1. M.A.D. 2. Death Warmed Up 3. Killing Time 4. Left To Rot 5. Prophets Of Doom 6. Terror Squad 7. Total Destruction 8. Infernal Torment 9. Vendetta 10. Human Wreckage 11. Aliens 12. F.O.D.

Despite being a British band, Destruction And Mayhem sounded very similar to any stereotypical American thrash metal band on their debut release. Human Wreckage has a decent amount of energy and enough variety and creativity involved to make it a satisfactory album and keep the listener's interest up. The vocals could be a little stronger in my opinion but this is not a major complaint anyway. Although there are some neat melodies circulating around and the album features some tight playing, the music on the whole remains a bit unrefined and doesn't stand out too well despite the apparent effort put into it. After all, Human Wreckage is a fairly interesting release, it just lacks something that would have been needed for the band to gain more recognition.

1. Man Of Violence 2. House Of Cards 3. Appointment With Fear 4. Thought For The Day 5. Winter's Tear 6. The Innocent One 7. My Twisted Mind 8. Circles 9. No Escape 10. Beneath Closed Eyes 11. Inside Outro

D.A.M.'s second release is quite different from the more straightforward and accessible Human Wreckage. Inside Out features lengthy, serious songs that have a strong sense of continuity in them. In fact, this may be one of the most consistent albums I've heard. The material is more mature than on the debut album and the refined vocals blend seamlessly with the more advanced songwriting. But although the music is highly ambitious and complex, not all of it is strong enough to carry on through the massive length of this album, and some parts sound almost monotonic. However, this is definitely one of those releases that grow on you the more you listen to them. Even with some drawbacks, Inside Out is a strangely captivating album.

1. Prophecy 2. Conspiracy 3. The Evil Inside 4. The Warning Of The Priest 5. Megiddo 6. The Sign 7. (It's Time Damien) The Revelation 8. A Silver Shine 9. The Invisible Breed

Damien Breed played an intriguing kind of technical speed/thrash metal with power metal influences, somewhat atypical from most other German albums that come to mind. Ave Satani is a highly ambitious concept album that tells the story of the Omen movies in a fairly effective manner. Although the topic occasionally results in some overly theatrical feel in the structure of the album, at its best the music manages to create a genuinely eerie atmosphere of its own - take the intro of Megiddo as a good example. Highlights include Conspiracy that runs in mid-tempo with a simple but hypnotic riff, and A Silver Shine, the fastest piece of the album. Although most songs appear quite cleverly composed, the general sound tends to lack some energy. This is largely due to the production that is rather weak and makes the album as a whole sound a bit unheavy. But even though Ave Satani may not quite reach its fullest potential, it certainly makes one of the more original and memorable releases from the era.

1. We Have Arrived 2. Merciless Death 3. Falling From The Sky 4. Welcome To The Slaughter House 5. No Tomorrow 6. Hell's On Its Knees 7. Vendetta

There are actually many good points in Dark Angel's debut even though the album as a whole is not exactly a masterpiece. For such an early recording, the production is very decent and clear. The band had all the right elements in the beginning, including some tight and fast playing, powerful riffs, and a good deal of aggressive attitude. Don Doty's powerful vocals also fit the raw sound very well. Of course, in retrospective some of these tracks are not that hot anymore due to their primitive feel, and the straightforward pounding doesn't leave much room for innovations in the musical department, but the result still manages to have an inimitable appeal of its own. Despite some shortcomings We Have Arrived is a fairly memorable release from the early days of this band.

1. Darkness Descends 2. The Burning Of Sodom 3. Hunger Of The Undead 4. Merciless Death 5. Death Is Certain (Life Is Not) 6. Black Prophecies 7. Perish In Flames

Darkness Descends completely fulfilled the promise that was so apparent on We Have Arrived. Now the band had found the true formula of intense thrash metal, and the result is a wonderful combination of fast riffs, some very hard-hitting drumming, and striking vocals. Many tracks are faster than ever before (Burning Of Sodom almost to the extent of being ridiculous) and this album is some real fun to listen to. My only gripe with it is the production which, while still pretty decent, has lost some clarity compared to the band's debut. Other than that, Darkness Descends is a great thrash metal album and unarguably Dark Angel's best release.

1. The Death Of Innocence 2. Never To Rise Again 3. No One Answers 4. Cauterization 5. Immigrant Song 6. Older Than Time Itself 7. Worms 8. The Promise Of Agony 9. Leave Scars

For their third album Dark Angel got Don Doty replaced with Ron Rinehart. The new vocals are still raw and mostly satisfactory, as Rinehart's style on this album is not significantly different from Doty's. On the other hand the music is more complex and not as memorable or intense as before. The major fault of Leave Scars is the totally unprofessional, muddy production that makes the whole album sound very shoddy and uninspiring. I think that to have an album produced this badly in 1989 you really had to try. The less straightforward songs would have really needed a better sound quality to support them, but now the result is seriously lacking. The raped version of Led Zeppelin's classic Immigrant Song doesn't exactly help things, either. Due to the flat, sickening sound of this album, listening to Leave Scars can be definitely an unpleasant task.

1. Time Does Not Heal 2. Pain's Invention, Madness 3. Act Of Contrition 4. The New Priesthood 5. Psychosexuality 6. An Ancient Inherited Shame 7. Trauma And Catharsis 8. Sensory Deprovation 9. A Subtle Induction

Claimed to have the biggest number of riffs upon its release, Time Does Not Heal is a collection of massive, epic songs with riffs that could make any other album an overkill. The tracks are extremely complex and technical, and calling this music "unmelodic" would be a severe understatement. Fortunately, this time the production is ultra-heavy and clear, probably the best Dark Angel ever had. Despite or due to the extravagant riffs and sheer ambitiousness, many tracks are actually quite convincing. The most remarkable feature must be Ron Rinehart's vocals, as most of the time on this album he really sings with a powerful, awesome voice that truly makes Time Does Not Heal stand out. The lengthy tracks are not totally without problems, as the material starts to drag at some point and in the end it can be just a bit tiresome to listen through it very often. The last track A Subtle Induction deserves a special mention as it is probably the band's most vicious piece ever, with lyrics that can be a total riot if you get the movie reference. (Hint: Disney)

1. Invasion Sector 12 2. Critical Threshold 3. Death Squad 4. Staatsfeind 5. Tarsmann Of Chor 6. Faded Pictures 7. Iron Force 8. Burial At Sea 9. Phantasmagoria

The debut album of Darkness is a pretty typical example of old German thrash metal. Darkness were not among the noisiest bands of the time, instead they played very fast yet intelligible thrash with some hints of originality and fairly memorable riffs here and there. Death Squad still leaves some room for improvement as the band's style clearly was not yet fully developed at this point. Now a few tracks sound rather generic and the album on the whole is not too exciting despite some respectable speed throughout. Tracks like Faded Pictures and especially Burial At Sea are already quite interesting pieces that stand out of the crop, while the rest sounds more ordinary. As a debut, Death Squad is far from outstanding but not too bad an example of the early sound of Darkness.

1. Bloodbath 2. Inverted Minds 3. Battle To The Last 4. Caligula 5. They Need A War 6. Locked 7. Defenders Of Justice 8. Predetermined Destiny

Defenders Of Justice is a fine representation of Darkness at their peak. The music is made up of quite basic elements but the outcome is surprisingly fascinating. This is primarily due to the fair amount of variety and hooks included in songs, without sacrificing heaviness or speed in the process. Somehow this refined formula makes Darkness sound a lot better and effective than many other better-known German bands. Just take Battle To The Last or Locked as examples of tracks that initially appear pretty ordinary but eventually turn out to be quite fine pieces indeed. On this album Darkness delivered some extremely solid thrash metal that contains enough fine details to give the whole thing a boost well above the average level.

Note: This album was reissued in 1991 as Broken Heart and 1992 as Bloodbath, both with different cover art and Broken Heart with a different track order.

1. Conclusion & Revival 2. Soldiers 3. The Omniscient 4. Under Control 5. Bass 6. Burial 7. Predetermined Destiny 8. Price Of Fame 9. All Left To Say 10. Beside My Grave 11. Faded Pictures 12. Armageddon

After some line-up changes and apparently problems with the recording industry, Darkness released their final album. Unfortunately, Conclusion & Revival sounds more ordinary and less inspired than the band's earlier works. The album seems even more disappointing when compared to its immediate predecessor Defenders Of Justice which had some genuine style and energy. The new (and unnecessary) version of Predetermined Destiny just shows how much better the band had it going earlier. The tracks on Conclusion & Revival are not exactly bad and you can still recognize familiar Darkness riffs here and there, but it's simply nothing to be impressed about. A few more melodic touches seem unfitting, and the bluesy club jam piece All Left To Say is totally out of place. For the most part, the music is just very ordinary and uninspiring. Despite all the effort, the last release from Darkness is one of the more pointless albums I've heard.

1. Deadlock 2. Monument 3. Lies 4. Power And Corruption 5. Tempest 6. Public Suicide 7. Negative Reinforcement 8. Outburst 9. M.I.A. 10. Terrorist Mind 11. The Vice 12. Trauma X 13. Final Act

The debut of Dead Brain Cells was one of the better releases of Canadian thrash metal in the old days. With lots of edgy riffs and harsh vocals bordering on hardcore, these songs run rampant in a short and intense format. D.B.C. didn't exactly present any great innovations on this album, but their sound was still highly characteristic and easily identifiable. Only the general shortness of tracks poses a minor problem, as some of them seem to end a bit too abruptly. But even though the material occasionally appears to have been trimmed down, the band delivers their message in a fairly effective manner. When it comes down to the final verdict, this album is a memorable piece of street credible thrash metal done in the right way, far from the Voivod-ish sci-fi sound that D.B.C. would later venture into.

1. Conflicted 2. The Leading To A Fall 3. Graveyard Birthday 4. Prophecy Of Mort-main

Deafen's self-titled mini album is a pleasant small surprise from Netherlands. The band played flowing and competent thrash metal with smooth riffs and good arrangements, making this release clearly more refined than you might be entitled to expect. Of course, truly innovative or groundbreaking this is not, but it is not nearly as half-witted as some of the dullest releases of the time either. The achievement is made more notable by the fact that there are no filler tracks on this album, and actually every song here has something of a distinctive style of its own. It is hard to say what a full-length album of this kind would have turned out to be, but at least this mini album features a nice pack of songs for its short length - you cannot really wish for more.

1. Thrashers 2. Evil Priest 3. Voracious Souls 4. Kill As One 5. The Ultra-Violence 6. Mistress Of Pain 7. Final Death 8. I.P.F.S.

Death Angel were among the more distinctive and original thrash metal bands in the eighties, their notable debut release being very straightforward yet interesting thrash. The Ultra-Violence is an intense, creative album with some of the fastest riffs around and many classic tracks like Voracious Souls, Kill As One and the massive instrumental title track, among others. The band's vocalist Mark Osegueda was a great singer with an original style, although I could live without his occasional screams. It must be said that The Ultra-Violence has a bit juvenile and immature feel to it and somehow it doesn't impress me quite as much as some other classic albums of the time, nevertheless, it is no doubt my favorite Death Angel release.

1. 3rd Floor 2. Road Mutants 3. Why You Do This 4. Bored 5. Devil's Metal (bonus) 6. Confused 7. Guilty Of Innocence 8. Open Up 9. Shores Of Sin 10. Cold Gin 11. Mind Rape

Death Angel's second album was totally different from the straightforward thrashing of The Ultra-Violence and quite atypical for a thrash metal album. Frolic Through The Park is a highly experimental release, containing a diversity of metal, funk and whatever influences mixed together into a unique experience. Some of the more experimental tracks like Bored work fine but many others are just too weird or tedious for my taste, including the dumb cover version of the Kiss song Gold Gin. Variety is not a bad thing but on this album it was taken a bit too far. Of the thrashier material, Guilty Of Innocence is a brilliant, furious track in the vein of the band's debut. In the end, Frolic Through The Park can be probably classified as highly technical thrash metal due to its unorthodox nature. It really takes time to get used to this album and even then it is definitely not an easy one to listen.

1. Seemingly Endless Time 2. Stop 3. Veil Of Deception 4. The Organization 5. Discontinued 6. A Room With A View 7. Stagnant 8. EX-TC 9. Disturbing The Peace 10. Falling Asleep

On Act III Death Angel continued in their diverse style that started to show on Frolic Through The Park, but now in a more controlled and streamlined form. Act III is without a doubt Death Angel's most mature release as the songs sound more refined and focused than on the earlier albums. I still don't care too much about the funky parts although they are now pretty smoothly incorporated in the music. There are even two ballads on this album - whereas the acoustic Veil Of Deception feels like a let-down, A Room With A View is really a strong, convincing piece. It seems that Death Angel were clearly starting to establish their true style with Act III, but so it happened that this was to remain the band's last studio album for more than a decade.

1. Veins Of Fear 2. Brain Damage 3. Adapt Or Die 4. Negative Influences 5. Veins Of Fear II 6. Toxic Waste 7. Nuclear Death

Among the plethora of more or less forgettable minor thrash metal releases, Death In Action's debut album is something of a pleasant surprise. Toxic Waste is actually very close to Erosion's Mortal Agony with its intense and fine-tuned thrash attack. From the very first moments, your attention is caught by the sound quality which is perfectly crisp and sharp and couldn't better fit the music. Not only that, but there is a strong sense of consistent songwriting on this album, accompanied with powerful riffs and the most convincing performance. Tracks like Negative Influences and Nuclear Death are simply irresistible thrashers from the wildest end of the spectrum, and the rest is not vastly different from these two either. Death In Action may not have been a major player in the scene, but Toxic Waste alone is a fine achievement for the band and a proof that sometimes there are raw diamonds in the rough.

1. Paralysed 2. Daily Cruel Death 3. Sale Scenery 4. Disgraced 5. Just For Our Sake 6. Creditors To Violence 7. Handle With Care 8. Deathly Blessing

Introducing a slightly altered style, Just For Our Sake sounds more controlled than Death In Action's debut release. Paralysed starts the album in a familiar frantic vein, but in general most songs seem to proceed at a slower pace and the music does not appear nearly as fast and unrestricted as on Toxic Waste at its best. The vocals have also changed towards a more harsh style though the band's sound as a whole still remains reasonably sharp, especially for guitars. One cannot fail to notice the increased maturity of Death In Action's music on this release, but it appears that the band lost some steam after their powerful debut. Nevertheless, some parts of Just For Our Sake are certainly quite stylish, and it must be the feel of unpolished quality that can be actually considered the saving grace for this album.

1. Total Redemption 2. Perfect And Beautiful? 3. World Of Dreams 4. Another Life 5. The Last Gulag 6. I'm Here Not There 7. Inferiors 8. Only Yourself

Death In Action's third recording shows a mature band who still possessed a fair amount of energy. Stuck In Time admittedly remains less striking than the band's earlier releases, being mostly your ordinary thrash metal in both good and bad, somewhat rough around the edges but still with some interesting ideas here and there. Actually the music remains surprisingly well thought-out and flowing, however, the vocals are very gruff to say the least, and they tend to distract the listener's attention from some of the more positive sides this album would otherwise have. But although it is not the most tweaked production of the time, there is some undeniably honest and direct appeal in this music. While Stuck In Time may not be remembered as an exceptional thrash metal release, it was created by a band who had their feet firmly on the ground.

1. Wendigo 2. Begin The Sacrifice 3. War 4. March Of The Dead 5. Satan's Litanies 6. The Bogeyman 7. Away With You 8. Vivisection 9. Stop The Time 10. Hardcore Copulation

An interesting example of the French thrash metal scene, Death Power's The Bogeyman is an album of decent if not too extraordinary thrash. Somehow the band occasionally manage to remind me of Sacrifice in their early days, though lacking much of their originality. The biggest problem with the music must be that even though the band's output is technically up to any standards in the thrash metal genre, this album on the whole is pretty unsurprising and even boring. It's hard to find any special characteristics in the band's sound and most songs do not really differ too remarkably from each other. Death Power's delivery is still very consistent, and despite the lack of truly memorable elements in their music I sort of like the band's style, not only due to some of its familiar feel. The Bogeyman surely could have used some more creativity but even now the result is not too bad.

1. I'm Insane 2. Die Again 3. Instrumental Death Pt. III 4. Mad As Hell 5. Mind Fuck 6. Death Row 7. Split You At The Seams 8. Infections Of Reality 9. The Pit 10. Place In France 11. Suicidal Rage 12. Body Damage 13. Excusable Homicide

One could describe Death Squad's Split You At The Seams an "economical" thrash metal album, as by all means and purposes this is as terse as it gets. Almost all the songs are near hardcore-ish short and simplistic bursts, the production quality is uneven at best, and the crude, barking vocals just add to this plain feel. Each track runs in a nearly identical tempo, and attempts to make any actual distinction between individual pieces would require some real effort. It is not totally pointless, as there is some natural rough charm in this kind of extremely cleansed-out style anyway, but a serious lack of imagination is more than evident on this album. Death Squad were quite energetic and Split You At The Seams is by no means a slouch, but the band's dense pounding can surprisingly quickly get so weary that without any precautions you might be in for a slight headache.

1. Driving Blind 2. Make It So 3. Prisoner 4. Bruised 5. Loser 6. The Way 7. Toxic Shame 8. Death House 9. Friday The 13th - Instrumental Death 10. Out Of Control 11. Stack Of Lies 12. Angry

Death Squad's second album Driving Blind runs almost directly in the vein of its predecessor although the outcome is maybe not quite as nervous and unrelenting as on Split You At The Seams. For one thing, the band still sound awfully homespun which on the other hand is not completely without some strange appeal. Most people may find this utterly stripped-down style slightly off-putting at best, but at least Death Squad were totally honest with their approach. Even though the album is musically only so-so, one cannot ignore the harsh attitude that this thing pushes forward at ease as if nobody's business. Get down to absolute basics and forget about any unnecessary twiddling, and Driving Blind is an example of something that you may get as a result.

1. In Between 2. Flabbergasted 3. Rejection 4. Black Peace 5. Deathamin 6. Killing Work 7. Mad Rush 8. Appointment Of Reality 9. Brain Block 10. Mass Of What

From another group of thrashers from Canada, Deathamin's Mass Of What starts off sounding maybe a bit unremarkable at first, but some of these tracks soon start echoing in your head in a strange way. As far as the style of songwriting and riffs goes, the band had something of an original sound though it also occasionally makes these tracks appear quite similar to each other. The production is good and fairly heavy, and the quality of music is sufficient on many grounds. It's just that the thing is not quite there as far as a longer attention span is considered, and even with some redeeming qualities the band's effort tends to get buried in the mass of old thrash metal albums. There's something undeniably likeable in this one, though, and Mass Of What is at least a fair pick for easy listening if nothing else.

1. Rest In Pieces 2. Reign Of Lucifer 3. The Summoning 4. Question Of Faith 5. Apprehension 6. Cold Blooded War (live) 7. Death Row (live)

There are releases that sound so refined that you can be sure the studio time was utilized to the maximum, and then there are releases that sound more like one-take recordings than highly engineered products. Deathcorp surely fit in the latter category, and not in a bad way. Rest In Pieces is a slab of wild and rough thrash metal that somehow greatly benefits from its unrefined feel - if you exclude a couple of true live tracks with simply atrocious sound quality. The songs are short and unpolished sprints with fairly nasty vocals and production values that leave room for tweaking, but that's where the charm of it all comes from. For one thing, Deathcorp appear quite energetic and entertaining with something of a gimmick of their own, not just an umpteenth generic studio project out there. Their music has even held water surprisingly well over the years, even though nostalgia may still be the foremost feeling that this album raises. If that sounds interesting enough then this one should be well worth the time.

1. Hard Times Are Coming 2. Killing For Fame 3. United States Of Redskins 4. Self-Limited 5. Call Of Death 6. Black & White Progress 7. Masters Of Nothing 8. Deathrage

Deathrage fit nicely into the small but noteworthy group of thrash metal bands from Italy. Their debut release Self Conditioned, Self Limited is a typical but satisfying example of gruff thrash metal with a fair level of consistency but no real surprises or innovations provided. The band deserve an honorable mention for being able to demonstrate moments that sound like the rolling of a freight-train. There is really some good stomping quality in the music as a whole but then again, for the most part this album tends to be more suitable for setting a mood in the background rather than being the main focus of attention. While Self Conditioned, Self Limited clearly shows hints of a genuine style being established, at this early stage the promise is not quite fulfilled - a few more albums of the same and who knows what this band could have evolved into.

1. The Curse (Intro) 2. Burn Victim 3. Feel The Pain 4. Plague Of Death 5. Manslaughter 6. The Gate 7. I Can't Win 8. Scum Pit 9. Dum 10. Eyes of Misery (Outro)

Deathrider's Requiem is a fair take on putting a foot on the right pedal at the start but then letting it go too soon. A couple of tracks into this album already sound quite powerful and interesting, then the initial impression gradually fades away. There are no previously unheard tricks here, it's mostly the same kind of ordinary semi-convincing banging that everyone must be very familiar with. The vocals sound sometimes strangely emotionless even though the songs are more varied than that, maybe a little more effort put into it would have helped the result. Except for the dumb Dum (now that's an appropriate title) that can really get on your nerves with its awfully repetitive structure, the music goes on with no major problems other than the lack of really memorable pieces. Requiem is not a terrible release but not exactly an example of outstanding musical values either.

1. Winds Of Death 2. Satan's Gift 3. Riders Of Doom 4. Hell's Ascent 5. Spider Attack 6. Slaughtered 7. Violent Omen 8. Dark Tales 9. Samhain

At first Deathrow's debut album may sound like a prototype of noisy German thrash metal. Although Riders Of Doom is not quite as chaotic as some of the worst offenders in the genre, the sound is quite messy due to the rough production. The music is pretty average relentless pounding, not the worst of its kind but somewhat unfocused and pretty forgettable after all. The vocals are worth some interest as there's some obvious attempt at more varying delivery than in your average band, though the singing is almost buried in the rough mix. A couple of instrumentals show some promise, but as a whole Riders Of Doom is quite an immature and primitive release. Deathrow had some obvious potential already early on, but their first effort definitely leaves something to be desired.

Note: This album was also released as Satan's Gift with different cover art.

1. The Dawn 2. Raging Steel 3. Scattered By The Wind 4. Dragon's Blood 5. The Thing Within 6. Pledge To Die 7. Mortal Dread 8. The Undead Cry 9. Beyond The Light

Raging Steel is a demonstration of a lot tighter and controlled direction in Deathrow's musical style. Now with some decent production and remarkably more refined songwriting, this release makes a huge difference from the band's debut. The album opens with a grandiose instrumental The Dawn but then jumps into full gear and stays there until the very end. The first couple of vocal tracks are pure no-nonsense, brains-to-the-wall thrash attacks, but on Dragon's Blood some more varying themes start to show up. Anyhow, Deathrow's later more technical elements are still almost totally absent on this one, and the focus is clearly on intense full-speed thrash metal. The riffs are admittedly a bit samey for a full-length album, but the general intensity level is still something to respect. In all its controlled fury, Raging Steel is one of the most consistent thrash metal albums you can find.

1. Events In Concealment 2. The Deathwish 3. Triocton 4. N.L.Y.H. 5. Watching The World 6. Narcotic 7. Machinery 8. Bureaucrazy

Whereas Raging Steel was probably the culmination of Deathrow's early intense thrash metal attack, Deception Ignored was a definite step into a more technical direction. The somewhat progressive nature of this album is evident in the lengthy tracks that are full of highly complex, sometimes downright quirky riffs. This approach is undeniably very ambitious but not fully successful, as many times the excessive complexity seems to be present just for the sake of it. In many ways the result is way too disjointed for its own good and lacks a cohesive direction; confusing tracks like Narcotic are just too perfect examples of the general style of this album in both good and bad. Deathrow deserved full respect for introducing original elements in their music, but somehow I feel Deception Ignored could have used a lot more thought before its release.

1. Life Beyond 2. Behind Closed Eyes 3. Towers In Darkness 4. Hidden Truth 5. Harlequins Mask 6. Homosaphiens Superior 7. Suicide Arena 8. Reflected Mind 9. The Remembrance 10. Deathrow

Deathrow's last album was probably the band's most mature and controlled release. The consistency of music on Life Beyond is in many ways reminiscent of Raging Steel, though the tracks are generally more complex and a little less emphasis is put on absolute speed. The songwriting approach has been developed remarkably, and this album has some genuine style. Some of the music does appear to be a bit on the plodding side, which causes some parts of this album sound tiresome. While songs like the title track and Reflected Mind are strong, massive pieces, some others could use a bit more breath of life. Still, the album on the whole turns out to be quite impressive. Life Beyond contains some well-thought, even stylish thrash metal, which despite the lack of some more energetic riffs makes this album one of Deathrow's better releases.

1. In The Name Of God 2. Demonic Attack 3. At The Edge Of Damnation 4. Exorcist 5. Leaving Your Life Behind 6. Dance Of The Dead 7. For Evil Done 8. Sword Of Justice 9. Forces Of Darkness

It's probably safe to say that Deathwish sounded more old-fashioned than any other British speed/thrash metal band of the time though only in a good, nostalgic way. At The Edge Of Damnation is not all speed all the time (though when it does it rivals almost anything), and there are a lot of stirring details incorporated with the heaviest riffs. When after a couple of screaming thrashers the killer riff of the title track starts to roll, you couldn't be more convinced already. Jon Van Doorn was simply quite a profilic singer, and together with the stylish but aggressive guitars the original sound wall of Deathwish must have been one of the most distinctive in the genre. In all its antiquated nature, At The Edge Of Damnation appeals to your senses with its warm and heavy sound like no other. Listening to this one feels like hearing the sound of a heavy thunder approaching you.

1. Death Procession 2. Demon Preacher 3. Carrion 4. Visions Of Insanity 5. Symptom Of The Universe 6. Wall Of Lies 7. Prey To The Lord 8. Fatal Attraction 9. Past Life

With their second release Deathwish continued pretty much in the vein of the band's debut, although this time the results were not quite as striking as before. Demon Preacher is more straightforward and generally faster than At The Edge Of Damnation, but some of the original charm of the band's sound seems to have disappeared, which makes this album less interesting than its predecessor. The increased speed is not a bad thing, but the riffs are notably less catchy than earlier and the outcome is more average thrash metal on all counts. The title track is actually quite a fine piece but for the most part Demon Preacher is really not too exciting. It's just a fairly satisfying example of standard old thrash metal, nothing more.

1. Deadly Dreams 2. False Re-education 3. Back To Decadence 4. 1000° Below Zero 5. Mayhemic Destiny 6. Reprisals 7. Gangs And Victims 8. The Edge Of Sorrow

Another short-lived thrash metal band of the eighties, Decadence were mainly interesting for coming from Belgium that was not exactly the center of the European scene. The band's only release Gangs And Victims is quite an average effort on all counts, with your standard and not too memorable riffs. Their sound is given some undeserved originality by the vocals that are very whiny and can get really tiresome after a while. Even with such a typical output, there's some sympathetic underground appeal in this album, and I sort of respect the guitar work which is a bit more varied than usually. After all, Gangs And Victims wouldn't have been too bad for the first effort of almost any band of the time - it is decently produced and all, just very far from being a landmark in the genre.

1. Defense Condition 5 2. News Terror 3. Voice Of Greed 4. Charon 5. Suicide 6. Defense Condition 4

Quite likely one of the more obscure groups in German thrash metal, Defcon may not have been too well known, but with this release the band managed to leave a fair mark in the scene. In comparison to most other productions out there, Suicide is a remarkably ambitious and intriguing recording that is really a full-length release despite a limited number of tracks. More technically oriented than the norm, this album is not guaranteed to be an immediate hit on senses, but it will grow on you. Surprisingly the most powerful and memorable piece here is without a doubt the massive title track - with a running length approaching twenty minutes, this is an achievement worth some serious attention. Even though Defcon probably never meant much for most people in the past, their music deserves to be heard at any time.

1. Intro 2. Senseless Discriminations 3. Bright Glare 4. Ghostrider 5. Relentless Dominion 6. N.Y.C.

Defender's A Symbol Of Devotion is a representative of the little known but no less worthy part of the German speed/thrash metal scene, done with a great attitude and enough character to give it a definite edge over the less inspired releases. After a short (and highly disrespectful) treatment of Europe's The Final Countdown, this mini album kicks off in an exceptionally energetic manner with Senseless Discriminations. Defender's speedy attack is very tight and focused, sounding something like what bands like Vectom could have been with the same kind of imagination and energy. Not that most tracks here would be radically more than just minor variations of the theme, but you can easily sense the enthusiastic and highly positive spirit involved in the making of this recording. This and the other factors essentially make A Symbol Of Devotion stand out of the mass and give it some fresh appeal even when judged from today's perspective.

1. The Fault 2. Death Machine 3. Product Of Society 4. Forgotten 5. Lock Jaw 6. Insomnia 7. Deadly Intentions 8. Aftermath 9. Tribulation 10. Hypothermia

The debut album of Defiance could be almost taken as a textbook example of a thrash metal album from the late eighties. In other words, Product Of Society is pretty generic, standard thrash metal, but at least it is sufficiently well done. The guitar work is above average and there are even two instrumental pieces included. Ken Elkinton's vocals are quite emotionless though I still prefer his style over Steev Esquivel who later joined the band. Although the general sound of this album is rather plain, there are no critical faults in the music other than the lack of really memorable pieces. Even now Product Of Society has a certain touch of street credibility, and with a little more conviction and originality it could have been actually more interesting. Now it falls just a bit short.

1. Void Terra Firma 2. Deception Of Faith 3. Questions 4. Skitz-Illusions 5. Slayground 6. Killers 7. Steamroller 8. Checkmate 9. Buried Or Burned 10. Last Resort (Welcome To Poverty)

Void Terra Firma brought little improvement to the plain Defiance sound. Steev Esquivel had been chosen to become the new vocalist, but although he had a slightly more powerful voice, his bellow on this album is unbalanced and does not blend too smoothly with the music. Production-wise there are other annoyances, too, as the guitar sound on this album is one of the thinnest I've heard and can really irritate you (at least it makes the unnecessary Iron Maiden cover Killers sound almost ridiculous). Musically the band were about as unsurprising as ever, though Product Of Society still appears a lot more coherent in comparison. Void Terra Firma sounds disjointed and less stylish than the debut, and with the obvious shortcomings in the production department the final result is not too great, to say the least.

1. The Killing Floor 2. Step Back 3. Perfect Nothing 4. No Compromise 5. Dead Silence 6. Inside Looking Out 7. The Chosen 8. Power Trip 9. Promised Afterlife

With better, near-perfect production, and more original as well as memorable content than ever before, Beyond Recognition is easily the best of all Defiance albums. Notably mature and well-refined, these songs started to show signs of development past the unimaginative approach that prevailed on the band's earlier releases. While The Killing Floor starts the album with pure thrashing speed, there are also serious touches of diversity found on the later tracks. In fact, it may at first take some time to get used to the different sound, however, musically Defiance were at their prime here. All the annoyances that made Void Terra Firma sound more like a demo tape have been corrected. Beyond Recognition proves that instead of just giving up or turning into alternative or death metal, there was still life in some of the remaining bands in the vanishing thrash metal genre.

1. Victory 2. No Time 3. Deliverance 4. If You Will 5. The Call 6. No Love 7. Blood Of The Covenant 8. Jehovah Jireh 9. Temporary Insanity 10. Awake

Except for a strong religious theme, Deliverance's self-titled debut is quite an ordinary example of vintage speed/thrash metal. On the surface, this album is a formally adequate and professional release, but after a closer look most of the riffs tend to slip through your ears with little impact, maybe only Temporary Insanity making a major exception. The flow of the songs is somewhat inconsistent at best - the fastest tracks are quite fine and all, but there are also a few too many dull stompers on this album that take away from the overall experience. On a positive note, the vocals are very clear and make the lyrics more or less fully comprehensible, which can be only good or bad depending on your point of view. Although this album may not be guaranteed to raise a highly favorable response by default, it is at least a fair first attempt with some room for improvement.

1. Supplication 2. This Present Darkness 3. Weapons Of Our Warfare 4. Solitude 5. Flesh And Blood 6. Bought By Blood 7. 23 8. Slay The Wicked 9. Greetings Of Death 10. If We Faint Not

Weapons Of Our Warfare is a bit more notable effort than Deliverance's previous offering, not as dry and dull, and it is probably the band's thrashiest and most coherent effort in a conventional sense. In practice, a lot of this improved feel must be essentially more due to the increased and more consistent speed than any truly memorable songs that also this release effectively lacks. The foremost thing that you might actually remember afterwards is the general classy feel of the music which can still get quite boring after a while. With not too many interesting details to speak of, it doesn't exactly prompt you to return to this album too often. While I can understand at least some of the appeal of Deliverance's music, for the most part it just escapes me as pretty generic and forgettable.

1. State Of Dementia 2. Sight Unseen 3. Terminal Ecstasy 4. Funeral March 5. Face To Fate 6. Insane 7. Born To Die 8. Feel The Fire 9. Say Your Prayers

Dementia's full-length release may not be your most typical thrash metal album out there. Recuperate From Reality is a heavy, demanding effort which trades some of the high-speed antics for a more pounding approach. From the very first moments, this album delivers riffs that, while not the most complex or original around, create almost a hypnotic feel and simply make many other albums sound rather bland in comparison. In general, this album lacks some speed but the other advantages make up for it. The vocals are somewhat high-pitched in the Laaz Rockit vein but fit the heavy overall sound well and actually make it more rich than it might be with lower growls. As the album on the whole is very consistent, it's not too easy to pick individual tracks over each other, but State Of Dementia deserves an honorable mention for its strangely foreboding feel and killer riffs. Although a couple of songs here are almost too plodding for my taste, Recuperate From Reality sounds surprisingly unique and convincing for such a minor release.

1. .44 Caliber Brain Surgery 2. Neanderthal 3. Gelid Remains 4. Crippling Velocity 5. Infectious Hospital Waste 6. Hydrophobia 7. Paracidal Epitaph 8. Mercenary Aggression 9. Cataclysm

Together with Epidemic and Exhorder, Demolition Hammer belongs to the group of thrash metal bands of the early nineties who ventured into a certain death-ish direction in their music. As with many such releases, I was initially not too impressed by the band's debut. Tortured Existence sports a thick and heavy production which effectively drowns most individual instruments in the uniform sound barrier. Steve Reynold's vocals on the other hand are pretty straightforward shouts that sound almost refreshing in this context, though eventually his delivery appears to be rather one-dimensional. But even though this album musically leaves something to be desired, the continuous, relentless attack is bound to win you over when given enough listening time. In the end, Tortured Existence manages to gain some fair momentum by its sheer energy and hard attitude alone, which is not a bad achievement at all.

1. Skull Fracturing Nightmare 2. Human Dissection 3. Pyroclastic Annihilation 4. Envenomed 5. Carnivorous Obsession 6. Orgy Of Destruction 7. Epidemic Of Violence 8. Omnivore 9. Aborticide

I remember when I had just got this album and took the first look at the track list, I couldn't help bursting into laughter almost immediately. But despite some (probably unintentional) comical imagery, Epidemic Of Violence was for Demolition Hammer a major step forward after their not extremely impressive debut. The heavier and more dynamic production already breathes some new life into the music, but the main improvement is in the songs with clearly more energy and stonger riffs than before. The delivery is so intense at times that some parts of this album sound like a direct equivalent for machine gun fire. Though the appeal of this approach does not last through the whole album, Epidemic Of Violence is a shattering piece of ultra-heavy thrash metal, in many ways comparable to Exhorder's Slaughter In The Vatican. It doesn't get much heavier than this, really.

1. Reality Of The Masses 2. Insane Asylum 3. Third World Nation 4. Antichrist President 5. King Of Darkness 6. Sentenced 7. Mass Graves 8. Serpent's Bite

A latecomer in the vanishing genre, Denial managed to create an album that deserves some attention for its enthusiastic feel. Antichrist President has a bit more raw and fresh sound than your standard thrash metal album. The band show some notable commitment in their playing and the overall feel is quite energetic. Unfortunately this album as a whole does not fully reach the goal, as despite some good parts most of the tracks lack a clear direction and do not contain enough memorable riffs to make a lasting impact. Of course, this is the case with a large number of other old thrash metal albums as well. This should not be taken as a harsh commentary since my initial view of Denial was quite positive anyway, it's just that Antichrist President fails to maintain any serious interest in the long run.

1. The Enigma 2. Freedom Now 3. History Of Hate 4. Constructing The Apocalypse 5. Slow Death 6. Outconditioned 7. Slaves Of Power 8. Joy Division 9. Never Trust (bonus)

Despair were clearly a representative of the more refined part of the German speed/thrash metal scene. The band's debut History Of Hate is reasonably well-produced and more varied than your average album, but it also contains a bit too much twiddling for its own good. In a way Despair fall in the same category as Poltergeist later, with fairly heavy vocals and seemingly fluent fast tracks but no real energy in them. The guitar work tries to give this album some stylistic touches here and there, but I'd rather have seen that time spent on trying to put more attitude into the whole thing. Now the music sounds mostly boring, sometimes downright sluggish, and it rarely manages to catch any serious attention. Technically History Of Hate is fine and all, but musically it ends up being a generic effort on most grounds.

1. Decay Of Humanity 2. Cry For Liberty 3. Delusion 4. Victims Of Vanity 5. A Distant Territory 6. Silent Screaming 7. Radiated 8. Satanic Verses

Decay Of Humanity was not exactly a vast improvement over Despair's debut but at least it showed some hints of progress even slightly. The better production makes this album sound heavier than its predecessor and the songwriting is somewhat more streamlined, thus resulting in a bit more listenable output. It's still not too memorable by any means, and the slight improvements in the overall sound do not actually make the music on this one any better than previously. Although the tracks flow rather effortlessly throughout the album, they lack some real power. Now Decay Of Humanity is just a barely satisfying effort, bound to remain forgettable no matter how much you listen to it. Despair already had all the technical factors quite right, only some stronger content was needed to perfect the picture.

1. Beyond Comprehension 2. Deaf And Blind 3. Imported Love 4. The Day Of Desperation 5. In The Deep 6. Rage In The Eyes 7. Burnt Out Souls 8. Son Of The Wild 9. Crossed In Sorrow

With their final release Despair reached a level of maturity that makes the band's previous albums pale in comparison. Right from the opening instrumental Beyond Comprehension and the following Deaf And Blind that kicks the album into full speed, Beyond All Reason has a very dark and heavy sound which alone helps it rise above Despair's earlier efforts. Not only that, but the songs appear more consistent than ever and fit the dark mood of this album extremely well. It is a matter of opinion whether the songwriting was really that much improved over Decay Of Humanity or not, but at least the result as a whole is clearly more convincing than before. Admittedly the development towards a less varied, more focused style occasionally makes the music border on almost monotonous, however, this is still some highly thrashing energy in its most refined form. As Despair's most focused and stylish recording, Beyond All Reason effectively succeeds in where its predecessors failed.

1. The Miseries Of Virtue 2. Histoire d'O 3. Peachlet 4. Odyssey 5. Nymphomania 6. The Birth Of Courtesan 7. The Craft Of Tyranny 8. I Praise You, Lilith

Destroyers were something of a surprise entry in the Polish thrash metal history. The Miseries Of Virtue would at first almost pass for a fairly typical semi-interesting thrash album, if it weren't for the melodramatic vocals that occasionally sound something like a bit less anxious King Diamond in thrash metal. Certainly this gives many songs a feel of more effort spent on them. Add some tasty arrangements and welcome deviations from your average songwriting style, and the outcome has a certain level of refreshing quality not found on many other albums. Sometimes the songs sound almost unruly with their style, not forgetting the lyrics with several traces of sexual innuendo. While the result may be something of an acquired taste, The Miseries Of Virtue actually succeeds in the difficult task of making you interested in more of the same.

1. Intro 2. Total Desaster 3. Black Mass 4. Mad Butcher 5. Satan's Vengeance 6. Devil's Soldiers

One of the most famous German thrash metal bands ever, Destruction had a fine start with Sentence Of Death. Among the most striking features of this mini album must be the great amount of energy that all these tracks possess. Even the rough edges on the production side seem only fitting in this context, and the outcome manages to capture the unrestricted Destruction sound better than some later recordings from the band did. All riffs flow rather nicely here, and tracks like Total Desaster and Mad Butcher are undeniable classics. Although it definitely has more than a fair share of nostalgic values attached to it, Sentence Of Death is a very enjoyable album also on an objective basis, and it easily holds against most of the later Destruction releases.

1. Invincible Force 2. Death Trap 3. The Ritual 4. Tormentor 5. Bestial Invasion 6. Thrash Attack 7. Antichrist 8. Black Death

Destruction's first full-length Infernal Overkill was a fair follow-up to Sentence Of Death. The style of this album is very consistent though a bit repetitive, and it still has Destruction's trademark sound with unique nasty vocals that somehow appear like slightly restricted on this album. Compared to the preceding mini album, the production quality is not as good; the result is a little shabby and not too clear but serves its purpose. In some way the murky sound and the band's rough output give this album an obvious punkish feel. It's hard to pick favorite tracks as they are all pretty much equal - the album as a whole sounds actually better than any of the individual tracks listened separately. As a result, Internal Overkill is a bit unrefined but still fairly effective Destruction release.

1. Curse The Gods 2. Confound Games 3. Life Without Sense 4. United By Hatred 5. Eternal Ban 6. Upcoming Devastation 7. Confused Mind

The successor of Infernal Overkill continued almost directly in the same path, but some improvements in the production side and music give it a certain edge over the previous album. Eternal Devastation has a clear, crisp sound that combined with the furious songs gives this album quite an energetic feel. The core of the music had remained the same between albums, but a little more fierce nature of many songs as well as somewhat more intense vocal delivery make this release distinguishable from the band's debut. Though I must say I'm not unreservedly impressed by Destruction's brand of ragged thrash metal, it cannot be denied that at their best the band had a very distinctive style which Eternal Devastation is a prime example of.

1. Mad Butcher 2. The Damned 3. Reject Emotions 4. The Last Judgement

Mad Butcher features the familiar Destruction sound right from the start. The production is not as painstakingly clear as on Eternal Devastation but still far from muddy. Among the few songs on this mini album, the title track (a new version of the classic piece from Sentence Of Death) and the cover song The Damned are fine though by no means outstanding, but it's the sharp Reject Emotions and the inspirational instrumental The Last Judgement that really raise the bar and quite probably are a couple of Destruction's most distinctive creations. For its short length, Mad Butcher is not a definite milestone in Destruction's career, but it maintains a certain level of quality established on the band's earlier recordings.

1. Beyond Eternity 2. Release From Agony 3. Dissatisfied Existence 4. Sign Of Fear 5. Unconscious Ruins 6. Incriminated 7. Our Oppression 8. Survive To Die

Release From Agony is supposedly considered to be Destruction's most advanced and refined release by many. Unfortunately I've found it to be too much on the dull side. Many tracks on this album are quite dragging pieces of work and lack the enthusiastic spirit found on the band's earlier releases. It doesn't help much that the production is probably the worst so far, very stale and dry, resulting in a pretty unappealing sound. Although the characteristic elements of the familiar Destruction sound are still there, the overall impression is less positive. No matter how much one would like to think otherwise, Release From Agony doesn't hold a candle against the preceding Destruction albums.

1. Cracked Brain 2. Frustrated 3. S.E.D. 4. Time Must End 5. My Sharona 6. Rippin' You Off Blind 7. Die A Day Before 8. No Need To Justify 9. When Your Mind Was Free

After some internal conflicts Destruction returned with a somewhat renewed sound. While actually slightly more controlled, Cracked Brain is also more formulaic than the band's previous releases, but that doesn't necessarily make it a bad album. The new vocalist, while different from the band's traditional style, had an effective husky voice which fits the songs on this album very well. The opening title track is actually one of the better thrashers out there, and the first half of the album is not that bad either. The cover version of My Sharona is pretty unnecessary though, and towards the end the tracks start to degenerate into total insignificance. Cracked Brain simply doesn't sound as inventive and varied as some of Destruction's earlier works, but that doesn't prevent it from having its good points as well.

1. Intro 2. The Final Curtain 3. Machinery Of Lies 4. Tears Of Blood 5. Devastation Of Your Soul 6. The Butcher Strikes Back 7. World Domination Of Pain 8. X-treme Measures 9. All Hell Breaks Loose 10. Total Desaster 2000 11. Visual Prostitution 12. Kingdom Of Damnation

With Schmier righteously back on vocals, All Hell Breaks Loose was something more than just a tired revival of the old Destruction. While it would have been easy to underestimate the band in the new millennium, the energy of the opening tracks starting from The Final Curtain is enough to take most listeners by surprise. This was arguably the most energetic and streamlined Destruction release in a very long time, and the result sounds like a showcase of riffs stored over the years of absence. Then again, Total Desaster 2000 proves that the band could still handle their classic material in the most convincing way. The production is a bit too much in-your-face for my taste, but musically this album is only hindered by some slightly repetitive feel and a couple of throwaway tracks like X-treme Measures. Other than that, this is a stronger comeback than one could have expected.

1. Days Of Confusion 2. Thrash 'Til Death 3. Nailed To The Cross 4. Dictators Of Cruelty 5. Bullets From Hell 6. Strangulated Pride 7. Meet Your Destiny 8. Creations Of The Underworld 9. Godfather Of Slander 10. Let Your Mind Rot 11. The Heretic

The opening of The Antichrist kind of repeats the formula of All Hell Breaks Loose, with a short intro followed by thrash 'til death (this time literally). But while the preceding release was satisfying for what it was worth, this one goes all the way to the top, no holds barred. The primary reason for this is very simple - if riffs could be patented, this album would have been an endless source of applications. Briefly put, almost every song hits you like a disease that cannot be cured, with loads of simply stupendous riffs that most other bands could never get right even if their lives depended on it. On top of this Schmier delivers some unbelievable shrieks, and the production is dead-on. In 1988 an album like this would have caught almost everyone with their pants down, now it remains a landmark for those who still care to pay attention to the surviving bits of the original thrash metal genre. Definitely not wandering around aimlessly or playing unremarkable riffs over and over anymore, Destruction of 2001 sound like a thrash machine tweaked for the absolute maximum performance. If there's an album that can be called a modern classic of thrash metal, The Antichrist it is.

1. The Ravenous Beast 2. Metal Discharge 3. Rippin' The Flesh Apart 4. Fear Of The Moment 5. Mortal Remains 6. Desecrators Of The New Age 7. Historical Force Feed 8. Savage Symphony Of Terror 9. Made To Be Broken 10. Vendetta

As a follow-up to the climatic The Antichrist, Metal Discharge does not quite reach similar levels of quality although it is by no means a bad album. The music continues closely in the same straightforward vein, but many songs and riffs sound somewhat more forced or plain in comparison. The Ravenous Beast, the title track, and Mortal Remains are some fine, nasty thrashers though maybe not as striking as most tracks on the band's previous masterpiece. There's a nice feel of consistency throughout the album, though, and vocally this is an impressive product with Schmier sounding positively pissed-off more often than not. While Metal Discharge is something of a more ordinary Destruction release, the band's routine at this point was already so strong that the result is far from being a total let-down. Make no mistake, The Antichrist this is not, but it still has a fair share of action going on.

1. Soul Collector 2. The Defiance Will Remain 3. The Alliance Of Hellhoundz 4. No Mans Land 5. The Calm Before The Storm 6. The Chosen Ones 7. Dealer Of Hostility 8. Under Surveillance 9. Seeds Of Hate 10. Twist Of Fate 11. Killing Machine 12. Memories Of Nothingness

Destruction certainly deserve an honorable mention for the way they have kept churning out thrash metal albums after long years of absence. Inventor Of Evil is not an exception from the band's customary sound - Soul Collector opens the album in a classic style with some genuinely catchy riffs, while The Defiance Will Remain and No Mans Land provide more of the same in a tried and tested format. This release also features a bit more variety than the band's earlier recordings, some of it being less successful than the rest. Definitely one of the weakest tracks on the album, The Alliance Of Hellhoundz is an all-star showcase that must have sounded like a cool idea at the drawing board, but in practice the result is just too chaotic for its own good. In addition, some other tracks are slightly more dull or just lack truly memorable riffs. Although Inventor Of Evil is another professional effort from Destruction, it doesn't sound quite as refreshing as a couple of its immediate predecessors.

1. Losers 2. Russian Roulette 3. It's Your Fate 4. Holy Wars 5. Catalepsy 6. Shattered Illusions 7. Life Is Pain 8. Blood I Bleed 9. Widow's Walk 10. Vultures In The Sky

A true cult band in history, Detente may be best known for the vocal duties by Dawn Crosby who later appeared in Fear Of God in the nineties. Detente's only release Recognize No Authority is a surprisingly solid, strong album in its own right. It features some of the most frantic speed/thrash metal with some punkish touches, a style strongly characterized by heavy, screaming guitars, and totally unrestrained vocals by Dawn Crosby who practically screams her lungs out on tracks like Holy War and Shattered Illusions. It is not exactly a match for Holy Moses, of course, but there's no denying that her fierce delivery is possibly the most important single factor contributing to the total intensity of this album and effectively puts many of the less inclined male vocalists to shame. Not that the songs wouldn't have a fair share of solid riffs already, but even the less stand-out tracks are helped immensely by Crosby's devoted performance. With a bit raw but appropriate production, this album appears like a healthy dose of fresh air on your face.

1. Predator 2. Powermad 3. ...The Day After 4. Black Dawn 5. Last Respects 6. Beyond The Wall 7. City Of Silence 8. Haunter In The Dark 9. Withered

Among the Finnish thrash metal bands Dethrone were probably the most conventional one, sounding pretty much like any stereotypical band in the genre worldwide. Let The Day Begin features some very heavy and mostly unimaginative thrash metal with a particularly stale production. One cannot really say much about these songs without resorting to the most average phrases, as the music is about as derivative and undistinctive as it gets. Perhaps the biggest achievement of the band is that it's hard to point out any directly copied elements in their music but still, this album hardly sounds novel or innovative to anyone. At least Let The Day Begin manages to maintain some basic level of energy throughout the album. On the other hand, that doesn't exactly save it from falling into total mediocrity either.

1. Subliminal Division 2. Point Of No Return 3. Playing With Fire 4. Taste The Blood 5. Morbid Curiosity 6. No Mercy 7. Child 8. Eviction 9. Derange 10. O.T.T.

Detritus may not have been in the spotlight of the scene, but apparently they knew how to make some very persistent sounding music. Somewhat in the vein of Seventh Angel's recordings, Perpetual Defiance is a piece of impetuous British thrash metal with a fairly original mood. It must be admitted that most songs may sound a bit samey to average ears unless you have patience to pay attention to the smallest details and variations, but the band's output is at a respectable level and there is a nice gritty feel in every track that eventually helps to even the score. While it is hard to pick highlights from this album, it's the overall style of Perpetual Defiance that gains something of a favorable impression after all.

1. Beginning Of The End 2. Massive Devastation 3. Innocent Submission 4. Syndrome Of Terror 5. Violent Termination 6. Death Is Calling 7. Meet Your Maker 8. Insanity 9. Deceptive Slaughter 10. Beneath The Surface

Devastation's debut is one of those albums that basically have all the necessary elements there, but due to the lack of any highlights the result fails to catch any serious interest. Violent Termination is a slab of rather primitive, raw thrash metal without any special gimmicks. What makes this album a bit different from most others is the vocals that are essentially just plain talking with no attempts whatsoever to sing or even shout. One got to admit that the style is somewhat original, although the resulting output is about as emotionless as it gets, which makes the music sound like it lacks energy. Therefore, even without any critical faults Violent Termination appears pretty shabby and dated.

1. Eye For An Eye 2. Desolation 3. Manic Depressive 4. Signs Of Life 5. Retribution 6. Tomorrow We Die 7. Contaminated 8. Fear Of The Unknown 9. Escape To Violence

Right from the very first moments, Devastation's second album sounds like an improvement over Violent Termination. Signs Of Life is not only better produced but also more intense than the debut. The vocals are now ordinary shouts and sound more convincing although they still lack some strength. Despite the improved sound, musically Signs Of Life is not radically different from Violent Termination, though, as it is still rather generic thrash metal with no particular innovations and therefore sounds a bit too samey to me. Granted, the music is energetic and all, but that's not quite enough in this genre.

1. Deliver The Suffering 2. Freewill 3. Forsaken Hatred 4. Souls Of Sacrifice 5. Idolatry 6. Legacy Of Faith 7. Subconscious 8. Never Believe

At the end of their path Devastation finally managed to create some lasting, even remarkable music. Idolatry must be one of the finest hours from the last years of the classic thrash metal era and also one of the heaviest albums I've ever heard. Produced by Scott "Death" Burns, the sound of this album is incredibly thick and heavy, complete with constant double bass drumming, and the music could be almost mistaken for death metal if it weren't for the harsh, powerful vocals that feel just right at last. Every track on this album is a crushing piece of aggression, speed and heaviness, and together the songs build an unsurpassable wall of thunder. Even the lyrics have some new kind of maturity and reason in them while not getting totally preachy. I must admit that after a couple of mediocre, mostly forgettable efforts from Devastation, the brilliance of Idolatry came as a total surprise.

1. Climate Change 2. Ain't No Cure 3. Intolerate 4. Solitude 5. T.E.V.A.R. 6. Can't Complain 7. I'm Watchin' 8. We Fight 9. (W.R.A.) Torture 10. Warchild 11. Souvenirs

Deztroyer's original debut must be one of the most rare and least known German thrash metal albums ever. This is a bit of a shame as musically Climate Change is no worse than what the majority of bands in those days were capable of. Deztroyer actually delivered some notably forceful thrash metal with respectable intensity and a fair amount of hooks in their songs. The vocals sometimes sound a bit too dramatic, but their strength and raw edge makes up for it. The production is not too slick but this just adds some more emphasis on the intense feel of the music. This record essentially pumps a good dose of raw energy into your veins. Although Climate Change probably won't be remembered as a masterpiece of German thrash, I would pick it over some more stale big names any day.

1. Instro 2. Screwed To Death 3. Get It Back 4. Soulstorm 5. Negative Sanctions 6. The Obscenity Remains 7. TV Desensitization 8. Zeitgeist 9. Bug Bite 10. Superficial 11. The Big Trip 12. Self Destruct

Dirge's Soulstorm has a near perfect thumping intro that nicely sets the mood for this little rarity. From Screwed To Death onwards the album is filled with ambitious thrashing with some stomping moments here and there. The vocals sound somewhat unrefined with a hardcore-ish tone that is actually fairly similar to Erosion, and they add a harsh edge to the music that is otherwise rather neatly composed and played. Somehow this album has quite a vigorous feel to it, and with a sufficient amount of variation in songs it does not sound too formulaic. Dirge's style may appear a bit rough especially due to the vocals, but there is some cool quality in the whole thing and you hardly notice the short length of these songs in general. Maybe Soulstorm does not totally storm over you, but many other records would benefit from the same kind of spirit that this one has.

1. Shades Of Grey 2. Power Trap 3. Ice Demons 4. Slave To No One 5. Protector 6. Night Of The Priest 7. Crisis 8. Hidden Worlds 9. Bitch Of Doom 10. Disciples Of Power

The first release of Disciples Of Power was simply quite an intense staple of Canadian thrash metal. Power Trap is a healthy mix of some semi-complex songwriting, though not all of it too memorable, with emphasis on heavy riffs and strong vocals. As appropriate, the sound is really powerful and heavy. The vocalist tends to exercise a bit bombastic style, something that gives the music a more original touch. While most tracks are not too catchy, the stomping feel of this album is satisfying enough to keep it in the playlist even after longer periods of time. At its best Power Trap practically runs over you, whereas the rest of it comes along as a fair offering.

1. Final Genocide 2. Minotaur The Emperor 3. Graveyard Beyond 4. Eat Shit Get Away 5. Escape Of The Apocalypse 6. Viking Sword 7. Nails On Leather 8. Chainsaw Slaughter 9. Black List 10. Fuck Off

In a way Dissection really delivered the goods. Final Genocide is certainly not among the most refined or original recordings out there, but this Canadian band's approach to spit out these tracks is not without merits. Except for the long opener, all songs here are rather rapid bursts with rough vocals and rampaging guitars. The underground characteristics of this album are just perfectly obvious, which gives it something of a fresh sound. Sometimes the style of presentation follows the usual norms and sometimes it goes a bit over the top, but that's just bound to put a smile on your face. Quite frankly, without some humorous appeal it could be a bit too hard to listen through this one. In short, Final Genocide is probably not something you would enjoy on a regular basis, but for an occasional refreshment it is not such a bad choice at all.

1. Hierarchic Democracy 2. Fighting In Gangs 3. Misery Spreads 4. Not To Leave The Power 5. Only One Of Them (Must Be Left) 6. Gathered Prisoners 7. Childish Boots And Steps 8. The Ones Left Scream 9. History Starts (To Take A Route)

Dorsal Atlantica were unarguably pioneers of extreme metal in Brazil. One of their later releases, Searching For The Light is an example of some surprisingly fresh sounding and energetic thrash metal. There's certainly little you wouldn't have heard before, but most of the time the basic formula doesn't fail. With a generally fast tempo maintained almost throughout the whole album, playing this one in the background of whatever you are doing is guaranteed to pump up the spirit. However, while it starts off sounding very energetic, this album gradually loses some steam during the second half, which is a bit unfortunate. Searching For The Light is definitely not too extraordinary for an old thrash metal album, but it does its part pretty well.

1. Razor's Edge 2. Recycle Yourself 3. The Hidden And Unexpected 4. Kali Yuga 5. The Seven Races 6. Rock Is Dead 7. Warrior 8. My Generation 9. Prison Cell Stage (bonus) 10. Thy Will Be Done (bonus)

While Musical Guide From Stellium continued mostly with the same theme as Dorsal Atlantica's previous release, it is not as immediately appealing as Seaching For The Light. Certainly the band thrash almost relentlessly from start to finish and the lyrical content is more mature than in most cases, but the outcome tends to drag a bit more than one would like to expect. The songs have quite a dry, heavy, and somewhat raw sound, which on the other hand supports a certain feel of a strong street credibility. It's just that Dorsal Atlantica's music on this album does not appear to be the most accessible to average ears, therefore requiring more effort from the listener. Musical Guide From Stellium is an interesting and even ambitious release, but it may take a bit longer time than usually to really get into it.

1. Thy Kingdom Come 2. Give People A Chance 3. R.I.P. (Racism, Ignorance, Prejudice) 4. Straitgate 5. Raise The Dead 6. Human Rights 7. Virtual Reality 8. Last Act 9. Black Messiah 10. Loyal Legion Of The Admirers 11. Life Goes On (Vidcom Experiences) 12. Take Time 13. Summary Condemnation (bonus) 14. Tribute To Gauguin (bonus)

Dorsal Atlantica's last chapter for the trilogy that started with Searching For The Light practically appears like a direct sequel to its predecessors. Alea Jacta Est sports a dry and heavy sound that is very similar to that present on Musical Guide From Stellium in particular. Initially it would seem that the same good and bad points apply here, too. But while the previous album had a tendency to drag here and there, Alea Jacta Est actually got a wilder and faster approach that generally pays off by a slight but even more important amount. It's still not the easiest album to listen to and not completely without its tedious moments either, but at least the band manage to get their point across better than on some other occasions in the past. Moreover, the music feels slightly heavier, which together with some more refined songwriting results in probably the most coherent Dorsal Atlantica album up to this point. Those interested in the band's other efforts should give Alea Jacta Est a try as well, but be sure to take your time with it.

1. The Five Year Plan 2. Tear It Down 3. A Coffin 4. Probation 5. I.D.K.Y. 6. Decisions 7. Hooked 8. Go Die 9. Redline 10. No Religion 11. Fun & Games 12. Oblivion

Dirty Rotten Imbeciles, as well as their contemporaries playing the same style, could be considered a borderline case in the thrash metal field. Following the band's classic hardcore recordings, Crossover deserves its title in both good and bad. Even though it is a seminal album in its class and you can easily hear where bands like Evildead got their influences from, this and the following D.R.I. releases mostly belong to the hit-or-miss category. The Five Year Plan has a semi-decent intro riff and Go Die is downright catchy, everything else sort of blends together into a bleak mix of crossover metal. Whereas your typical thrash metal act may sound like a metal band with some hardcore tendencies, D.R.I. sound more like a hardcore band with metal tendencies, and that's where issues arise. Most of the time you simply cannot help feeling that something is missing, and it's not just due to the shortage on guitar solos. Crossover may still be the best of D.R.I.'s thrash metal oriented albums, but even then it seriously lacks flesh around the bones.

1. All For Nothing 2. Manifest Destiny 3. Gone Too Long 4. Do The Dream 5. Shut-Up! 6. Modern World 7. Think For Yourself 8. Slumlord 9. Dead In A Ditch 10. Suit And Tie Guy 11. Man Unkind

4 Of A Kind is not all that different from Crossover, again the intro of the first song may be the foremost thing that sticks to your head and after that it tends to sound all the same. The music still makes an impression of punks who crossed over to thrash metal but keep on falling back to their old habits every now and then. Kurt Brecht's tone-deaf vocals are only one factor in the general bare and stripped-down feel of this album, and overall D.R.I.'s output lacks the sharp metallic edge that is customary in the thrash metal genre - it does not sound quite the same that you learned to expect from bands like Anthrax and the others. However, it is only a good thing that D.R.I.'s style is so compact, as no songs here would make it in a longer format without becoming even more tedious experiences. Although 4 Of A Kind must be a safe choice for fans of the style, I'd rather listen to a random Tankard album than this.

1. Thrashard 2. Beneath The Wheel 3. Enemy Within 4. Strategy 5. Labeled Uncurable 6. You Say I'm Scum 7. Gun Control 8. Kill The Words 9. Drown You Out 10. The Trade 11. Standing In Line 12. Give A Hoot 13. Worker Bee 14. Abduction

No matter how aptly named Thrash Zone might be, it is really one of the dullest albums with thrash metal connections that I've ever heard. D.R.I.'s crossover style remains as dense as ever, although it appears positively focused in comparison to their later releases. With little audible progression towards any actually interesting songwriting, and even longer songs on average than before, this is not an album that would permanently hold the top position of your playlist. For the record, the sound is rather clean-cut and consistent but also seemingly devoid of all hooks and imagination - it is certain that Rumble Militia this is not. In the right place, at the right time, Thrash Zone could be a real boost, but in general this is hardly the case. While the old skaters may strongly disagree, sometimes you cannot help but look back and think that this whole crossover thing should have turned out a lot better than it really did.

1. Retaliation From The Underground 2. Metal God 3. Betrayer 4. End Of Life (Suicide) 5. Phlegmatic People 6. Apocalypse! War! 7. Church Of Hate 8. Thrash Calls 9. Last Game 10. About Death, After Death

Drinking Skull's Our Faith, Our Life... Our Death must be one of the earliest examples of Croatian thrash metal in a recorded form, and there is something about its fresh underground feel that earns this album a few extra points of sympathy. While the sound quality is only mediocre at best, it fits these songs well enough. On the downside, most of the time this recording can appear a bit dull - after a critical mass of albums of this kind, it is quite hard to raise any notable response with such a standard offering like this anymore. Although Drinking Skull's motivation shows, the style is ordinary to such extent that at best you can only praise the band's good intentions, not necessarily their music. This is a fair novelty item for sure, but that is probably the best that can be said about it.

1. Voice Of Our God 2. Suicide Society 3. Enliven The World 4. Critics Declined 5. Mirror Inside 6. People That Make You Feel Small 7. Amalgamation Into The End 8. Create To Destroy 9. Lines On The Screen 10. My Evil 11. I'm Going Away 12. Milk (bonus)

People That Make You Feel Small is a fair continuation of Drinking Skull's journey in the thrash metal realm. First of all, due to improved production values this album sounds a tad heavier than the band's debut release, which is not a bad thing at all. Some other stylistic differences are audible as well, the vocals in particular are more gruff than on the previous album, and the presentation is generally tighter and more controlled than before. It is still nothing that would make a great impression, as the music is far from the most distinctive for its kind. The album practically repeats your basic approach to thrash metal with an adequate performance but no traces of really memorable songwriting, even though the effort is respectable. As long as you don't expect anything worth a special note, People That Make You Feel Small may just suffice.

1. Lookin' For Troubles 2. Obsession 3. Don't Search For The Answer 4. Human Vivisection 5. Nuclear Solution 6. Captive Of My Vice 7. Lost And Lonely 8. Trooper Of Death

Drunkards were a band that many people possibly never heard of, but their speed/thrash metal still holds on its own although the style is more than typical for its time. In retrospective, the band's sound has not aged too well even though it is not the simplest approach that Drunkards took with this debut album. Excluding a couple of pompous moments the music is well-formed in a traditional way, and except for one ballad (Lost And Lonely) it never gets really sluggish, but somehow the outcome on the whole lacks the final decisive edge. It's as if this release holds more potential than what is actually shown in effect. There is some undeniably sympathetic vintage feel in this thing, just not quite enough to really save it from the danger of getting lost in the forgotten realm.

1. First Among Equals 2. The Essence Of Ignorance 3. Citizen Soldier 4. Holocaust (Fall In Grace) 5. Abuse 6. Overcome 7. Foot From The Edge 8. Sooner Than You Think 9. Contaminated

Depending on your point of view, Dyoxen's First Among Equals may be one of the best or worst examples of so-called technical thrash metal. The sound of this band is actually quite similar to Bitter End who, by accident, were almost equally short-lived as a band. The production of Dyoxen's album is not exactly the heaviest around, a fact that is only emphasized by the clean and rather emotionless vocals. Some additional heaviness might have helped the result even a bit, now it's sometimes pretty difficult to see the point of this music. There's some additional emphasis put on the guitar work which is indeed not too bad and somewhat helps the songs flow more fluently. Still, this is something that the hardest fans of Slayer and the like would probably just blow their noses on. I cannot say I'd be overly impressed by the fast but totally forgettable twiddling Dyoxen put out with this one, either. First Among Equals is basically a clever technical exercise targeted at those who happen to find value in this kind of thing.