1. Brain Washing 2. Magic C'R'Cl 3. My Last Words 4. Merry Sinner 5. Traces Of Dreams 6. Final Mission 7. The Eyes Of The Blind Man 8. Slammin' Boys 9. Pariah 10. Still Have To Pray

There are many bands like Iceland, relatively unknown outside small circles but musically not too different from the majority of performers in the genre. This French group's full-length release starts out promising enough to raise your interest fairly high - the band's sound is very sharp and even fresh, and ultimately the album gets somewhat weary just because the rest of it is not quite strong enough to meet the initial expectations. In other words, Iceland promise a bit more than they are actually able to deliver. The song structures are varied enough and the band's presentation is powerful and all, but a bit more than that would have been needed in the end game. This album is still capable of giving a carefully favorable impression based on the sound and feel of it alone, but there is a certain lack of more persistent quality as well.

1. In The Flesh 2. Take The Pain 3. Kill On Kommand 4. When The Evil Takes Its Course 5. It's The End Of The World 6. To Your Death 7. Legacy Of Violence 8. Knowledge Is King 9. P.O.W. 10. Plaque Of Death 11. Erosion Of Will

As their name implies, Impact were to deliver just that, underground thrash metal with a genuine impact. From the opening moments of Take The Pain, you are in for a relentless running flow of thrash metal at its keenest - In The Flesh is totally in your face, and it doesn't end there. The production more than fits the content with a ripping sound and feel. The initial premise doesn't quite last through the whole length of this album, though, as there are no essential differences between these tracks by and large. In practice, it is one and the same idea that is being recycled here. It is a refreshing dose of no-nonsense thrashing that you hear, more so than on average actually, but it cannot be denied that despite all the good factors Impact's means of making their way forward were rather limited at best.

1. I.N.C. 2. The Grip Of Death 3. War Not Words 4. Anarchy (The Pursuit Of Happiness) 5. Razorback 6. Fists From The Mighty 7. Fear 8. Passageway Through Purgatory

Indestructible Noise Command's albums must be nowadays some of the rarest things out there, deservedly so or not. The band's debut Razorback is a piece of technical, dry-sounding thrash metal with off-note vocals that sometimes give it an almost Voivod-ish feel although I.N.C. did derive their music from a more conventional thrash metal base. The almost academic sound of this debut album doesn't inspire any particularly positive comments although there are some genuine, even original touches on it. The band occasionally throw in some interesting riffs, but on the whole this album doesn't quite cut it. Although Razorback shows some promise here and there, eventually it fails to provide anything truly remarkable in the musical department.

1. Dry Heave 2. Bed Time Stories 3. What Are You Looking At? 4. Thunder Struck 5. The Visitor 6. Scammed Again 7. Hypo-Dermic Coastline 8. Just What I Needed / Candy-O

The second and last release of I.N.C. has some of the dry feel of Razorback left, but otherwise it succeeds notably better in catching the listener's attention. The Visitor is heavier and also better produced than the band's debut while it still retains a certain customary, slightly quirky I.N.C. sound. No matter what, at least one can be sure of recognizing the band quite easily even from a short sample. The opening Dry Heave and the title track are probably a couple of the most accessible and also best tracks on this one, but the rest is not too bad either. In fact, I've learned to like the band's unique, pounding guitar sound and sometimes funny vocals on this recording, and even the more unordinary riffs are quite interesting at least. Extra points must be given for the funniest "no thanks" note in the album inserts ever (incidentally, the track Scammed Again is based on the same topic). Somewhat original and even surprising at times, The Visitor is not your most typical thrash metal album out there.

1. The Battle Of Armageddon 2. Voices From The Grave 3. Sadistic Sinner 4. Incubus 5. Blaspheming Prophets 6. Hunger For Power 7. Serpent Temptation 8. Underground Killers

Incubus made a strong start as one of the heaviest bands in the eighties. While their later recordings are more firmly in the death metal territory, Serpent Temptation is an example of pure thrashing rage in its finest form, with barking vocals and rampaging guitars. When Incubus play at reasonable speeds, they produce some of the heaviest riffs you can ever hope to hear. However, some tracks really test the limits of speed and occasionally go beyond. It's not like the band couldn't hold it together, sometimes you just really have to concentrate to be able to follow with the riot. Especially the ultra-fast guitar solos on this album often sound downright rushed, making even bands like Slayer sound almost progressive in comparison. But it's the overall impact that matters and that's where Serpent Temptation really makes its mark.

Note: The CD release of this album features re-recorded vocals (in a dull death metal vein) and guitars, also some track titles are different.

1. The Gate 2. U.S.S.A. 3. Ground Zero 4. Dead Girls (Don't Say No) 5. Fatal Sin 6. Brain Damaged 7. Justice Sucks 8. Shadowlord 9. A.I.M.L.E.S.S. 10. Dismembered

Indestroy were possibly one of the most interesting and original bands on the New Renaissance Records underground label. Therefore it's a pity that their debut suffers from an awfully muddy and unbalanced production that really takes away from the listening experience. This is particularly sad because many songs on this album are actually quite good, if somewhat unpolished. For example, Dead Girls (Don't Say No) is a fast and hilarious piece with some punkish influences that are apparent also on many other tracks. There would be enough originality and energy in the music to make it rise above the average level, if it just weren't for the poor production.

1. Tortured By Fire 2. Living In Filth 3. Terminal Choice 4. Senseless Theories 5. Sam The Butcher 6. Instant Insanity

By this mini album Indestroy's music had gone through a major change in the sound department. Forget the bad production and simplistic arrangements, now Indestroy sounded like a totally different band with sharp, scathing guitars and roaring vocals. Starting from the vicious Tortured By Fire, these tracks are highly effective, crushing pieces of thrash metal that make the debut look like a rehearsal tape of a lesser band. There's not a single filler track on this album, and actually the only negative thing about this release is that it's pretty short. As a result, Senseless Theories is easily better than most full-length albums out there.

1. Intro 2. Media Control 3. Dark Century 4. State Oppression 5. Brutalities Behind Your Back 6. Old No. 7 7. Headless 8. Backstabbing Small-Talk 9. Conditioned Minds

It is not too difficult to get Orwellian associations when Infected's Dark Century is playing. The band's style is more than fitting for the theme, cheerless thrash metal with very gruff vocals. While the songwriting formula is rather effective and the output remains equally consistent, all tracks admittedly sound quite similar to each other, and more often than not you could even call this album downright monotonous. It is only very small details that make tracks like State Oppression appear a bit more striking than the others, but the impact can vary a lot depending on personal preferences. Infected definitely knew how to stay focused for a full-length album, but if you are not well prepared in advance then Dark Century can be a tiresome listening experience in all its bleak approach.

1. Overlord 2. R.I.P. 3. Night Of The Living Dead 4. S.O.S. 5. None Shall Defy 6. Skeletons In The Closet 7. Anthology Of Death 8. Path Of The Psyco

Infernal Majesty were one of the more notable Canadian thrash metal bands in the eighties. None Shall Defy provides some heavy, dark thrashing very closely in the vein of Slayer's Hell Awaits in both good and bad. At their best, like on the title track and Skeletons In The Closet, the band play reasonably fast and tight thrash metal. When they drop some speed and intensity, the result can be downright flat and boring. The music is full of satanic imagery similar to early Slayer releases, which of course is nothing special. Based on this recording Infernal Majesty were actually among the heaviest Canadian bands, although musically the others were usually more interesting. In any case, None Shall Defy is a decent thrash metal album even though personally I'm not overly impressed by it.

1. Cover Up 2. Turn Back 3. Victory In Disguise 4. Live To Die 5. Kiss Of Death 6. Cold-Blooded Killer 7. Blind Rage 8. T.M. (You Paid The Price)

For having been released originally on an underground label, Intruder's debut album got a surprisingly crisp and clear production. Live To Die is a versatile and fairly heavy piece of speed/thrash metal that involves even a small amount of originality. The vocals are rather high-pitched but aggressive enough for this kind of music, and in comparison to some later releases of the band, the songs on this album are more memorable and energetic. You probably cannot avoid a recurring feeling that some of Intruder's antics were not too novel even at the time of this release, but the band's powerful performance helps to overcome this kind of thinking. Live To Die is nowhere near the most classic or meaningful albums of its kind, but the fresh and lively sound still makes it a decent one indeed.

Note: The CD release of this album features different cover artwork than the original vinyl.

1. Time Of Trouble 2. The Martyr 3. Genetic Genocide 4. Second Chance 5. (I'm Not Your) Stepping Stone 6. Killing Winds 7. The Sentence Is Death 8. Agents Of The Dark (M.I.B.) 9. Antipathy 10. Mr. Death

Having moved to a bigger record label Intruder continued in a more streamlined and slightly faster style on their second album. A Higher Form Of Killing is somewhat more coherent when compared to Live To Die, but the music is also a bit less catchy and the riffs have lost some of their hooks. As a result, some of these lengthy tracks just flow through your head without a trace. The band certainly sound professional but also lack some character, and except the constant high speed there's little in this album to make it fully stand out of the crowd. However, I've learned to like the fast and consistent style of this release after all, and the ending track Mr. Death has some special humorous appeal of its own. While A Higher Form Of Killing is not quite as memorable as Intruder's previous release, it has some other merits of its own, too.

1. 25 Or 6 To 4 2. Escape From Pain 3. Cold-Blooded Killer 4. Kiss Of Death 5. T.M. (You Paid The Price)

After a couple of full-length albums, Intruder released this mini album as a preparation for their coming tour. Although Escape From Pain is rather long for its format (about a half hour), only the title track is actually of new material. 25 Or 6 To 4 is a cover song, and the last three tracks from the band's debut are re-recorded versions - not surprisingly, they are the best tracks on the whole thing. The long title track is pretty much in the vein of A Higher Form Of Killing, in other words, well-done but somewhat forgettable. For those who already have Live To Die, Escape From Pain is practically an unnecessary release.

1. Face Of Hate 2. Geri's Lament 3. The Enemy Within 4. It's A Good Life 5. Invisible 6. Traitor To The Living 7. Final Word 8. N.G.R.I.

The feel of Intruder's last album is heavy and pondering, also somewhat slower than on the earlier efforts. Psycho Savant adds some diversity to the band's tested sound though musically it still doesn't quite match Live To Die. Although this album is slightly more versatile than a couple of previous releases, the songs are generally a bit too long for their own good, which makes the album unnecessarily plodding at times. The most memorable track is definitely Geri's Lament (When) which must be lyrically one of the most original songs in the genre ever. As a whole, Psycho Savant is like most other Intruder releases - well executed but not particularly interesting or ground-breaking.

1. Excursion Demise 2. (...To A Twisted Recess Of Mind) 3. Forsaken Ones 4. The Persistence From Memorial Chasm 5. Absurd Temptation 6. Schismatic Injective Therapy 7. Occurrence Concealed 8. Beyond Insufferable Dormancy 9. Inner Contrarieties 10. Alterations (bonus)

The other remarkable Danish thrash band besides Artillery, Invocator started with a ferocious debut album. Excursion Demise is an outburst of almost non-stop extreme thrash metal with harsh vocals and some death-ish touches. The production is quite good and gives some additional boost for the music that occasionally tends to sound a bit repetitive. Although the high-speed efforts pay off fairly well (take the title track or The Persistence From Memorial Chasm as examples of better songs), sometimes the thing just drifts a bit off the target, making a few tracks sound too samey. But it's Invocator's uncompromising style on this album that holds the pieces together and makes Excursion Demise a strong album with some rude charm. After all, I've found myself giving this one more spins than one might expect based on the initial impression only.

1. Through The Nether To The Sun 2. From My Skull It Rains 3. Desert Sands 4. Condition Critical 5. Breed Of Sin 6. Doomed To Be 7. Lost At Birth 8. Land Of Misery 9. The Afterbirth 10. Weave The Apocalypse

While Weave The Apocalypse is essentially different from Invocator's debut, the result is perfectly convincing in its own right, with an even more emphasized musical vision and style. Compared to its predecessor this album is heavier and not so fast anymore. At this point Invocator's sound had quite clearly become one of the nineties, something that makes a notable distinction from most other albums here. With a more compact and mature style than before, these tracks are some of the heaviest you can find, and they feature some totally stupendous riffs. Although Excursion Demise had a distinctive style of its own, Weave The Apocalypse got a definite edge over it due to the more original and innovative sound. It's albums like this that make it worth wading through the mass of more average recordings.

1. The Metallian 2. Sinner 3. Black Mass 4. The Church Of The Lost Souls 5. Hunter In Chains 6. Rush Of Power 7. Legions Of Evil 8. Wife Of The Devil 9. Nightmare 10. Heavy Metal Soldiers

Iron Angel deserves an honorable mention already for having been one of the earliest German speed/thrash metal bands in the eighties. Not only that, but the band's debut is a classic one in its own right. From today's perspective, Hellish Crossfire has even a surprisingly good production with a very heavy and thick sound. The songs are fast and heavy stompers, backed up by nasty vocals and a good deal of catchy riffs that make the whole thing a memorable listening experience. This album really has some great old-fashioned appeal which many of the newer releases out there lack. On the other hand, some sense of nostalgia is certainly needed to be able to bear with such examples of cheesiness as Heavy Metal Soldiers. But even with some apparent signs of its old age starting to show up, Hellish Crossfire has a lot of good points and easily remains one of the better releases from the early years of the thrash metal genre.

1. Winds Of War 2. Metalstorm 3. Son Of A Bitch 4. Vicious 5. Born To Rock 6. Fight For Your Life 7. Stronger Than Steel 8. Sea Of Flames 9. Creatures Of Destruction 10. Back To The Silence

Iron Angel's second release turned out to be somewhat less focused than Hellish Crossfire. In comparison, Winds Of War is not quite as heavy or energetic, and while the band's distinctive sound (especially considering the vocals) is still there, it doesn't fully compensate for the shortcomings. In particular, the increased tendencies towards more traditional heavy metal make this album a slight disappointment. Sure, tracks like Son Of A Bitch and Born To Rock are uplifting (and utterly cheesy) pieces, but it is not old hard rock we are supposed to get here. With only a couple of tracks approaching the previous intensity, the result is unavoidably a bit lacking. Fans of old eighties metal regardless of the genre will probably still find this one interesting, it is just not as strong and consistent as Hellish Crossfire.

1. Getting The Most Out Of Your Extinction 2. Neurotica 3. World War Three (Crack Party Weekend) 4. Mechanized Emotions 5. Equilibrium 6. Cyborg 7. Contusions 8. White Plague 9. Inheritance 10. Intermission

Every now and then a musical genre could use a good kick to avoid stagnation, and Ironchrist's Getting The Most Out Of Your Extinction is one of those albums that can deliver it. While this release has a certain hardcoreish tinge, it actually works for the benefit of the whole thing. The absolutely shredding guitar sound is little short of perfect, and in terms of thrashing out these songs just put many others to shame. Despite a notably wild attitude, Ironchrist's music is far from simplistic - in fact, there are touches of variety, including two fully instrumental pieces, that make this album rival even the productions of some officially more technical thrash metal bands for good. Most important of all, the music is rarely dull in the slightest. Getting The Most Out Of Your Extinction may be a less known chapter in the history of thrash metal, but it is worth the time and effort to check it out.