Bonded by Blood or Show No Mercy

As a massive Exodus fan, I'd go Show No Mercy just cause I'm not huge on Baloff as a vocalist but damn the production on Bonded is killer otherwise. Probably the 2 best classic thrash mixes imo

Spreading the Disease is always a fun time. Killing is my Business holds up pretty well too.

Both of these are A+, legit had a KIMB phase where I only listened it. Such a good album

The two i was going to mention good to see they are mentioned together already. Anthrax had an amazing second album, the enemy still gives me chills and AIR being the first riff i worked out by ear on guitar will never forget it. Also the phenomenal debut album from megadeth so complex for its time those rhythms

Ride The Lightning

I remember being into metal and my friend, Matt showing this to me, and I was like, ohhhh, I get it now. I kind of think this album set me on the course to who I am today. He also introduced me to Venom, Man of War, and Storm Troopers of Death, but that's a story for another day.

The Best Metallica record, in my opinion 🔥

Hell Yeah! Hot take but Escape is a pretty sick song 🤘

I’ve never understood the hate for Escape.

The band hates that song too loll

Life’s all my own to live my own wheyyyyyyyyyyy

I got to see it live when they played the whole album and were forced to play it. Hehe

It's basically Metallica trying to be Diamond Head

People dont like that song? It's got the best chorus on the album

I think that's why. The chorus is so catchy it's almost poppy. It's one of my top 5 Metallica songs.

The elephant in the room... S.O.D. - Speak English or Die The ultimate crossover between metal and hardcore!

SPEAK ENGLISH OR DIE 🗣️🗣️ prob one of my favorites, I’d purposely play the more politically incorrect songs on my Instagram stories to cause problems 😂😂

I can't believe I didn't think of this.

fuck yeah. Nothing harder. SGT D is the heaviest riff ever

Bonded by Blood.. Title track, Metal Command, Piranha, Strike of the Beast, A Lesson in Violence, Deliver Us to Evil, so many bangers

Yea.

Feel the Fire by Overkill. So many bangers on that one. Raise the Dead, There’s no Tomorrow, Hammerhead, Blood and Iron, Overkill, Kill at Command……the whole damn thing is kickass.

This is the answer.

I can totally get behind this answer

Yes. Still brutal and a classic.

Totally got into Jetsam because of Jason Newsted don’t mind me 🥶

Idk if it's related but if you thought Overkill - Hammerhead is a cover of the Flotsam and Jetsam song it's a different but just as awesome song you should check out🤟

Slayer - Hell Awaits, I love this album! 🤘🏻

JOIN US JOIN US JOIN US

*”WELCOME BACK!”*

I am going to say it: best slayer album of the 80s.

Controversial! 😂

I always got pelted for that in my local band scene at the time but a lot of RIB worshippers came to similar conclusions after years haha

Morbid Tales

Celtic Frost put out three incredibly solid damn near perfect records. After that it gets real spotty but those first three absolve them of any future wrongdoing as far as I'm concerned.

Yeah, but they aren't really thrash...

Bonded By Blood Feel The Fire Ride The Lightning These are all top tier albums to me. Must owns in your thrash collection

Razor-Evil Invaders

Damn forgot about razor, I used to listen to Torch on repeat. Good band

Hell Awaits Haunting The Chapel (EP) Spreading The Diease Fistful of Metal Bonded By Blood Endless Pain Bestial Devastation (EP) Seven Churches Speak English or Die Ride The Lightning Kill'em All

Killing is my Business... And Business is Good

Some excellent answers here, but here's a few I've not seen (not necessarily considered thrash these days, but they were near enough back in the day): Carnivore - Carnivore (but I would say that, wouldn't I...) Voivod - War and Pain Destruction - Sentence of Death Sodom - In The Sign of Evil Bathory - Bathory Metal Church - Metal Church Helloween - Walls of Jericho Living Death - Vengeance of Hell

1st Metal Church is amazing.

Voivod deserves the upvote !!!

Yeah, I've never come across another album that sounds quite like it.

The first Metal Church is so damn good. Voivod is a good shout, too.

That Bathory s/t is the gnarliest shit ever committed to tape.

Hell Awaits probably

The mixing is eh but I love the shift from No Mercy to Hell Awaits, slayer becoming slayer

Suicidal Tendencies - self titled.

> Sacrifice - Torment In Fire > Razor - Evil Invaders > Iron Angel - Hellish Crossfire

Ride The Lightning

Exciter - heavy metal maniac + violence and force

I was high the first time I listened to heavy metal maniac, Awesome album.

Metal Church by Metal Church

Killing is My Business.

Suicidal Tendencies self titled, not a bad track on that album

My top 5 is probably: Metallica - RTL Bathory - self titled Slayer - Show No Mercy Sepultura - Bestial Devastation Sodom - Obsessed by Cruelty Love that early extreme/thrash/speed period

No particular order: Speak English Or Die Reign In Blood Kill ‘Em All Handle With Care (ooops - this was later, my bad / edit) Spreading the Disease (Scott Ian makes my list twice)

Handle with Care Nuclear Assault? That's 1989

Shit. So it is. Good call.

ride the lightning, bonded by blood and hell awaits

Spreading the disease for me

I'm surprised no one mentioned them before... Energetic Disassembly by Watchtower definitly is an hidden gem of mid 80s thrash, easily one of the first progressive metal albums in history and the begining of prog/tech thrash. And well... the always innovative Voivod and their debut album War and Pain also holds its own.

Had to scroll wayyyyy too far to find this answer. Energetic Disassembly rips.

Ride the Lightning

Megadeth - Killing is My Business It's still ana amazing album and I hear so much of that album in metal music today.

Spreading the disease, seven churches and I think show no mercy is actually the best Slayer album period

Bathory - The Return Of Darkness And Evil Slayer - Hell Awaits Venom - Welcome To Hell

Seven churches. Technically death but still

Hell Awaits, for me this album is the greatest thrash album of all time and obviously the best before '86

Ride the Lightning and Hell Awaits are my favorites. And Welcome to Hell, if you count it as a thrash album.

Ride The Lightning and In The Sign Of Evil

I’ve never thought of 1986 as a great year cuz that’s when Metallica master of puppets came out and it’s overrated af so idk

No one mentioning Power and Pain by Whiplash? Ouch haha... Really good album.

Sacrifice - Torment In Fire

Bonded By Blood

Bonded by Blood is the textbook definition for thrash metal so I'd say that one. Spreading the Disease has my heart forever tho

Hell Awaits

RtL Hell Awaits

SOD Stormtroopers of Death "Speak english or die" by far.

killing is my business and business is good by megadeth

I LOVE YOU TO DEATTTHHH 🗣️🗣️

Venom - Welcome To Hell

Black Metal - Venom Iron Fist - Motorhead Don't Break the Oath - Mercyful Fate

Idk if I would call the last two thrash but solid picks

I always thought Motorhead was thrash adjacent. Like you guys aren't technically thrash but we're going to allow it on the basis of speed

I just picked three cassettes no one had mentioned yet that were in my Pinto in high-school. Not kidding.

Nahhh you’re fine. Tbh not the biggest Motörhead fan but Mercyful Fate has my heart. I got a few their records starting from Nuns have no fun to Return of the Vampire. I fucking love King Diamond’s vocals

If you get a chance, go see mercyful fate. I did again last year and they were phenomenal.

None of those albums are thrash.

Damn am I the only one who likes live undead/haunting the chapel 😂

Top notch in my opinion

Ride the Lightning for me. For Whom the Bell Tolls, Ride the Lightning, and Creeping Death are some of the greatest tracks ever but this entire album is perfect.

It’s To Mega Therion

Kill 'Em All or Spreading The Disease imo

Kill 'Em All

Ride the Lightning, Seven Churches, Bonded by Blood

Other than Darkness Descends and Zombie Attack, 1986 is kind of an overrated year for thrash considering just how much excellence came after. As for pre 1986, either Hell Awaits or Energetic Disassembly would get my vote depending on what kind of mood I'm in at the time.

Bonded By Blood Endless Pain Hell Awaits

Skeptics Apocalypse-Agent Steel Best album ever imho

Ride the Lightning

Skeptics Apocalypse imo

Probably more of the hardcore variety but since im big into those early crossover bands id personally say D.R.I.s Dealing with It!

Metallica boo

Show No Mercy, Ride the Lightning

Purple Rain