Thrash Metal

Thrash Metal is a combination of New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) and Punk, making the music faster and more aggressive. Thrash was the antithesis to Glam Metal. Instead of makeup and hairspray to make them “presentable”, Thrash Metal bands wore jeans and t-shirts. They didn’t care what they looked or smelled like and they played how they felt. This movement can be attributed to Metallica as the torchbearers of this music. But without the other bands within this genre and their fans, they wouldn’t have been pushed to better themselves and their music. The movement started in LA within the Glam Metal scene. But soon they realized they weren’t getting any traction in the gloss infested venues, and moved to San Francisco. On the east coast in New York and New Jersey, there was Anthrax, Overkill, Nuclear Assault and many other bands. Even in Canada thrash Metal thrived with bands like Annihilator. Europe even had its big three of Thrash, with Kreator, Sodom, and Destruction. But the breeding grounds for this music was in the San Francisco Bay area. With bands like, Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel. But four bands rose to prominence in this genre, Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallica, the Big 4 of Thrash.

The subjects in Thrash Metal songs are more akin to that of punk than of traditional metal. Talking about politics, atrocities committed by humans in the past, and the dystopian future. Each band also had different styles. Of the big 4, Anthrax was considered the silliest of the bunch. Their mascot was the “NOT Man” which comes from their song “I’m the man”. This song was one of the first fusions of rap and Metal. But just because of ascetics and attitudes doesn’t mean they can’t talk about serious subjects. In their song “Indians”, the subject is about the crimes committed to the Native Americans in the past by the immigrants, like the Trail of Tears. While subject matter is important for gaining exposure, what set Anthrax apart was the range of vocals of their lead singer Joey Belladonna.

Megadeth is the most technical out of the group. They have been called “a jazz band playing metal”. Megadeth has always been a group of great musicians playing metal that is more impressive than anyone’s solos. Dave Mustaine, the bands founder, vocalist and guitarist, started with Metallica. Before Metallica recorded their first record, Mustaine was suddenly and brutally ousted from the group. This fueled his anger and passion to be better than his former band. He formed Megadeth. Now the bands have reconciled. Megadeth was more political with their lyrics than any other band in the Big 4. Their three big hits are “Peace Sells… Buy Who’s Buying?”, “Symphony of Destruction” which is about the dangerous amount of power in the hands of the ruling class, and “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”, which is about wars like the ones in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Then we have our favorite guilty pleasure SLAYER! Although, they should change their name to “Fucking Slayer” because that’s all you hear at a show from the fans. These guys walk the edge of being Thrash or Extreme Metal. Slayer is the odd one because of the intensity of the music and lyrics. The subjects are for example about a famous evil Nazi doctor who had done experiments on prisoners in WWII, such as sowing together two people and making them Siamese twins. This stems from the influences of wars and the atrocities committed, and horror movies and novels. Slayer’s music is not for everyone.

Although I have talked about three of the big 4, I haven’t talked about is Metallica. They are one of the most successful Metal bands in the world. Anyone who knows metal that is worth their salt, knows about Metallica. Metallica is comprised of music fans who hated the music scene around them. They decide to make their own music that they wanted to hear. This desire is what gave birth to Thrash Metal. They were miles ahead of every other band in the scene, and got majorly successful with their ingenuity. But there is one problem that many fans have with the band, which was their fifth self-titled album. Fans felt that they sold out, as in going too commercial. But they still play their old material, and still fill stadiums around the world.

Thrash Metal is one of my favorite sub-genres of metal. With my personal favorite band in this genre being Megadeth and Anthrax as a close second.