Various bands have played thrash metal at some point of their career. The genre evolved in the early 1980s from combining the drum beats of hardcore punk with the guitar style of the new wave of British heavy metal. It emerged partially as a reaction to the more conventional and widely acceptable glam metal, a less aggressive, pop music-infused heavy metal subgenre which appeared simultaneously.

Four American bands, Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer, are credited with popularizing the genre, earning them the title of the "Big Four of Thrash". In Germany, Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, and Tankard, led the Teutonic thrash metal scene, garnering the nickname "The Big Four of Teutonic Thrash". The Clash of the Titans tour, which featured Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, and Suicidal Tendencies, is considered to be the genre's pinnacle, after which thrash metal saw a decline in popularity throughout the 1990s. Thrash metal has seen a resurgence in recent times, with many of the older bands returning to their roots with their new releases. A new generation of thrash metal bands emerged in the early 2000s, drawing lyrical and visual inspiration from the older groups.

Thrash metal was an inspiration for later extreme genres such as death metal and black metal. This list also includes certain bands which belong to the first wave of black metal. These bands essentially played thrash metal with a heavy emphasis on Satanic and occult themes in the lyrics and imagery. Over the years, thrash metal has developed a few subgenres of its own, such as crossover thrash and groove metal.

A

Band Formed Origin NoteAcid Drinkers1986PolandAcid Reign1985United KingdomAccuser1986GermanyAcrassicauda2001IraqAftermath 1985United StatesAgent Steel1984United StatesAm I Blood1992FinlandAmorphia2012IndiaAnacrusis1986United StatesAngel Dust1984GermanyAngel of Sodom2009FinlandAngelus Apatrida2000SpainAngkor Wat1986United StatesA.N.I.M.A.L.1993ArgentinaAnnihilator1984CanadaAnthrax1981United StatesArtillery1982DenmarkAtomkraft1979United KingdomAtrophy1986United StatesAura Noir1993NorwayAustrian Death Machine2008United States

B

Band Formed Origin NoteBathory1983SwedenBattlecross2003United StatesBeliever1986United StatesBio-Cancer2010GreeceBlack Obelisk ()1986RussiaBlind Illusion1978United StatesBlood Feast1985United StatesBloodstain2023Swedenhttps://www.rocknytt.net/nyheter/181916-bloodstain-signar-med-threeman-recordings-och-slapper-ny-singel (In Swedish)Blood Tsunami2004NorwayBody Count1990United StatesBonded by Blood2005United StatesBrotality2016United StatesBulldozer1980ItalyBullet for My Valentine1998United KingdomByzantine2000United States

C

Band Formed Origin NoteCannibal Corpse1988United StatesCarnal Forge1997SwedenCarnivore1982United StatesCeltic Frost1984SwitzerlandCerebral Fix1986United KingdomChannel Zero1990BelgiumCoroner1983SwitzerlandCrash1991South KoreaCriminal1991ChileCripper2005GermanyCrumbsuckers1982United StatesCryptic Shift2013United KingdomCryptic Slaughter1984United StatesCyclone Temple1989United States

D

Band Formed Origin NoteDarkane1998SwedenDark Angel1981United StatesDead Brain Cells1986CanadaDeath1983United States Death Angel1982United StatesDeceased1984United StatesDefiance1985United StatesDefleshed1991SwedenDeliverance1985United StatesDemiricous2001United StatesDemolition Hammer1986United StatesDesaster1988GermanyDeströyer 6661994AustraliaDestruction1982GermanyDew-Scented1992GermanyDorsal Atlântica1981BrazilDorso1984ChileD.R.I.1982United StatesDust Bolt2007Germany

E

Band Formed Origin NoteEarly Man2003United StatesEmbodyment1993United StatesEnglish Dogs1981United KingdomIan Glasper: Burning Britain - The History of UK Punk 1980 1984. Cherry Red Books, 2004, ISBN 978-1-901447-24-8, p. 211.Epidemic1986United StatesEudoxis1984CanadaEvildead1987United StatesEvile2004United KingdomExciter1978CanadaExhorder1985United StatesExodus1979United StatesThe Exploited1978United KingdomExtol1993NorwayExtrema1986ItalyExumer1985Germany

F

Band Formed Origin NoteFlotsam and Jetsam1981United StatesForbidden1985United StatesForced Entry1983United States

G

Band Formed Origin NoteGama Bomb2002Northern IrelandGeneration Kill2008United StatesGhoul2001United StatesGod Forbid1996United StatesGrinder1987GermanyGwar1984United States

H

Band Formed Origin NoteHämatom2004GermanyHand of Fire2010United StatesHatesphere1998DenmarkHatriot2011United StatesThe Haunted1996SwedenHatchet2006United StatesHavok2004United StatesHeathen1984United StatesHellhammer1981SwitzerlandHelstar1982United StatesHermética1987ArgentinaHirax1982United StatesHobbs' Angel of Death1987AustraliaHolocausto1985BrazilHoly Moses1980GermanyHorcas1988ArgentinaHyades1996Italy

I

Band Formed Origin NoteIced Earth1984United StatesInfernäl Mäjesty1986CanadaIntruder1987United StatesInvocator1987DenmarkIron Angel1983Germany

J

Band Formed Origin NoteJuggernaut1985United States

K

Band Formed Origin NoteKayser2004SwedenKekal1995IndonesiaKillotine2024CanadaKorrozia Metalla1984RussiaKorzus1983BrazilKreator 1982GermanyKraptor2007VenezuelaKryptos1998India

L

Band Formed Origin NoteLȧȧz Rockit1982United StatesLair of the Minotaur2003United StatesLamb of God1994United StatesLawnmower Deth1987United KingdomLazarus A.D.2005United StatesLeeway1984United StatesLegion of the Damned2004NetherlandsLethal1988ArgentinaLiving Death1980GermanyLiving Sacrifice1989United StatesLoudblast1986FranceLost Society2010FinlandLyzanxia1996FranceLich King2004United States

M

Band Formed Origin NoteMachine Head1991United StatesMalefice2003United KingdomMantic Ritual2004United StatesMassakre1982ChileMaster1987RussiaMegadeth1983United StatesMekong Delta1985GermanyMeliah Rage1986United StatesMemorain1999GreeceMessiah1984SwitzerlandMetal Allegiance2014United StatesMetal Church1980United StatesMetallica1981United StatesMerciless1986SwedenM.O.D.1986United StatesMokoma1996FinlandMorbid1986SwedenMorbid Saint1982United StatesMordred1984United StatesMortal Sin1985AustraliaMortification1987AustraliaMunicipal Waste2001United StatesMutilator1985Brazil

N

Band Formed Origin NoteNadimaČ2003SerbiaNailbomb1994United StatesNasty Savage1983United StatesNecrodeath1985ItalyNecronomicon1983GermanyNevermore1991United StatesNervosa2010BrazilNocturnal Breed1996NorwayNuclear1998ChileNuclear Assault1984United States

O

Band Formed Origin NoteObliveon1987CanadaOne Bad Pig1985United StatesOnslaught1983United KingdomOutrage1982JapanOverkill1980United States

P

Band Formed Origin NotePantera1981United StatesParadox1986GermanyPentagram Chile1985ChilePossessed1983United StatesPowersurge2006BangladeshPower Trip2008United States Prong1986United StatesPrototype1994United States

R

Band Formed Origin NoteRAMP1989PortugalRatos de Porão1981BrazilRazor1984CanadaRecon1986United StatesRevocation2006United StatesRifftera2010FinlandRigor Mortis1983United StatesRuin2005United States

S

Band Formed Origin NoteS7N2009MexicoSabbat1985United KingdomSabbat1983JapanSacrament1989United StatesSacred Oath1984United StatesSacred Reich1985United StatesSacrifice1983CanadaSacrilege1984United KingdomSadus1984United StatesSarcófago1985BrazilSanatorium1987MacedoniaSarke2008NorwayScatterbrain1989United StatesSegression1990AustraliaSepultura1984BrazilSeventh Angel1987United KingdomSex Machineguns1989JapanShadows Fall1995United StatesShort Sharp Shock2005United KingdomSkeletonwitch2003United StatesSkin Chamber1991United StatesSkrew1990United StatesSlayer1981United StatesSlaughter1984CanadaSodom1981GermanySoulfly1997United StatesStam1na1996FinlandStone1985FinlandStormtroopers of Death1985United StatesStrapping Young Lad1994CanadaSturmgeist2002NorwaySuicidal Angels2001GreeceSuicidal Tendencies1981United StatesSusperia1998NorwaySwashbuckle2005United StatesSylosis2000United KingdomSystem of a Down1994United States

T

Band Formed Origin NoteTankard1982GermanyTenet1996CanadaTerror 20001999SwedenTestament1983United StatesThanatos1984NetherlandsTonic Breed2006NorwayTourniquet1989United StatesTorque1994United StatesTorturer1989ChileToxic Holocaust1999United StatesToxik1985United StatesTransmetal1987MexicoTremonti2011United StatesTrivium2000United States

U

Band Formed Origin NoteUltimatum1992United StatesUnited1981JapanUnlocking the Truth2007United States

V

Band Formed Origin NoteVarga1989CanadaVektor2002United StatesVengeance Rising1987United StatesVenom1979United KingdomVenom Inc.2015United KingdomViking1986United StatesViolator2002BrazilVio-lence1985United StatesVision of Disorder1992United StatesVoivod1982CanadaVulcano1981Brazil

W

Band Formed Origin NoteWarbringer2004United StatesWatchtower1982United StatesWhiplash1984United StatesWitchery1997SwedenWrust2000Botswana

X

Band Formed Origin NoteXentrix1985United Kingdom

Y

Band Formed Origin NoteYyrkoon1995France

Z

Band Formed Origin NoteZnöwhite1982United StatesZoetrope1978United States

See also

Heavy metal music List of heavy metal bands List of crossover thrash bands List of groove metal bands

References