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.
