Voivod - Rrroooaaarrr - March 14, 1986

I've never understood why Voivod's early work is regarded as legendary. Their first album is a sloppy mess of punk and metal with a drunken French-Canadian ranting about being a fish over top. Upon revisiting their second release though, I realized there is some promise here. The overall sound is still sloppy and the vocals are still largely incoherent, but the band benefits greatly from much better songwriting. Songs like "Slaughter in a Grave" and "Thrashing Rage" are good excercises in punky Motorhead-tinged thrash. There's still not enough here to convince me that this album should stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the likes of Feel the Fire or Bonded By Blood, not to mention that it might be the worst album title ever, but it's a definite improvement on the first and I'm kind of intrigued to listen to Killing Technology again...

1. Korgull the Exterminator
2. Fuck Off and Die
3. Slaughter in a Grave
4. Ripping Headaches
5. Horror
6. Thrashing Rage
7. The Helldriver
8. Build Your Weapons
9. To the Death

Score: 5/10

Metallica - Master of Puppets - February 21, 1986

I always find it a little more difficult to review an album that I've listened to about 3000 times than one that is fresh to my ears. It makes it all the more difficult when it is one that evokes such strong emotions as Master of Puppets. I've read a lot of differing opinions on it, from it being the best album in thrash/metal/popular music to that it is the album that killed heavy metal. I'm in neither camp, but if I had to pick one I'd be closer to the former.

The main gripe I have with Puppets is that it's a near clone of its predecessor, Ride the Lightning. Did they get lazy? Did they just go "hey that worked really well, let's just do it again!" There are differences of course. The album doesn't sound quite as deadly as Lightning did, but it's still very powerful. The songs have also gotten longer for the most part, almost to the point of ridiculousness in some cases.

I'd be lying to myself if I didn't give this album a favourable review though. Just like with Ride the Lightning, Metallica still seem like they're a couple steps ahead of the competition. Songs like "Disposable Heroes", "Damage, Inc." and the title track are all time thrash classics. "Orion" is a step down from "The Call of Ktulu", but it's still one of the best metal instrumentals I've ever heard. This is a controlled, very structured effort, much more so than anything Metallica had done before. In the grand scheme of things, Master of Puppets is a transitional album, setting the stage for what would be Metallica's thrash metal swan song.

1. Battery
2. Master of Puppets
3. The Thing That Should Not Be
4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
5. Disposable Heroes
6. Leper Messiah
7. Orion
8. Damage, Inc.

Score: 9/10

Mysto Dysto - The Rules Have Been Disturbed - February 7, 1986

It's finding albums like these that make this little 'journey' totally worth it. I mean, who the fuck is Mysto Dysto (one of the worst band names ever, they would later change it to Mandator) and what does their only full-length sound like? Well, it's pretty fucking good! I mean, the vocals aren't great, the production is about what you would expect for some random band from the Netherlands in 1986 and there are some kind of 'WTF' moments, but this is some very nice thrash metal with a classic melodic European sound. The other cool thing about this album is that most of the songs go into these lengthy instrumental passages with blazing guitar solos. This is good stuff. I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the more melodic, speedy side of the genre.

1. Power of the Law
2. Confused
3. Tarantula
4. Atilla the Destructor
5. Full Speed to Hell
6. Indenter
7. One Night Stand
8. Visit of the Vikings

Score: 7.5/10

Znowhite - Kick 'Em While They're Down - 1985

Znowhite's first EP didn't do a whole lot for me. It wasn't bad, but it was kind of primitive, if not competent thrash metal. Their second EP finds them still searching for their sound, but they've definitely made some improvements. While All Hail To Thee was more fun and light, this one is decidedly meaner -- not as mean as say, Overkill, but maybe like a less catchy Anthrax. Of course, it's not all good; album closer "Turn Up the Pain" is a snooze and "Run Like the Wind" finds Nicole Lee singing out of her range. The band is at their best when they're playing quick, dirty thrash, with the clear winner being "All Hail To Thee" (I know, it's the title of their previous EP, confusing) which is carried by an excellent verse riff. If nothing else, this EP makes me very interested to hear what their lone full-length, 1988's Act of God sounds like -- I've heard good things.

1. Live For the Weekend
2. All Hail to Thee
3. Run Like the Wind
4. Too Late
5. Turn Up the Pain

Score: 6/10

Zoetrope - Amnesty - 1985

From what I can tell, Zoetrope's debut is a very strong album indeed! While there's nothing groundbreaking about it, Zoetrope plays a nice gritty style that makes me think a little bit of Motorhead and probably a little bit of Overkill as well -- Razor around the same time period isn't a bad comparison either. The band self-described their music as "street metal" which is bang-on... I can only assume this would have been the perfect soundtrack for Chicago thrash pits in the mid-80's -- screaming guitars, gang shouts, mosh riffs, yes please!

1. Indecent Obsessions
2. Kill the Enemy
3. Mercenary
4. Amnesty
5. Member in a Gang
6. Break Your Back
7. Another Chance
8. Creatures
9. Trip Wires

Score: 7.5/10

Morsure - Acceleration Process - 1985

It's pretty apparent when listening to Morsure's (French for "bite-wound") lone full-length that these Frenchmen like to play fast! The album is one big blur of crackling guitars, pounding drums and horribly-constructed lyrics. For 1985, there wasn't much that was this fucking FAST. Unfortunately for Morsure, fast does not a good album make. The production is pretty awful -- the drums are too loud, the guitars are thin, the vocals are buried (which may actually not be a negative), and there is not enough variation in the songwriting. I can probably count on one hand the amount of times that the band isn't blazing at full speed, and most of the time it's a little bass or guitar interlude. There does however seem to be some interesting things going on when you cut through all the racket, and there's some potential for some pretty cool stuff. Unfortunately we'll never find out.

1. M.A.D.
2. No Moral
3. Ahriman's Heart
4. Et Not Fracta Est
5. Morsure
6. Neither Pity nor Remorse
7. XX World
8. L'Irrémédiable
9. Oderint Dum Metuant
10. Vreder Strack

Score: 3/10

Anthrax - Spreading the Disease - October 30, 1985

From the extremely violent (Seven Churches) to the extremely catchy (this!)... Spreading the Disease is where Anthrax really hits their stride. Definitely not as aggressive or abrasive as the other members of the "Big Four", Anthrax plays a style that is still very close to speed metal or NWOBHM in places that relies on big choruses to pull the listener in. Witness tracks like "Lone Justice" (Justice, law and order) and "The Enemy" (He is but a solitary man) where Belladonna's soaring vocals guide you over some pretty great riffs. This album also features a lot of gang vocals, which is something Anthrax would utilize frequently throughout their classic output. In fact, looking at the track list, almost every song features some shouts from Scott Ian and company. All in all, this just might be the best Anthrax would ever sound, I haven't quite decided yet.

1. A.I.R.
2. Lone Justice
3. Madhouse
4. S.S.C./Stand or Fall
5. The Enemy
6. Aftershock
7. Armed and Dangerous
8. Medusa
9. Gung-Ho

Score: 9/10

Possessed - Seven Churches - October 16, 1985

While it's true that Possessed's first LP was the first death metal LP, it's also true that it's a great thrash metal LP. In the early days, death metal was just extremely brutal thrash metal. We've already heard the same kind of aggressive riffing from the likes of Slayer and Metallica, and the shredded vocals aren't all that different from what Sodom or Kreator were doing at the time, but nobody had put it all together quite like Possessed did here.  Seven Churches really sets a new standard for violent music that thousands upon thousands would start to immitate. Sure, a lot of the songs could be catchier, and because of the sheer speed throughout most of the album it sounds sloppy sometimes, but this is thrash metal of the highest order, and such a solid album too, with very few weak spots.

1. The Exorcist
2. Pentagram
3. Burning in Hell
4. Evil Warriors
5. Seven Churches
6. Satan's Curse
7. Holy Hell
8. Twisted Minds
9. Fallen Angel
10. Death Metal

Score: 9/10

Razor - Evil Invaders - October, 1985

With every album it seems that Razor ups the intensity and attitude just a little bit. Where Executioner's Song from earlier in 1985 was more fun speed metal, Evil Invaders is decidedly meaner. Dave Carlo's picking hand is truly something to behold on songs like "Iron Hammer" and "Cut Throat", and the songs are all pretty short, controlled bursts of violence. The mix is a little weird, with the guitar really out front, and for some reason that I can't quite put my finger on, this album isn't as memorable as it should be. I find myself remembering the album as a whole, with it being pretty difficult to pick out certain standout tracks.

1. Nowhere Fast
2. Cross Me Fool
3. Legacy of Doom
4. Evil Invaders
5. Iron Hammer
6. Instant Death
7. Cut Throat
8. Speed Merchants
9. Tortured Skull
10. Thrashdance

Score: 7/10

Living Death - Metal Revolution - October, 1985

I didn't review Living Death's first album because it sounded more like AC/DC than it did Slayer, but they decided to up the aggression on their second album. It's not all that original, and the singer sounds like Brian Johnson with an elastic tied around his nuts but there's some pretty nice, lively sounding thrash here. There are still some pretty rock-ish sounding numbers, but even those feature more aggressive riffing that sets this album apart from the power chord rock of the first one. 

1. Killing Machine
2. Grippin' a Heart
3. Rulers Must Come
4. Screaming From a Chamber
5. Intro
6. Shadow of the Dawn
7. Panic & Hysteria
8. Road of Destiny
9. Deep in Hell

Score: 6/10

Hirax - Raging Violence - October, 1985

Hirax were a pretty unique band in the 80's thrash scene. They played a heads-down, full-speed-ahead, crossover style but with Katon W De Pena's soaring, almost boyish vocals over top, they stood out from the pack. Just looking over the song lengths on their debut, you can see that they're all pretty short bursts of violence, which is fine but it leaves little room for variety. By the time you get about halfway through the album, the constant speed and De Pena's incessant warbling gets kind of tiresome. It's always been my opinion that good thrash should have a good amount of mid-paced and even slow parts to set up the breakneck, I'll-fucking-murder-your-family riffs. In that respect, Hirax fails. It's a fun album to listen to in short doses, but I can't see myself sitting down and listening to the whole 30:52 any time soon.

1. Demons - Evil Forces
2. Blitzkrieg Air Attack
3. Guardian Protector
4. Bombs of Death
5. Defeat of Amalek
6. Raging Violence
7. Call of the Gods
8. Warlords Command
9. Suicide
10. Executed
11. The Gauntlet
12. Destruction and Terror
13. Destroy
14. Bloodbath

Score: 5/10

Kreator - Endless Pain - October, 1985

The last (and in my opinion, the best) of the big German thrash bands to make their debut, Kreator's sound on Endless Pain is decidedly aggressive and raw. In the early days, Kreator went with two vocalists, Mille and Ventor alternate singing on each song here, with mixed results. Mille's vocals are downright evil, featuring an inhuman rasp that we haven't heard before at this point. Ventor's vocals are deeper and more traditional sounding. As a result, the songs with Mille singing sound heavier, and he seems to sing on the more aggressive tracks anyway, where Ventor sings over the more traditional sounding tunes. At any rate, the album is fairly solid but pretty simplistic when you consider what the band would do later.

1. Endless Pain
2. Total Death
3. Storm of the Beast
4. Tormentor
5. Son of Evil
6. Flag of Hate
7. Cry War
8. Bone Breaker
9. Living in Fear
10. Dying Victims

Score: 7.5/10

Sacrifice - Torment in Fire - September 27, 1985

Much like Dark Angel a year earlier, Sacrifice are one of those bands who would go on to certain greatness after putting out a pretty lacklustre debut. Don't get me wrong, the attitude is there. The aggression is there. But all that youthful exuberance can't make up for the fact that these guys just aren't writing very good songs and they're just not great musicians yet. The horribly muddy production doesn't help either. Sure, the lyrics are ridiculously satanic and violent, and the vocals verge on death metal, but when you break the songs down, there's just not a whole lot here. 

1. The Awakening
2. Sacrifice
3. Turn in Your Grave
4. Homicidal Breath
5. Warrior of Death
6. Infernal Visions
7. Burned at the Stake
8. Necronomicon
9. The Exorcism
10. Possession
11. Decapitation
12. Beyond Death

Score: 3/10

Slayer - Hell Awaits - September 16, 1985

Of all the classic Slayer albums, Hell Awaits seems to be the one that gets forgotten about. Sandwiched in between the groundbreaking debut and  their 1986 tour de force, Reign in Blood, Hell Awaits seems to just be along for the ride, allowing the other albums to take all the credit for Slayer's notoriety. And even though Hell Awaits took a while to really hit me, let me tell you, it stands tall on its own merits.

Hell Awaits more or less continues where the Haunting the Chapel EP left off, albeit with a muddier production that takes away some definition from the guitars but adds to the oppressive, evil feeling of the album. The songwriting has gotten more aggressive and complex, with most of the songs clocking in at 5 minutes or more. All of the songs feature some pretty pummeling riffage and dark imagery, influencing a slew of thrash, death and black metal bands for years to come. All in all, this has got to be the most underrated Slayer album there is. Before I started listening to it for the purpose of this review, I didn't have a very high opinion of it. I can't fucking put it down now!

1. Hell Awaits
2. Kill Again
3. At Dawn They Sleep
4. Praise of Death
5. Necrophiliac
6. Crypts of Eternity
7. Hardening of the Arteries

Score: 9/10

Nasty Savage - Nasty Savage - August 30, 1985

I just can't take this album seriously. I haven't listened to any of their later stuff, so I don't know if it gets any better but Nasty Ronnie is just way too over the top. He's a good singer and all, and the band behind him are actually pretty competent at churning out some pretty good heavy/thrash metal, but I just have to laugh during songs like "Gladiator" and "Metal Knights". The band never really kicks it into top gear either, but they are pretty good at creating that campy, horror-show type of vibe.

1. No Sympathy
2. Gladiator
3. Fear Beyond the Vision
4. Metal Knights
5. Garden of Temptation
6. Asmodeus
7. Dungeon of Pleasure
8. The Morgue
9. Instigator
10. Psychopath
11. End of Time

Score: 4/10

Artillery - Fear of Tomorrow - August 9, 1985

This sum'bitch was released on my fifth birthday... not that I remember it or anything, and it's not a truly memorable release, but it's obvious that Artillery had some chops. Even though they were probably one of the earliest thrash bands, it's clear that they've been influenced by Metallica, altough they aren't really derivative of that band. Actually they're kind of like a European version of Metallica, with that same melodicism and knack for writing catchy stuff but with a more German-thrash feel, even though they're from Denmark.

1. Time Has Come
2. The Almighty
3. Show Your Hate
4. King, Thy Name is Slayer
5. Out of the Sky
6. Into the Universe
7. The Eternal War
8. Fear of Tomorrow
9. Deeds of Darkness

Score: 7/10

Hallows Eve - Tales of Terror - July 12, 1985

If albums were judged on their first track, Tales of Terror would score a 9.5 out of 10... but they're not, so it doesn't. "Plunging to Megadeath" sounds like a song off of Hell Awaits before Hell Awaits even came out! Unfortunately, the rest of the album, while not bad, just isn't great. In fact, after "Plunging to Megadeath", the second track "Outer Limits" sounds like it features a completely different singer with a completely different band. The whole thing kind of goes like that though -- Hallows Eve sounds a little like Metallica sometimes, a little like Maiden later, and then on to sounding like Anthrax. 

1. Plunging to Megadeath
2. Outer Limits
3. Horrorshow
4. The Mansion
5. There Are No Rules
6. Valley of the Dolls
7. Metal Merchants
8. Hallow's Eve

Score: 6/10

Megadeth - Killing is My Business... and Business is Good! - June 12, 1985

Well finally, the last of the "Big Four" throw their hat into the ring. It's understandable though, since Mustaine had to recover from being kicked out of the Band Who Would Be the Biggest in the Land, and recover he did. You'd expect Megadeth's debut to sound like Kill 'Em All but it really doesn't, it has a sound that's pretty unique -- hell, it has a piano intro, which is a definite first for thrash! But it also shows that Metallica didn't just fire an alcoholic egomaniac, it showed that they fired an alcoholic egomaniac who can write a mean song and fucking SHRED.

The song are great, but they really get going with "Rattlehead" (Dave's answer to "Whiplash"?), continues with "Chosen Ones" and finishes off the trifecta with "Looking Down the Cross". The songs are quick, dynamic, well-written and catchy as hell. But then we come crashing down to Earth a little... "The Four Horsemen" shits all over "Mechanix" and it's painfully obvious. Dave, they took your song and made it better, that's it. Oh, and another shitty thrash cover song... thankfully I've been listening to the re-release with "These Boots" at the end, and it seriously makes the album easier to listen to.

1. Last Rites/Loved to Deth
2. Killing is My Business... and Business is Good!
3. Skull Beneath the Skin
4. These Boots
5. Rattlehead
6. Chosen Ones
7. Looking Down the Cross
8. Mechanix

Score: 8.5/10

Destruction - Infernal Overkill - May 24, 1985

On Destruction's debut EP, the overall sound was pretty aggressive. Something changed with Infernal Overkill though. The whole thing just sounds kind of sterile and the vocals have almost no intensity. The songs aren't great either, as there's nothing really memorable here. It's obvious that Mike Siffringer is a tremendous guitarist but the band has taken a step back from that seminal EP from a year before. There's some good stuff here; "Bestial Invasion" features some great riffs, as does the instrumental, "Thrash Attack" but the whole thing is largely hampered by a lack of memorable songwriting and a pretty poor vocal performance/production.

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

Score: 6/10

Exodus - Bonded By Blood - April 25, 1985

As soon as the first frantic riff of the title track kicks in, it's obvious that this is another step forward for thrash metal. We haven't heard this before. The level of violence has been increased, not only in the riffage, which is obvious, but in the lyrics too. James Hetfield hinted at one of thrash's major lyrical themes of street violence with "Seek & Destroy" but Paul Baloff got downright explicit. I mean, "We'll kick in your face, and rape and murder your wife"? These guys aren't messing around!

There's a bit of a disconnect between Baloff and the rest of the band though. The band -- the 'H-team' and all that -- are a well-oiled killing machine. These guys lock into a groove and are almost business-like about it. They're so fucking tight, it's ridiculous. Then we have Paul fucking Baloff, who is more metal than a goddamn anvil but any true skill or talent he does not have. Paul flails into every song like a drunken street fighter while the band systematically dismembers you with the steady hand of a trained killer. It's a mismatch.

That being said, this is probably the most influential thrash record we've seen other than the first two and Ride the Lightning. Bands will emulate this style throughout the 80's to varying degrees of success -- hell, bands are still emulating it. Is it the best album ever made? No, there are songs that are less than great, but Bonded by Blood is one of those blueprint albums, and it's a good one.

1. Bonded By Blood
2. Exodus
3. And Then There Were None
4. A Lesson in Violence
5. Metal Command
6. Piranha
7. No Love
8. Deliver Us to Evil
9. Strike of the Beast

Score: 8.5/10

Overkill - Feel the Fire - April 15, 1985

As soon as album-opener "Raise the Dead" kicks in, it's pretty apparent that Overkill are no rookies. The band possesses an obvious sense of drama, a flair for the epic and a serious knack for writing great songs, so much so that I truly believe that if Iron Maiden were a thrash band from New Jersey, they'd sound a hell of a lot like Overkill did in 1985. Feel the Fire is all at once a throwback and a forward-thinking affair -- it sounds a lot like the NWOBHM-meets-punk of Kill 'Em All, but at the same time it thrashes like no one really has yet. At a time when most of their brethren were banging their head against the wall at 100 mph, Overkill fully understand the dynamics of fast versus slow, heavy versus soft, and use them to great success.

Blitz's vocals are an obvious highlight. Sure, Hetfield and Araya can scream and convey anger and hatred, but Bobby can do those things and then croon and warble like (a decidedly less talented and trained) Ronnie James Dio! Bobby G's performance on guitar is another plus. Precise when it needs to be, sloppy when it wants to be and always deadly, Gustafson's riffs serve as inspiration for countless thrash guitarists-to-be. Add to that DD's thundering bass and Rat's lively drumwork, and you have the total package. I haven't even mentioned the songs, but it doesn't really matter. The album is as solid as any.

With Feel the Fire, Overkill established themselves as one of the premier bands of the fledgling thrash movement. They've put themselves in the same league as Metallica and Slayer, and at that point it's very prestigious company. How they didn't get thrown in to the "Big #", I'll never know but maybe it was for the best -- just look at them now. "Ride high, ride tall, Overkill will never fall."

1. Raise the Dead
2. Rotten to the Core
3. There's No Tomorrow
4. Second Son
5. Hammerhead
6. Feel the Fire
7. Blood and Iron
8. Kill at Command
9. Overkill
10. Sonic Reducer

Score: 9.5/10

Razor - Executioner's Song - April, 1985

At this point, Razor are still pretty much the same band that released the Armed and Dangerous EP. The new songs are a little different, with a bit more of a thrash feel to them, especially "Escape the Fire", "Gatecrasher" and "Deathrace", but this is still fun, loud speed metal for the most part. Dave Carlo and company have obviously been listening to what's been happening in the scene though. There's an attempt at greater aggression and varied songwriting in the newer songs, so much so that the old songs from the EP sound almost poppy in comparison. The better songs from Armed and Dangerous still kill though. "Take This Torch" will go down as one of my all-time favourites.

1. Take This Torch
2. Fast and Loud
3. City of Damnation
4. Escape the Fire
5. March of Death
6. Distant Thunder
7. Hot Metal
8. Gatecrasher
9. Deathrace
10. Time Bomb
11. The End

Score: 7/10

Blessed Death - Kill or Be Killed - April, 1985

Well here we have it, folks; the first of the pretenders. Blessed Death were a band hailing from that famous little place called Old Bridge, New Jersey and how the hell they got a record out before Overkill, I'll never know, because this is some pretty pedestrian sounding shit. These guys play fast and the vocalist can fucking belt it out like crazy, but Blessed Death manage to sound generic before the genre had even fully formed! It's obvious these guys can play, but the songwriting just isn't there, as nothing memorable presents itself at all.

1. Melt Down
2. Pig Slaughter
3. Omen of Fate
4. Into the Ovens
5. Knights of Old Bridge
6. Eternal War
7. Blessed Death
8. Napalm
9. Kill or Be Killed

Score: 1/10

Whiplash - Power and Pain - March, 1985

When I first heard Whiplash, I was a little surprised to find out they were from New Jersey and not Germany. The riffing is aggressive as fuck and the vocals are totally shredded, much like Sodom or Kreator. Whiplash are more speed than thrash, but their aggressiveness makes for a bit of a thrashy experience. Songs like "Red Bomb" and "War Monger" really blur the line, but for the most part this is really solid, aggressive speed metal but worthy of a mention in the thrash conversation.

1. Stage Dive
2. Red Bomb
3. Last Man Alive
4. Message in Blood
5. War Monger
6. Power Thrashing Death
7. Stirring the Cauldron
8. Spit on your Grave
9. Nailed to the Cross

Score: 7/10

Anthrax - Armed and Dangerous - February, 1985

This is a funny little EP. But it's obviously a message from Anthrax saying, "Don't worry, we're still here and our new singer can wail just as well as, if not better than our old one!" It starts off well enough with the title track, which has always been one of my favourite 'Thrax tunes... and it's also immediately obvious that Joey can fucking wail! The other new original, "Raise Hell" is alright, and wouldn't sound out of place on Fistful of Metal, but Anthrax is already demonstrating a penchant for inserting stupid cover songs on their albums. Why do I need to hear Joey Belladonna do his best Johnny Rotten impression? I don't. Stop it.

As far as I'm concerned, the main reason to own this EP is for the two re-recordings of the Fistful of Metal tracks. The instrumentation is largely the same, but this is Joey going "Neil? Neil who, motherfuckers?" So what if this weirdo likes Journey? Dude can melt your fucking face! Still though, not the greatest album. It's just a nice introduction for a new singer.

1. Armed and Dangerous
2. Raised Hell
3. God Save the Queen
4. Metal Thrashing Mad
5. Panic
6. Soldiers of Metal
7. Howling Furies

Score: 6/10

Carnivore - Carnivore - January, 1985

Like a lot of people, I was first introduced to the weird world of Peter Steele through Type O Negative, and while the doomy, gothic sounds of that band are lightyears away from the post-apocalyptic speed-thrash of Carnivore, the same wit and humour still applies. The first three songs here are total fucking winners, with pounding double bass, downright maniacal vocals and some pretty hilarious lyrics -- a trend that would continue throughout the album.

There are some tunes that aren't great, like "Armageddon" and "Legion of Doom", and the fact that the vocals are just so out front and powerful kind of wears on you as the album goes on, but this is a solid album. It's also a pretty unique album, especially considering this is a thrash (crossover?) album fron NYC in 1985.  How about that wacky chorus in "God is Dead"? It's too bad Lord Petrus had to leave us so soon, even if he wasn't making new Carnivore music (although he WAS playing shows with a new Carnivore lineup).

1. Predator
2. Carnivore
3. Male Supremacy
4. Armageddon
5. Legion of Doom
6. God is Dead
7. Thermonuclear Warrior
8. World Wars III and IV

Score: 7.5/10

Znowhite - All Hail to Thee - 1984

Znowhite are unique for the simple fact that their vocalist is female. Other than some band named Thrash Queen, which from what I can tell are thrash in name only, there were no other female-fronted thrash bands around in 1984. Is Nicole Lee a great singer? No, not really, but she gets the job done. The music itself is pretty competent speed/thrash for 1984, with little to offer in terms of originality. Songs like "Sledgehammer" and "Bringin' the Hammer Down" are actually pretty enjoyable though. Unfortunately, tracks like "Never Felt Like This" exist as well.

1. Sledgehammer
2. Saturday Night
3. Somethin' for Nothin'
4. Bringin' the Hammer Down
5. Do Or Die
6. Never Felt Like This
7. Rock City Destination

Score: 4/10

Destruction - Sentence of Death - November 10, 1984

Destruction's first EP was pretty indicative of the sound they would always play -- definitely more melodic than Sodom but more abrasive than Metallica, their sound is a lively, snarling style, not unlike bands we would hear from a little later like Overkill and Exodus. There's a bit of sloppiness here and the songwriting chops haven't fully formed, but songs like "Total Desaster" and "Mad Butcher" really rip, but the quality slowly declines as the album goes on. The closer, "Devil's Soldiers" is the worst, seemingly going for a pounding, almost totally non-melodic style that just doesn't suit the band. All in all, it's a fun little EP, and a nice introduction to the band.

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

Score: 7.5/10

Dark Angel - We Have Arrived - November 5, 1984

Some bands who attain greatness at some point in their career have rather mediocre debuts. Dark Angel is one of those bands. We Have Arrived is neither good nor bad -- it's just kind of there. There are flashes of brilliance to be sure, hell "Merciless Death" is one of the best songs they've ever written but it sounds a hell of a lot better on Darkness Descends. "No Tomorrow" has some good moments too, as does the title track but the over all feel just isn't the vicious, riffdiculous Dark Angel we would all come to love.

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

Score: 5/10

Metallica - Ride the Lightning - August 15, 1984

So 11 days earlier, Slayer cracks the door to the world of thrash metal open, much like a deranged Jack Nicholson in The Shining with Haunting the Chapel. On this day, August 15, 1984 (coincidentally my younger brother's second birthday) Metallica blasts the motherfucker open with this masterpiece and slays everybody in that dang room! Metallica go at it a little differently than Slayer though. While Jack's simple and effective axe is a perfect metaphor for Slayer's brutal and ultra-violent style, Metallica go with a katana -- an equally effective killing tool, but there is a beauty in its killing style. Metallica make thrash a true artform with this one.

This album is perfect in nearly every way. I've heard it countless times and I can still sit and listen to it, eyes closed, from front to back and not get bored or antsy, as I just did now. The production is unbelievable. You can't show me an album 28 years later that sounds better than this album. The arrangement is masterful. So good in fact that Metallica would virtually clone it two years later with Master of Puppets. The one-two punch of "Fight Fire With Fire" and "Ride the Lightning" is devastating. The following of the beautiful and moving "Fade to Black" with the all-out thrasher "Trapped Under Ice" is equally so. And the album closer, oh what a fucking closer! An instrumental that truly transcends genres, "The Call of Ktulu" is a nearly 9-minute epic, with Cliff's bass wailing and groaning like the mythical sea beast that the song was titled after.

As far as I'm concerned this is the album that really announced the genre's arrival. I had to double-check that it was indeed released in 1984! I mean, look at what we've heard so far. There's nothing that even approaches the level of songwriting, musicianship and production values within the genre. 

OK, I guess I'm done gushing. This will probably end up being the longest review I write in here, and it was the easiest as well.

1. Fight Fire With Fire
2. Ride the Lightning
3. For Whom the Bell Tolls
4. Fade to Black
5. Trapped Under Ice
6. Escape
7. Creeping Death
8. The Call of Ktulu

Score: 10/10

Voivod - War and Pain - August 10, 1984

This just isn't very good. I've never been a big fan of Voivod, but truth be told I've only ever listened to their first three albums, which is probably the reason I just can't bring myself to listen to their later material. At any rate, we're talking about War and Pain right now, and to me, they should have just called it Pain. It's not a complete train wreck, but this is some pretty sloppy, messy, Motorhead-tinged speed/thrash. The vocals are OK, the lyrics are ridiculous, some nice riffs and leads show up every now and then, and the whole thing just kind of runs into one long cacophony that doesn't hold my attention one bit.

1. Voivod
2. Warriors of Ice
3. Suck Your Bone
4. Iron Gang
5. War and Pain
6. Blower
7. Live For Violence
8. Black City
9. Nuclear War

Score: 3/10

Slayer - Haunting the Chapel - August 4, 1984

This EP, this little tiny 3-song EP is where thrash becomes THRASH. It's almost immediately recognizable. As "Chemical Warfare" kicks in, there's a noticeable increase in darkness, in aggression, in violence... and then Araya comes in sounding like a demented madman and it's settled: this is what thrash will be. "Chemical Warfare" is easily the best song here, and among the best in Slayer's vast catalog. The other two are still good, just a little less so. The title track really has an "Angel of Death" vibe going on during the verse. The guitar solos are a little more towards that dissonant style that Slayer would develop later but still pretty good, and Lombardo still isn't amazing either. This is some quality, early thrash though. I just wish there was more of it.

1. Chemical Warfare
2. Captor of Sin
3. Haunting the Chapel

Score: 8.5/10

Sodom - In the Sign of Evil - May 5, 1984

And yet another debut album from a classic thrash band that isn't quite thrash. But this ain't freaking speed metal, kids. This is first wave black metal! This has to be one of the absolute heaviest things around at the time. The production is a little lacking, especially for thrash, with the guitars a little low and the drums and demented vocals way out front, but the effect isn't lost. This is heavy, ugly, snarly, Venom-inspired blasphemy. It's pretty simple blasphemy though. The riff-o-ramas from later Sodom albums haven't made an appearance yet, as most of the songs consist of about 2-3 real riffs. 

1. Outbreak of Evil
2. Sepulchral Voice
3. Blasphemer
4. Witching Metal
5. Burst Command til War

Score: 6.5/10

Razor - Armed and Dangerous - May, 1984

Another album more on the speed side of things, but still a pretty important release since Razor would become one of the more active thrash bands throughout the 80's. This is more or less pure Motorhead worship, right down to the vocals. Most of this stuff would show up on their full-length debut, Executioner's Song, and it seems to work best when they keep it short and fast like on "Hot Metal" or "Take This Torch". Some fine guitar work here for sure, but really nothing all that memorable... well, except for "Take This Torch", I keep screaming that chorus in my car! And how awesome is that album cover?

1. The End

2. Killer Instinct

3. Hot Metal

4. Armed and Dangerous

5. Take This Torch

6. Ball and Chain

7. Fast and Loud

Score: 6/10

Anthrax - Fistful of Metal - February, 1984

More of a speed metal band at this point, Anthrax's debut doesn't quite have the same impact of the first two thrash LP's. There are thrash moments to be sure, like Metal Thrashing Mad and Howling Furies, but most of it adds nothing to the fledgling thrash movement. This really doesn't sound like Anthrax anyway, and not just because of Neil Turbin's over-the-top vocals... Scott Ian and co. just haven't found that signature Anthrax sound that would be so obvious on their next album. One 'groundbreaking' thing about this album is that it's the first to feature the Ill-advised Thrash Metal Cover Song. I'm Eighteen totally fucks up any and all momentum created by the first two tracks. They don't butcher it or anything, but fuck... leave it until the end or throw it on a b-side. 

1. Deathrider
2. Metal Thrashing Mad
3. I'm Eighteen
4. Panic
5. Subjugator
6. Soldiers of Metal
7. Death From Above
8. Anthrax
9. Across the River
10. Howling Furies

Score: 6/10

Slayer - Show No Mercy - December 3, 1983

The second thrash LP! It's really a unique album for Slayer, nothing else in their catalogue sounds much like it. The main reason for that is probably the fact that, like Kill 'Em All, it's still really heavily rooted in the NWOBHM sound, albeit a bit more on the evil side with Slayer playing Venom to Metallica's Motorhead. Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman actually bust out some pretty nice solos here too, which is something later Slayer records lack. Lombardo's work here is not his best, but it's light years ahead of Ulrich's. Sorry to keep comparing the two, but Show No Mercy and Kill 'Em All will always be linked in my mind. They were the first two, and still among the best.

1. Evil Has No Boundaries
2. The Antichrist
3. Die By the Sword
4. Fight Till Death
5. Metal Storm/Face the Slayer
6. Black Magic
7. Tormentor
8. The Final Command
9. Crionics
10. Show No Mercy

Score: 8.5/10

Metallica - Kill 'Em All - July 13, 1983

What can you say about an album like Kill 'Em All that hasn't already been said? It's really a groundbreaking piece of music, obviously influenced by the NWOBHM with most of the music being pretty heavily rooted in that style. One great thing about this album is that most of the songs fall into the 4 to 5 minute range, keeping things fresh and interesting, which is something Metallica would start to have trouble with as soon as 3 years later. Unfortunately, the writing is already on the wall for Metallica as the best tunes are the ones that Dave Mustaine helped write.

1. Hit the Lights

2. The Four Horsemen

3. Motorbreath

4. Jump In the Fire

5. (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth

6. Whiplash

7. Phantom Lord

8. No Remorse

9. Seek & Destroy

10. Metal Militia

Score: 8/10

Number One

A few months ago, I started on a bit of a thrash metal journey. I decided I wanted to start where it all began, with Metallica's Kill 'Em All and listen to everything I could get my hands on until... well, whenever I decide to stop, and write reviews for each album. I'm not an accomplished writer by any means, but I can string a sentence together, so hopefully my reviews are at least mildly enjoyable. I originally started posting my little journey on lastrit.es and www.metalsetlists.com and will continue to do so, but I thought I may reach a wider audience with a dedicated blog. At any rate, I'll start posting reviews soon.