Metal

Some of my earliest memories in life included thrash metal, with the Big Four leading the charge in the mid-80s for the entire metal scene. This was a different time, where sub-genres barely existed (“thrash” being one of the few cited in publications at the time). Fast forward a decade later and an unsuspecting band from Norway by the name of Aura Noir (pictured above), coined a new term with their 1996 debut, Black Thrash Attack. It picked up where Venom started, and fused together thrash and black metal in a way that captivated a new audience from both backgrounds.

Although not nearly as renowned as other subgenres, Blackened Thrash continues to thrive today with many classic and modern acts that tour the world. Here are 12 tracks to get you started in the world of Blackend Thrash—the grotesque, bastard sub-genre of heavy metal.

This feature is part of our Thrash 101 online course that was produced in partnership with the good rocking folks at GimmeRadio, a free 24/7 metal radio station hosted by heavy-music experts like Metalinjection.nets Frank Godla, Megadeths Dave Mustaine and Lamb of Gods Randy Blythe. Check them out here and sign up for the Thrash 101 course here.

Welcome to the ninth chapter of our Thrash 101 program. This feature was produced in partnership with GimmeRadio, your free 24/7 metal radio station hosted by heavy-music experts like MetalInjection co-founder Frank Godla, who curated this playlist. Check out his show on Gimme right here.Some of my earliest memories in life included thrash metal, with the Big Four leading the charge in the mid-80s for the entire metal scene. This was a different time, where sub-genres barely existed (“thrash” being one of the few cited in publications at the time). Fast forward a decade later and an unsuspecting band from Norway by the name of Aura Noir (pictured above), coined a new term with their 1996 debut, Black Thrash Attack. It picked up where Venom started, and fused together thrash and black metal in a way that captivated a new audience from both backgrounds.

Although not nearly as renowned as other subgenres, Blackened Thrash continues to thrive today with many classic and modern acts that tour the world. Here are 12 tracks to get you started in the world of Blackend Thrash—the grotesque, bastard sub-genre of heavy metal.

Thank you for checking out the fifth installment of our Thrash 101 program, produced in conjunction with GimmeRadio, your free 24/7 radio station hosted by heavy-music experts and artists like The Dillinger Escape Plans Ben Weinman and Lamb of Gods Randy Blythe. Get more metal here.Sure, its easy to think of thrash as a metal genre that dallies with hardcore, but thats actually (literally) only the half of it. On the hardcore side of the fence, bands began incorporating more of a metal tinge in their speed and sonics, too, resulting in a sound that "crossed over" into the thrash zone. So yeah, theres more to the subgenre known as "crossover" than just a clever name, one that D.R.I.—absolute legends of the form—reinforced with album and song titles (you know, aside from the mic-dropping sound that became crossovers blueprint).This fusion was controversial at the time, as these two worlds did not peacefully coexist. Metalheads werent exactly welcome at hardcore shows and vice-versa; your hair length (or lack thereof) was enough to incur violence on sight. But as this clash of preferences peaked, these two heavy-music scenes found a kindred spirit in each other and something began to shift—i.e., the speed and guitars.Bands like Leeway, Gang Green, and Nuclear Assault took hardcore tempos, made them faster, kept the shouted punk vocals, and worked in wailing solos. Perhaps the biggest band to come from the crossover scene, Suicidal Tendencies, even made the sound commercially viable. The spirit of crossover still thrives today in bad-ass revivalists like Iron Reagan, who take the sawing hardcore breakdown structure and add in thrashing speed and vitriolic vocals to continue the tradition.

In July 2017, veteran Washington State sludgemasters The Melvins unleashed their 26th album (and a double, to boot), A Walk with Love & Death. At the time of its release, we gave you a thorough introduction to their extended family; now, with his debut solo album,The Fickle Finger of Fate, out this month, drummer Dale Crover has created a special Dowsers playlist celebrating his kings of the kit.

"Heres a playlist I made of some of my favorite drummers. I left off the obvious. Theres no Bonham, Moon, Charlie, or Ringo on the list. All of these songs/drummers have had a big influence on my playing. Even though none of these songs date past the 1980s, I can still listen to them to this day and get excited. Enjoy!"—Dale Crover

1. Judas Priest, "Exciter" (Unleashed in the East version)Drummer: Les Binks

2. The Jimi Hendrix Experience, "Little Miss Lover"Drummer: Mitch Mitchell

3. Black Flag, "Slip it In"Drummer: Bill Stevenson

4. Blondie, "Dreaming"Drummer: Clem Burke

5. The Stooges, "Dirt"Drummer: Scott Asheton

6. Gang Of Four, "Hed Send In The Army"Drummer: Hugo Burnham

7. Alice Cooper. "Public Animal #9"Drummer: Neal Smith

8. The Sweet, "Sweet FA"Drummer: Mick Tucker

9. Deep Purple, "Fireball"Drummer: Ian Paice

10. Iron Maiden, "Murders In the Rue Morgue"Drummer: Clive Burr

11. Kiss, "Parasite"Drummer: Peter Criss

12. Mountain, "Never In My Life"Drummer: Corky Laing

13. Cactus, "Evil"Drummer: Carmine Appice

14. Black Sabbath, "Turn Up The Night"Drummer: Vinnie Appice

15. Jeff Beck Group, "Shapes Of Things"Drummer: Mickey Waller

The shoring up of thrash metal into an identifiable genre—one with founders (i.e., the oft-invoked, if frequently debated Big Four), weirdo outliers, and delineated boundaries—occurred fairly late in the movement’s genesis. After all, back in the ’80s (and even into the early ’90s, actually) the phrase was used to describe just about any metal or hardcore band blurring the lines between them. Nowadays, we like to use micro-terms like "crossover thrash" when heaping praise on the mosh-pit belligerence of Suicidal Tendencies or Victim in Pain-era Agnostic Front, and "thrashcore" when gushing about the crap-fi eccentricities of Septic Death. Moreover, it isn’t at all inappropriate to apply the thrash label to Venom, the primary bridge between the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and early Slayer, or Possessed, perhaps the first shredders to make the leap to guttural death-metal terrain, or even the Exhorder-obsessed Pantera, who slowed down the music’s blazing tempos to help kickstart groove metal. Ultimately, though, all these bands are deliciously grotesque fruit fallen from the thrash family tree.Even modern revivalists—some of whom are like computer programs in their uncanny ability to recreate the feel of old, ’80s jams—can’t escape this fuzziness. Municipal Waste’s 2007 album The Art of Partying, frequently hailed as one of the great modern thrash albums (and every bit as rude and aggressive as the vintage stuff), worships the manic crossover of Suicidal Tendencies more than it does the canonical thrash of Slayer or Metallica. Another modern classic is The Haunted’s self-titled debut from 1998, and it’s clearly informed by the tight, mechanically disciplined rhythms of melodic death metal (which makes total sense considering the Swedes’ ties to At the Gates). But maybe the most radical examples are groups like Power Trip and Vektor, who drag thrash into the post-everything 21st-century by blending it with blackened blurs, noise-rock’s wall-of-distortion, layers of in-studio sound manipulation, and (in the case of the latter) proggy expanses and epic space-rock runs. But then again, this merely is par for the course for a genre that, despite its thrash or die!!! expression of purity, has always preferred messy splatters to well-groomed orderliness. For more, check out our New School of Thrash playlist. This feature is part of our Thrash 101 online course that was produced in partnership with the good rocking folks at GimmeRadio, a free 24/7 metal radio station hosted by heavy-music experts like Megadeths Dave Mustaine and Lamb of Gods Randy Blythe. Check them out here and sign up for the Thrash 101 course here.

Thank you for checking out the eighth installment our Thrash 101 program, produced in conjunction with GimmeRadio, your free 24/7 radio station hosted by heavy-music experts and artists. Get it all free right here.The shoring up of thrash metal into an identifiable genre—one with founders (i.e., the oft-invoked, if frequently debated Big Four), weirdo outliers, and delineated boundaries—occurred fairly late in the movement’s genesis. After all, back in the ’80s (and even into the early ’90s, actually) the phrase was used to describe just about any metal or hardcore band blurring the lines between them. Nowadays, we like to use micro-terms like "crossover thrash" when heaping praise on the mosh-pit belligerence of Suicidal Tendencies or Victim in Pain-era Agnostic Front, and "thrashcore" when gushing about the crap-fi eccentricities of Septic Death. Moreover, it isn’t at all inappropriate to apply the thrash label to Venom, the primary bridge between the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and early Slayer, or Possessed, perhaps the first shredders to make the leap to guttural death-metal terrain, or even the Exhorder-obsessed Pantera, who slowed down the music’s blazing tempos to help kickstart groove metal. Ultimately, though, all these bands are deliciously grotesque fruit fallen from the thrash family tree.Even modern revivalists—some of whom are like computer programs in their uncanny ability to recreate the feel of old, ’80s jams—can’t escape this fuzziness. Municipal Waste’s 2007 album The Art of Partying, frequently hailed as one of the great modern thrash albums (and every bit as rude and aggressive as the vintage stuff), worships the manic crossover of Suicidal Tendencies more than it does the canonical thrash of Slayer or Metallica. Another modern classic is The Haunted’s self-titled debut from 1998, and it’s clearly informed by the tight, mechanically disciplined rhythms of melodic death metal (which makes total sense considering the Swedes’ ties to At the Gates). But maybe the most radical examples are groups like Power Trip and Vektor, who drag thrash into the post-everything 21st-century by blending it with blackened blurs, noise-rock’s wall-of-distortion, layers of in-studio sound manipulation, and (in the case of the latter) proggy expanses and epic space-rock runs. But then again, this merely is par for the course for a genre that, despite its thrash or die!!! expression of purity, has always preferred messy splatters to well-groomed orderliness. Your next Thrash 101 chapter will go even deeper into this new school...

Thrash represents that pivotal point at which heavy metal turns extreme. Of course, extreme music existed before Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Overkill, Celtic Frost, and thousands of other vile shredders across the globe declared war on our ears in the mid-’80s. There was Motörhead’s mechanically chugging roar, Venom’s cavernous blasphemy, Diamond Head’s white-hot intricacy, and Void’s violently messy hardcore (which basically is proto-thrash). Yet these were mere glimpses when compared to thrash’s radical, across-the-board redefining of heaviness, speed, and volume, one embedded in the genetic sequence of practically every manifestation of extreme metal to follow: death metal, black metal, metalcore, grindcore, sludge, you name it.It’s generally understood that thrash is a collision of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal’s scorching complexity (including that scene’s innovative use of double-bass-drumming) with hardcore punk’s raw force and gang chant toughness. And while this certainly is true—it’s especially obvious on Anthrax’s “Caught in a Mosh” and Exodus’ “And Then There Were None”—it doesn’t fully explain the movement’s revolutionary newness. And that’s because thrash isn’t a mere blending of antecedents. When it comes to fully appreciating these sick jams, what isn’t heard is just as important as what is. Take Sepultura’s absolutely manic “Stronger Than Hate”—it was recorded a mere six years after Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills,” and yet it sounds decades removed. Melodies, ornateness, choruses—indeed, any semblance of traditional songwriting—have been ruthlessly excised. All that remains is a high-velocity explosion of vicious shredding, incensed howls and grunts, whiplash rhythms, and lyrics splattered in seething rage and graphic imagery.This last quality created quite an uproar during the disgustingly conservative and paranoid Reagan era, back when Tipper Gore’s vile PMRC and tons of Bible-banging parents viewed the genre, as well as headbanger culture in general, as the decline of Western civilization. (Too bad it wasn’t.) It resulted in thrash bands frequently being dismissed as a cross between Satan worshippers and knuckle-dragging brutes, when in fact their lyrics often tackled environmental concerns, nuclear war, genocide, and psychological alienation with a mix of holding-a-mirror-up-to-society morality and intensely black humor inspired by horror flicks. Moreover, thrash unleashed some of the most dizzyingly demanding music this side of avant-garde jazz. Far and away the most potent proof of this is the genre’s crowning achievement: Slayer’s 1986 touchstone Reign in Blood, a record that bludgeons like a club embedded with nails (especially the screaming dive bombs of guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King) while also sounding so stunningly precise, energetic, and intelligent that it’s difficult to fathom mere mortals creating such a jigsaw-like artifact.This feature is part of our Thrash 101 online course that was produced in partnership with the good rocking folks at GimmeRadio, a free 24/7 metal radio station hosted by heavy-music experts like Megadeths Dave Mustaine and Lamb of Gods Randy Blythe. Check them out here and sign up for the Thrash 101 course here.

Welcome to Thrash 101. This Dowsers online course on thrash is produced in partnership with GimmeRadio, your free 24/7 radio station, with shows hosted by heavy-music experts. Want more metal? Check them out here.Thrash represents that pivotal point at which heavy metal turns extreme. Of course, extreme music existed before Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Overkill, Celtic Frost, and thousands of other vile shredders across the globe declared war on our ears in the mid-’80s. There was Motörhead’s mechanically chugging roar, Venom’s cavernous blasphemy, Diamond Head’s white-hot intricacy, and Void’s violently messy hardcore (which basically is proto-thrash). Yet these were mere glimpses when compared to thrash’s radical, across-the-board redefining of heaviness, speed, and volume, one embedded in the genetic sequence of practically every manifestation of extreme metal to follow: death metal, black metal, metalcore, grindcore, sludge, you name it.It’s generally understood that thrash is a collision of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal’s scorching complexity (including that scene’s innovative use of double-bass-drumming) with hardcore punk’s raw force and gang chant toughness. And while this certainly is true—it’s especially obvious on Anthrax’s “Caught in a Mosh” and Exodus’ “And Then There Were None”—it doesn’t fully explain the movement’s revolutionary newness. And that’s because thrash isn’t a mere blending of antecedents. When it comes to fully appreciating these sick jams, what isn’t heard is just as important as what is. Take Sepultura’s absolutely manic “Stronger Than Hate”—it was recorded a mere six years after Iron Maiden’s “Run to the Hills,” and yet it sounds decades removed. Melodies, ornateness, choruses—indeed, any semblance of traditional songwriting—have been ruthlessly excised. All that remains is a high-velocity explosion of vicious shredding, incensed howls and grunts, whiplash rhythms, and lyrics splattered in seething rage and graphic imagery.This last quality created quite an uproar during the disgustingly conservative and paranoid Reagan era, back when Tipper Gore’s vile PMRC and tons of Bible-banging parents viewed the genre, as well as headbanger culture in general, as the decline of Western civilization. (Too bad it wasn’t.) It resulted in thrash bands frequently being dismissed as a cross between Satan worshippers and knuckle-dragging brutes, when in fact their lyrics often tackled environmental concerns, nuclear war, genocide, and psychological alienation with a mix of holding-a-mirror-up-to-society morality and intensely black humor inspired by horror flicks. Moreover, thrash unleashed some of the most dizzyingly demanding music this side of avant-garde jazz. Far and away the most potent proof of this is the genre’s crowning achievement: Slayer’s 1986 touchstone Reign in Blood, a record that bludgeons like a club embedded with nails (especially the screaming dive bombs of guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King) while also sounding so stunningly precise, energetic, and intelligent that it’s difficult to fathom mere mortals creating such a jigsaw-like artifact.

Of course, all great thrash melts faces. That’s why the genre exists! But then there are those facemelters that go above and beyond the call of duty. They’re so violent, pissed, and chaotic they leave you feeling pumped, possibly a little dazed, and, in those rarest of instances, aurally violated.Certainly, speed is vital to thrash’s ability to invigorate/intimidate. Yet despite its lofty status among thrash lifers, it’s not the sole determining factor. After all, Exhorder’s “Homicide” comes riddled with dense, slower breakdowns, and it won’t just melt your face; it will chew it right off. Then there’s The Accüsed’s “Mechanized Death,” which derives most of its unhinged power from Blaine Cook’s puke-screech and the band’s stuttering primitivism, and Sarcófago’s “Sex, Drinks & Metal,” which certainly hits blurring velocities, yet ultimately smashes minds through its deeply nonsensical song structure. It’s kind of like the sonic equivalent of a drunken temper tantrum.Warning: This surely will piss off those who kneel before the Big Four, but outside of Slayer (okay—I’ll make an exception for Metallica when they’re plowing through ragers like “Fight Fire With Fire”), I’m of the belief that the sickest thrash (i.e., the most intense facemelters) doesn’t actually come from them. To subject yourself to true sonic fury, dive into the German outfits Sodom, Kreator, and Destruction: All three are downright cruel in ways that are unique to a Teutonic scene whose bloodlust for dense, mechanized propulsion has little use for melody or hooks. Brazil also has coughed up a bunch of sickos. Of course, Sepultura (pictured above) became megastars once they shifted to groove metal, but dig into early, cult-level thrash numbers like “Primitive Future,” and you’ll encounter a group that’s both terrifyingly unhinged and stunningly precise; ditto for the already mentioned Sarcófago, as well as the hyper-obscure Anthares, whose 1987 album No Limite Da Força is a grainy blast of Satanic phlegm bursts and feverishly raked guitars.If you dig these facemelters, there’s a whole lot more where they came from. After all, thrash is kind of like the garage rock of metal. It’s a sprawling, grassroots pastime that has sprouted far too many regional scenes and underground freaks to count. In other words, the facemelters are endless.This feature is part of our Thrash 101 online course that was produced in partnership with the good rocking folks at GimmeRadio, a free 24/7 metal radio station hosted by heavy-music experts like Megadeths Dave Mustaine and Lamb of Gods Randy Blythe. Check them out here and sign up for the Thrash 101 course here.

Thank you for checking out the 11th installment of our Thrash 101 program, produced in conjunction with GimmeRadio, your free 24/7 radio station hosted by heavy-music experts and artists such as The Dillinger Escape Plans Ben Weinman and Death Angels Will Carroll. Check it out here.Of course, all great thrash melts faces. That’s why the genre exists! But then there are those facemelters that go above and beyond the call of duty. They’re so violent, pissed, and chaotic they leave you feeling pumped, possibly a little dazed, and, in those rarest of instances, aurally violated.Certainly, speed is vital to thrash’s ability to invigorate/intimidate. Yet despite its lofty status among thrash lifers, it’s not the sole determining factor. After all, Exhorder’s “Homicide” comes riddled with dense, slower breakdowns, and it won’t just melt your face; it will chew it right off. Then there’s The Accüsed’s “Mechanized Death,” which derives most of its unhinged power from Blaine Cook’s puke-screech and the band’s stuttering primitivism, and Sarcófago’s “Sex, Drinks & Metal,” which certainly hits blurring velocities, yet ultimately smashes minds through its deeply nonsensical song structure. It’s kind of like the sonic equivalent of a drunken temper tantrum.Warning: This surely will piss off those who kneel before the Big Four, but outside of Slayer (okay—I’ll make an exception for Metallica when they’re plowing through ragers like “Fight Fire With Fire”), I’m of the belief that the sickest thrash (i.e., the most intense facemelters) doesn’t actually come from them. To subject yourself to true sonic fury, dive into the German outfits Sodom, Kreator, and Destruction: All three are downright cruel in ways that are unique to a Teutonic scene whose bloodlust for dense, mechanized propulsion has little use for melody or hooks. Brazil also has coughed up a bunch of sickos. Of course, Sepultura (pictured above) became megastars once they shifted to groove metal, but dig into early, cult-level thrash numbers like “Primitive Future,” and you’ll encounter a group that’s both terrifyingly unhinged and stunningly precise; ditto for the already mentioned Sarcófago, as well as the hyper-obscure Anthares, whose 1987 album No Limite Da Força is a grainy blast of Satanic phlegm bursts and feverishly raked guitars.If you dig these facemelters, there’s a whole lot more where they came from. After all, thrash is kind of like the garage rock of metal. It’s a sprawling, grassroots pastime that has sprouted far too many regional scenes and underground freaks to count. In other words, the facemelters are endless.