangerous is the best word to describe the sounds that erupted from this time in musical history, as punk rock violently evolved and diverged into its hardcore and thrash metal counterparts.
Now that we’ve evolved way beyond what extremity used to mean, thrash metal slipped down the ranks and hit a teeny bit of a lull over the past decade or so. The 00’s were not kind to the genre thanks to the growth of bands like MASTODON, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, and SLIPKNOT all offering new ways for the masses to partake in extremity of sound. It’s unfair to say that thrash metal died a death, but it was definitely pushed deep underground for years.
Thankfully, though, there are benefits to genres being forced underground, because it means that only the dedicated come forth and try to drag it back from obscurity. We are currently experiencing a real rise in dangerous sounding, rapid, and down right lethal thrash metal thanks to a selection of bands absolutely killing the circuit currently. With far to many to name in total, we have compiled a list of 10 thrash bands that any self-respecting fan needs to at least have on their radar, because in one way or another they are revitalising a genre that once dominated the world.
Without further ado, here are 10 of the best thrash bands on the planet at the moment.
The best thing about WITCHTRIAL is their power to make you feel like the world is at your feet. With a constant pulsing back beat, classic inspired riffs that bounce around the fretboard, and a vocal delivery that never sits still for one moment, WITHCHTRIAL embody the party spirit of thrash metal better than most today. When you whack in a healthy amount of MOTÖRHEAD worship in the way the band write their songs and lean heavily on raging rhythms and raucous riffs then it’s obvious why this group are so exciting. What they lack in social media presence they make up for in a bandcamp that has all their material just waiting for you to sink your teeth into.
With hands in not only the North American scene, but also in Poland, GAME have a number of things that make them a genuinely exciting thrash act, with the leading being vocalist Ola. Her frantic, theatrical, and diverse vocal delivery means that GAME are a vibrant band that bounce around from sounding literally removed from the 90s New York hardcore scene to sounding like a forgotten gem of the 80’s thrash circuit. There is a lot to be said about the energy found within each pipe bomb of a song that GAME has in their arsenal, and when that excitement is so easily transferred through 25 minutes of debut album material, you know there is something special going on. GAME are carving a way for women to eventually join the big leagues, and off the band of bands like VENOM PRISON doing the same in the similarly dude heavy death metal genre, props have to be given.
Hailing from the North West of the UK, MERE MORTAL inject a frightful amount of death metal influences into their distinctly thrash metal form. Thanks to vocals that sound like a demon barking orders to it’s horde, MERE MORTAL possess a power that few others are able to channel, and when fused together with the mix that separates each instrument like an isolated blade before collectively delivering the decisive blow, the MERE MORTAL sound is one that could only come from the rich musical heritage a country like the UK possesses. With so many musical veins to mine, it’s no wonder that even on their debut EP Tartarus MERE MORTAL proudly display a number of differing influences from punk to death metal to grindcore.
Perhaps one of the bands truer to the crossover gospel as opposed to outright thrash metal on this list, RED DEATH are one of the most frantic and life affirming bands on the circuit at the moment. Composing their songs down into bite size chunks of musical dynamite, RED DEATH blitz through their material with a frantic pace that doesn’t play catch up for anyone. With a healthy dose of classic 70’s punk rock urgency coupled with that mean, recognisable bass crunch, RED DEATH found a sound that is as dangerous as it is enjoyable. With two full lengths both coming in shy of 20 minutes, and a new record out this year titled Sickness Divine, you should know that this band aren’t going to pull their punches, and in fact, might cause some serious harm instead.
Much like HIGH COMMAND and ROAD MUTANT, INHUMAN NATURE pride themselves on having their inspirations firmly within the realms of apocalypse and fantasy, and having their production stuck firmly in the glory times of when thrash first kicked the worlds arse. With cavernous vocals and drums, and riffs that sound akin to early METALLICA, the British stalwarts have their hands on a sound that not only instils a deep sense of nostalgia but also provides a rawness to their aural assault that most can’t do nearly as well. Their self-titled debut is a barbaric rampage through satanic and hostile lands, and it’s a really fun time whilst also delivering an excellent display of crossover-thrashing carnage. Alongside all of this, with album artwork depicting a He-Man character consulting with death, the primal power that irradiates from INHUMAN NATURE is addictive.
Owing more than a nod to another band later on this list (we’ll let you guess who it is…) LOWEST CREATURE possess a crisp and clear approach to delivering modern thrash metal. The Swedish group have been able to strike an amazing balance between punk, hardcore, and thrash, bringing it all together for a swift 38 minute bollocking on this years debut Sacrilegious Pain. Everything flows together perfectly, the energy is kept buoyant, and the riffs are unique enough to truly highlight the musicianship in the song writing. Despite being a band since 2013, LOWEST CREATURE appear to only just be making major moves, and it’s clear through the proficiency at play here that the time spent together has been used to sharpen their weapons before striking.
With the top three bands on this list all hailing from the States, it’s only fair we feature some home grown talent this side of the halfway mark. Well, not only do these guys deserve your attention because of their savagely solid tunes, but also because they recently got the green flag from Gary Holt himself. If a blessing from Gary Holt doesn’t mean something to a thrash metal fan then something is deeply, deeply wrong. ROAD MUTANT find inspiration in the irradiated wastelands of the red zone, and their razor sharp riffing combined with a deep sympathy for the brewing British hardcore underground means that they hit harder than you’d expect. Red Zone Rippers is a fluid and brutal track that best encapsulates their sound, and their live shows are as rabid as the mutants they sing about. ROAD MUTANT are a band worth getting excited about.
Thrash metal has always had a silly bone buried deep within its core. HIGH COMMAND found that silly bone and decided to not only burn it, but to make a knife out of it and start wildly stabbing all the naysayers. With their lyrical content stuck firmly in the realms of fantasy and fiction, HIGH COMMAND still write some of the most intense and brutally excellent thrash of recent memory. Coupled with vocals that sound like a battle cry in maelstrom and you have a band that can easily stoke the warrior within even the most pathetic of peasant. HIGH COMMAND have it all; lightening fast riffs, thick guitar tones, as well as divebombs that’ll have you hiding under your bed, and it’s all present in their debut Beyond the Walls of Desolation.
ENFORCED have more aggression packed into their short songs than anyone else on this list, and that level of white knuckle intensity is what makes them such an exciting group to follow. Having dropped a repackaging of their early demos, ENFORCED have reminded everyone why they are the ones to be watched as they brew their impending debut. With songs like The Heat and Reckoning Force, ENFORCED have also dropped a gruesome music video for Skinned Alive that shows them to be far more artistic than their genre label alludes to. Their live sets are fierce and also malleable, as the groups collective sound sits a bit more at the crossover end of the scale at times. Still, ENFORCED are imbued with an infectious punk rock energy that always sat at the heart of the original thrash sound, and they will likely fight their way to the top of the ladder.
In a lot of ways, there isn’t really much to be said about POWER TRIP. But the influence they have had over the decade really cannot go understated, because frankly, without them, none of this would be happening on the scale it is. Over the course of a number of demos, two albums, multiple world tours, and some recognition from the biggest bands in the game, POWER TRIP resurrected thrash metal to its former badass self and then took it to the wider masses once again. So many bands on this list owe a lot to the work POWER TRIP have done moulding the sound for a modern generation and then forcing the world to pay attention to it. They’ve torn apart Download and Bloodstock whilst also making a name for themselves by delivering volatile live sets in basements as well as academies. Musically they hit the nail on the head so hard they make it look easy, and there is a flavour that only POWER TRIP bring to the table. Listen to Suffer No Fool, Heretics Fork, Nightmare Logic, Executioner’s Axe, or even their newest offering Hornet’s Nest and you’ll immediately understand why this is the band that brought the genre back to glory.
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