Riot

There aren't enough superlatives to describe the way I feel about this album. This is the best power/speed metal album ever created. Riot have been around since the '70s with differing lineups but in my opinion this is their definitive release. The guitar solos on this album rival the best Iron Maiden solos. The vocalist is almost as good as Halford. It has relentless pace, the production is stellar and the song-writing is top notch. If there was a genre called Reebok Core these guys would be the poster children. These songs are so good they will infect your everyday life. How can you deny that cover art, huh?

Thundersteel

Coldsteel

I think this album is fun as hell. Coldsteel were out of New York and were an interesting sounding act, incorporating thrash and funk, maintaining an early '90s vibe with an old school '80s approach. They even incorporate some horns on this and combined with the warm drum tones and good songwriting I bust this one out fairly often. They weren't the most original act and at times I can't shake the vibe that I'm listening to a band that listened to way to much Faith No More but if you take it for what it is I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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Universe

This is the self-titled album by Sweden's Universe and it's a pretty snazzy effort if you ask me. These guys did their thing well and they did it with a certain air of sophistication. What's their 'thing' you ask? Basically it's Swedish rock and roll with great hooks, memorable lead guitar work, background keyboards and English lyrics in a heavy Euro accent. Who knows? Maybe that's not your thing. It sure as hell is mine though...

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Aggression

I tend to like albums that stray away from polished sounding production. The Full Treatment is anything but polished. These Canadians played their thrash filthy, sloppy and loud, straying far into crossover territory. What they left in their wake is a cesspool of toxic waste and endless riffs. Take a look inside and try not to fall in.

Aggression

Holy Moses

Holy Fucking Moses. Do you like thrash? Download this immediately. The record is punishing, the guitars are razor-like, the production is perfect, the female fronted vocals will put most acts to shame, the pace is relentless, and the riffs...the fucking riffs. There is a certain level of insanity that the band reaches on this album. You have to hear it to believe it. The vocals are just the icing on the layer cake. Finished With the Dogs may be the most overlooked thrash album to come out of the '80s. Lace up those hi top Reeboks!!!

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Cities

Here's a nice little chunk of US Heavy Metal straight from 1986. Once your ears are graced with the initial guitar licks of album opener "Stop the Race" you will be hard pressed not to play this over and over. These guys were successful in creating their own sound and not having to rip off other, more well known acts. There is an eerie vibe on Annihilation Absolute especially in the lyrics and this is best listened to on full blast. It's thrashy at times but this is more traditional heavy metal that just plain rips. I'm not sure why these guys didn't get more attention but perhaps it was just a case of the mediocre band name.

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Pure Blood Doom

Maybe you've heard of Demigod? If not, you are depriving yourself of one of death metal's finest offerings. Adramelech was comprised of a few Demigod members and of course, hailed from the mighty Finland. I don't know what they have in the tap water up there but this band definitely drank their fair share of it. This doesn't sound like Demigod's album. Doesn't matter. This album kills in its own way and it definitely deserves more praise. It's not the be-all-end-all of death metal. It's not too technically complex for its own good. It's not even the most brutal piece of music I've ever heard. Like I said...doesn't matter. Pure Blood Doom was released in 1999 and has kind of an early '90s throwback sound to it. This stuff is mid-paced, memorable and well performed. Sometimes that's all I really need in my death metal.

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Trojan

Trojan was a NWOBHM band though their sound definitely had more speed metal leanings than most of their UK contemporaries. The cover reeks of D&D metal which will be a selling point to some and warning sign to others. Don't be fooled though. This stuff kicks ass and probably isn't what you expect whichever side of that fence you may find yourself on. What you can expect from Chasing the Storm is a barrage of dueling lead guitars and melodic choruses that will make you wonder what would've happened had these guys gone on to bigger things. God knows the talent was definitely there right alongside the feathered hair and leopard shirts.

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Heaven is for Sale

Wardance came a little late onto the thrash scene and released this album in 1990. Their sound harkens back to earlier '80s thrash and in my opinion has a real UK anarcho-punk feel to it, which is kind of weird since they are from Germany. The lead guitar work is very memorable on this and the female vocalist flat out rules laying down some great harmonies in her uniquely hoarse style. It gets melodic in parts mainly because they aren't afraid to slow it down. There's one or two tracks I could do without, especially the cover song (but that's just me). The good stuff on this album more than makes up for its few shortcomings.

Wardance

Psychopath

This is the only album by Psychopath who hailed from the state of Missouri. What they left us with is an underground classic. I haven't seen this posted on other blogs yet and I'm proud to be posting it on this one. These guys play early death/thrash with sci-fi themed lyrics that kick much ass and if you were to imagine a thrashier, more technical version of Dream Death you wouldn't be too far off. They use just enough melody on this album to make it stand apart in a saturated genre, even incorporating an instrumental track. Making the Transition is essential listening.

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Herpes

This is uncompromising caveman grind from the country of Columbia. Medellin isn't so much of an album as it is a collection of emotion spanning about 13 minutes. The vocals consist of shouted grunts that at times seem to altogether drown out the primitive drumming and blistering guitar. This is relentless stuff and if you're not paying attention you may miss some of the riff work. I promise you it's definitely in there. Oh yeah, that emotion I was referring to probably has something to do with Herpes crushing the skulls of their enemies with rocks. That's a long 13 minutes...

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Concrete Sox

Concrete Sox hailed from the UK in the mid-'80s and to this day there are legions of crust bands trying to replicate the sound that these guys captured on their first album entitled Your Turn Next. The album starts off with female singing over a music sample from the movie Suspiria scored by the mighty Goblin. There are a few moments of female singing peppered throughout the album that seem to add to its overall atmosphere. Some may say these moments are out of place but personally I think they are just brilliant. Did I mention the riffs? Concrete Sox cough up some great ones here and really show how great of a anarcho-crossover band they were blending punk, hardcore and thrash just effortlessly. If you dug the Toxic Waste post I started off this blog with you will love this shit. Get it.

Your Turn Next

Ploughers of Land and Sea

There are a lot of sludge bands out there. Some do it better than others. Houston's Bowel is one such band. They released this EP in 2006 and really just seemed to scratch the surface of what they are capable of. I eagerly anticipated a full length which never seemed to surface. Fast forward to 2009 and after checking their myspace the other day I notice a new song up. This is pretty exciting news because these guys are really, really good. This EP contains 4 tracks and clocks in at just about 27 minutes. Bowel creates a palpable tension on this album, knowing when to slow it down to a slug like crawl and when to hit on all cylinders with a vice-like grip on the senses. The dual vocal attack and pinch harmonics used here only spice things up for the better.

Bowel

Don't Cheer Me Up

Something about the title and cover art on this album strikes me as very odd. It fits the music perfectly though. Aftermath offer up a nice slab of power-thrash here and although some of the songs meander around and overstay their welcome at times, the end result is pretty satisfactory albeit a little strange. The bass playing is really outstanding on this record. I find myself playing this album over and over again without really being able to pinpoint a reason why other than Aftermath just changing it up enough to keep me coming back for more. I feel that they were onto something here and just came up a little short. It sure does make for a fun listen though.

Aftermath

Necrodeath

This is Satanic Italian Anti-Thrash. La fine.

Into the Macabre

Chateaux

Not only does this record have some of the best cover art I've seen but it features a great vocal performance from Steve Grimmett who also manned the pipes in Grim Reaper among other UK acts. Chateaux was a band that just belted out badass garage jams, really blurring the line between NWOBHM and psych. The lyrics are pretty repetitive in parts but on a whole this album is truly an inspired and unique listening experience which calls to mind every band that made me stand up and take notice because they weren't afraid to leave it all on the stage.

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Contropotere

Sometimes albums come along with an overpowering sense of atmosphere. Nessuna Speranza, Nessuna Paura is one such album. Contropotere was an Italian hardcore punk band active from the mid '80s to mid '90s. This is their first LP which translates to No Hope, No Fear and it sounds as if the ghosts of Italian crust punks came down out of the Apennine Mountains to play anarcho-punk for a bunch of villagers in the dead of night. They incorporate a variety of instruments besides electric guitar and drums to capture the sound on this album and it works perfectly. I revisit this one a ton. Hope you like it.

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Indestroy

Indestroy is one of the best zombie thrash bands to come out of the '80s. This album features the same singer from Ironchrist (another very good thrash band) and the lyrics penned on this one really stand out as some of the best in the genre. This starts off with the great one-two punch of "The Gate" and "U.S.S.A." - two relentless and perfect thrash songs. The album only has about 2 mediocre tracks and I say mediocre because they are just a little slower than the rest. This is stuff to blast in your Iroc Camaro on a summer night while trolling for some easy prey at your local Dairy Queen as you headbang yourself into a frenzied madman.

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World

Well here it is. The entire World discography. I've seen this posted one other place but this deserves so much more attention. World were a Japanese noisecore band that released a handful of splits plus 1 EP all of which are contained below. Each of the 7 tracks contain one release so the songs are packed together without proper titles. This is pure bliss - often imitated but never duplicated. Drums. Microphones. Vox. Noise.

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Coma Void

Stormking Twilight is an album that's hard to categorize. This is the only release by Portland's Coma Void and it's a doozy. It's sometimes death metal, sometimes stoner rock, sometimes sludge. What it is constantly is pure metal with buzzing guitars that seem to soar over the chaos of the double bass and seething vocals. These guys aren't afraid of throwing acoustic passages or clean'er' vocals in the mix either. Coma Void sounds like NO ONE else I can assure you of that. If you've never heard of these guys do yourself a favor and check them out. I haven't seen this posted on any other blog and it's really a shame. With song titles like "Opal Hill Mining Disaster of 1911", "Cave Gimp" and "Crab Witch Head" you can't really go wrong. Oh yeah the last track is not really 20 minutes. Wait for it...wait for it...

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