Thrash metal

This article is about a subgenre of heavy metal music. For the similar subgenre of heavy metal music, see Crossover thrash.

Thrash metal
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsEarly 1980s, United States, Germany, United Kingdom, and Latin America
Derivative forms
Fusion genres
Regional scenes
Local scenes
Other topics

Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.[3] The songs usually use fast percussive beats and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead guitar work.

The genre emerged in the early 1980s as musicians began fusing the double bass drumming and complex guitar stylings of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) with the speed and aggression of hardcore punk and the technicality of progressive music.[4][5][6] Philosophically, thrash metal developed as a backlash against both the conservatism of the Reagan era[7] and the much more moderate, pop-influenced, and widely accessible heavy metal subgenre of glam metal which also developed concurrently in the 1980s.[8]

The early thrash metal movement revolved around independent record labels, including Megaforce, Metal Blade, Combat, Roadrunner, and Noise, and the underground tape trading industry in both Europe and North America. The genre was commercially successful from approximately 1985 through 1991, bringing prominence to Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax, all grouped together as the "Big Four" of U.S. thrash metal.[6][9] Other U.S. bands, such as Overkill, Metal Church, and Bay Area acts Exodus, Testament and Death Angel, never achieved the popularity of the "Big Four" but also had considerable success during the late 1980s and early 1990s, particularly on the strength of airplay on MTV's Headbangers Ball.[6][9][10][11] Some of the most successful international thrash metal bands from this era were Brazil's Sepultura, Canada's Voivod, and the genre's "Big Teutonic Four": Kreator, Destruction, Sodom, and Tankard.[6][9][11][12]

The thrash metal genre had declined in popularity by the mid-1990s, due to the commercial success of numerous genres such as alternative rock, grunge, and later pop-punk and nu metal. In response, some bands either disbanded or moved away from their thrash metal roots and more towards groove metal or alternative metal. The genre has seen a resurgence in popularity since the 2000s, with the arrival of various bands such as Bonded by Blood, Evile, Hatchet, Havok, Lamb of God, Municipal Waste, and Warbringer, who have all been credited for leading the so-called "thrash metal revival" scene.[13][14][15][16]

  1. ^ Janosik, MaryAnn (2006). The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Rock History: The video generation, 1981-1990. Greenwood Press. p. 231. Heavy hardcore was considered hardcore based more in metal, adding heavier thrash metal riff stylings
  2. ^ Prato, Greg (16 September 2014). Primus, Over the Electric Grapevine: Insight into Primus and the World of Les Claypool. Akashic Books. ISBN 978-1-61775-322-0.
  3. ^ Kahn-Harris, Keith, Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge, pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, 2007, ISBN 1-84520-399-2.
  4. ^ Prato, Greg (19 December 2023). "Steve Hackett Recalls His Reaction to Thrash and Death Metal of the '80s". Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  5. ^ "Technical Thrash Metal: Historia, Bandas, álbumes y más". metallerium.com (in Spanish). 27 January 2023. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d McIver, Joel (29 April 2010). "A History of Thrash Metal". Total Guitar. MusicRadar. Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 17 June 2014.
  7. ^ Farrar, Justin (26 December 2017). "The 30 Greatest Thrash Bands of All Time". Spin Magazine. Archived from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  8. ^ Weinstein 2000, p. 48.
  9. ^ a b c "The 20 Albums That Invented...Thrash". Goldmine Magazine: Record Collector & Music Memorabilia. Goldminemag.com. 4 May 2022. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference share-the-stage was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b "Headbangers Ball- The Unofficial Tribute Site - Episode Database". headbangersballunofficialtributesite.com. Archived from the original on 29 May 2017. Retrieved 26 September 2021.
  12. ^ "Sodom, Kreator, Destruction and Tankard: the untold story of German thrash's Big Four". loudersound.com. 5 April 2017. Archived from the original on 17 February 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  13. ^ "Hatchet: "Fear Beyond Lunacy" Album Review by Jason Z!". skullsnbones.com. 28 October 2015. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  14. ^ "Havok - Unnatural Selection". thisisnotascene.com. Archived from the original on 11 September 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  15. ^ "New Extremes: Deafheaven Play Sold-Out LA Show with Health, Skeletal Remains". metalassault.com. 16 January 2017. Archived from the original on 19 January 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  16. ^ "DAVE ELLEFSON Says EXODUS Invented Thrash, LAMB OF GOD Helped Reset It in the 2000s". 22 February 2023.