With 30-plus years of thrash under our bullet belts, its hard to think of a time when the music didnt exist (especially if you grew up during the early reign of Metallica on MTV). But the late 70s/ early 80s were a vastly different landscape, where music was separated by geography and two major forces were about to collide.Powered by complex guitars and cerebral bombast, the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) was thriving in England. And before long, U.K. bands like Judas Priest, Saxon, and Iron Maiden became more than just social currency in the stateside tape-trading underground; they were starting to make waves on the charts one mega-solo at a time, spreading the word to ravenous heavy music fans everywhere about this massive sound blowing up on the isles.Concurrently, hardcore was erupting in the U.S. underground on both coasts. Bands like Discharge, The Misfits, and the Dead Kennedys had something to say and a rabid voice to say it with, along with an equally rabid fanbase to heed the call. And at a time when socio-political unrest was plaguing the American counterculture due to the intensifying Cold War and the cold conservatism of the Reagan presidency, both of these music scenes (one the natural progression of metal, the other the natural progression of punk) spoke to disenfranchised teens nationwide, and a movement was born from their marriage: thrash.Fueled by the outspokenness of punk, the big sound of NWOBHM, and the bottled aggression of hardcore, the disillusioned youth of America picked up their guitars and built upon the foundation laid before them. Tracks like Discharges "Protest and Survive" practically nailed the thrash formula in 1982, and when you hear early Venom and Angel Witch alongside Agnostic Front, youve got two sides of the same rusty coin.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.
