Growing up in the Bay Area throughout the 80s and early 90s was quite a special thing for a metalhead. Having the option to see bands like Exodus, Vio-lence, or Death Angel (to name just a few) on an almost weekly basis... not to mention all the thrash bands from around the world playing week in and week out... it seemed the norm. It was the norm. I was surrounded by one of the biggest movements in metal history, and Bay Area Thrash (BAT) was truly as fun as it sounds. Here are 20 songs that I think are not only each bands best, but also the songs that best represent the time, the era, the scene, the parties, and the RAGING! Enjoy...1. Metallica, "Fight Fire With Fire"The song that truly sent me down the thrash-metal rabbit hole. It opens Metallicas greatest opus and arguably the greatest thrash-metal album of all time: Ride The Lightning. That opening riff, that brutal guitar tone... it rips your fucking face off and sets the tone for the rest of the album. And, at the time, that was the fastest double-bass Id ever heard. I know its hard to imagine now, but its true.2. Exodus, "Fabulous Disaster"After the now-legendary debut Bonded by Blood, the firing of Paul Baloff, the hiring of Steve "Zetro" Souza, and the not-so-legendary release of Pleasures of the Flesh, Exodus were kind of on shaky ground. Then they released a little album called Fabulous Disaster and BOOM!—theyre on MTV. Theyre touring the world multiple times over. Theyre HUGE! And thats because this record is FUCKING AWESOME!!! It rivals their debut for best Exodus album. With crystal-clean production, souped-up tempos, and razor-sharp guitar tones, this album shows the Slay Team at the top of their game.3. Death Angel, "Mistress of Pain"I grew up in the San Francisco suburb of Daly City, which, by chance, is home to three of the original members of Death Angel. They used to sometimes rehearse in DC as well, which kind of made them legends around town. So when The Ultra-Violence came out, it was like, "someone from this shit town put out a record?" It was quite inspiring to say the least. Not to mention every member was related, Filipino, and under the age of 18. This is the stuff of legends...4. Ulysses Siren, "No Trace Of Shame6"Another band with Daly City ties, Ulysses Siren were plagued by drugs, booze, and infighting. These are the only reasons I can possibly think of why they never got signed, because the two demos they put out are the best Bay Area Thrash demos ever, period. Listen for yourself.5. Vio-lence, "Bodies on Bodies"*My personal favorite BAT band, Vio-lence lived up to their name. Their shows were a true test of endurance. More times than not, Id walk out of a Vio-lence gig with my face in pain. Their not-so-secret weapon is vocalist Sean Killian. Love or hate his manic vocal stylings, he was the most unique in the scene. With demented lyrics to match, its a perfect combination. Youre definitely taking your thrash-metal training wheels off when listening to an album like Eternal Nightmare.* Note: this song isnt available on Spotify; listen to it here.6. Possessed, "Pentagram"So in the mid-80s, the metal world was focused on the Bay Area Thrash scene. But all the while, there was a death-metal scene a-brewin before death metal was really a thing. Since there were only a few other death-metal bands to play with (Insanity, for example), Possessed would usually be on thrash bills. Because of their guttural vocals and overtly satanic lyrical themes, they would usually be the odd band out.7. Testament, "Over the Wall"This song definitely is the best representation of Testament. It showcases all of their strengths and its a perfect opener to their debut, The Legacy. Alex Skolnicks solo is practically its own song. Its brilliant. Very cool video, too.8. Blind Illusion, "Blood Shower"In the ashes of Possessed comes Blind Illusion. Musically, there is no connection whatsoever—though future Primus guitarist Larry Lalonde was in both bands. And the bassist for Blind Illusion was Les Claypool, also of Primus fame. These guys didnt make too much of a splash in the scene. Their music is very avant garde and sometimes a tough sell. The Sane Asylum, their only full-length record, is something you need to let grow on you. But once you do, youll realize its a masterpiece.9. Forbidden, "Chalice of Blood"Of all the thrash bands I saw live, none of them made as huge an impression on me as the first time I saw Forbidden. I cant remember being more excited than when I rushed home from the Record Vault with my copy of Forbidden Evil. After hearing it, I started practicing a whole lot more. This is next-level thrash for sure.10. D.R.I., "Five Year Plan"While there was an embryonic death-metal scene going on in the 80s, the Bay Area had a huge hardcore scene that crossbred with the thrash scene frequently. D.R.I. were and are the kings of the Crossover Thrash scene. This song starts off the album Crossover, which was considered an album with a more metal approach. They both lost and gained fans by this move. I was on board with this record.11. Epidemic, "Circle of Fools"These guys were the top dogs of the third wave of BAT. If there was a big thrash or death-metal show rolling through The Bay, theyd be opening, guaranteed. In fact, playing all these high-profile shows (along with selling thousands of copies of their Demo 89 worldwide) is what got them signed to Metal Blade Records. Unfortunately, their debut for the label, Decameron, came out in 1992, during thrashs death knell. The scene was shifting to death-metal rapidly, and Epidemic followed suit. Their second album, Exit Paradise, sounded like a completely different band. They broke up shortly thereafter.12. Heathen, "Death By Hanging"These guys had the potential to be one of the top bands in the scene but, for some reason, couldnt keep the ball rolling consistently. Having huge gaps between albums (three full-lengths in the span of 22 years) and an ever-changing lineup definitely didnt help. These guys have a very unique, almost melodic approach to the Bay Area Thrash sound.13. Defiance, "Inside Looking Out"Many people in the scene would unfairly compare Defiance to Testament—to the point where folks would call them "Little Testament" or "Testament Jr." You get the idea. But quite frankly, that couldnt be further from the truth. The vocals do bear some similarity to Chuck Billy but musically theres no comparison. Defiance are a much more technical band and the drumming smokes! Dave White from Heathen does guest backing vocals on this track.14. Hexx, "Watery Graves"You would be more likely to see Hexx playing with Autopsy or Sadus than Vio-lence or Forbidden. They blurred the line between thrash and death and did it very well. Unfortunately, they never really got past the opening-slot stage.15. Laaz Rockit, "Last Breath"These dudes are definitely a product of their surroundings. Not many bands morph from an almost-glam band to an almost-thrash band, but Laaz did. By the time they released their third record, 1987s ripping Know Your Enemy, they had toughened up their sound and image. But their music never fully went all the way with the BAT sound, so they were always on the outside looking in.16. Sacrilege BC, "Fun With Napalm"Sacrilege BC are on the more obscure side of Bay Area Thrash. (The BC stands for Berkely, California.) Equal parts metal, hardcore, and just plain weird, they put out two records and abruptly called it quits.17. Sadus, "Certain Death"The fastest thrash band in the Bay. Sometimes, at Sadus gigs, theyd be playing so fast, it became hard to figure out what the hell was going on. And on top of these insane tempos, youd have the bass wizardry of Steve Di Giorgio throwing fuel on the fire. Another band that could easily fit on a death-metal bill as well as a thrash one. A severely underrated band that I feel never truly got their due.18. Mordred, "Sever And Splice"*Like Laaz Rockit, Mordred morphed over the years—but Mordreds changes were much, much more drastic. They went from a standard thrash band with a sword-wielding lead singer to a hip-hop-influenced funk-thrash band with a DJ. This tune is off their debut, Fools Game, which was when they were fully realizing their funky potential—but its an older song dating back to their heavier days.Note: This song isnt available on Spotify; listen to it here.19. Dekapitator, "Toxic Sanctuary"80s thrash all down the West Coast. In the Bay, we had bands like Hatchet, Fog of War, and Scarecrow. But the best of the bunch was Dekapitator. This is a side project of Matt Harvey from Bay Area gore gods Exhumed. They actually formed in the late-90s and put out two records. This is off their second album, 2007s The Storm Before The Calm. Definite Anthrax mosh vibe here.20. Exodus, "Deliver Us to Evil"Its impossible to make a list of BAT songs without including the late Paul Baloff—and thats why Exodus is on here twice. I have never met someone in my life who so many people in so many different circles, scenes, and places in the world have stories about. Hell, I have multiple stories about him. He was a one-of-a-kind vocalist and character. Some singers are heavy-metal heroes; he was a heavy-metal villain in the best way. Bonded By Blood is an album youll see on lists for greatest thrash albums ever.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, Lamb of Gods Randy Blythe, and Death Angels Will Carroll. Check them out here and sign up for the Thrash 101 course here.
