From the beginning ‘81 - ‘87
Ahhh, the 80’s and the early days of Thrash Metal.
A time of exponential growth in the genre that would become THE most powerful and glorious force in the entirety of the known Thrash Metalverse.
The speed, the riffs, ALL of it: The 1980’s gave us the birth (and further evolutionary refinement) of Thrash Metal.
If you’re reading this, then you already know that we here at Metal Nerdery LOVE THRASH and would delight in being able to listen to, play and/or talk about Thrash all the time!
But in order to know where you’re headed, you’ve got to first take a look back at where you’ve been. (And thus, we have: backshadowing, or as they say in France: baqueshadeauxing).
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So go ahead and stop whatever you’re doing (not that important)
Prepare a double dose of your favorite relaxer (actually extremely important),
Block out some time (call it “work life balance” or “a client meeting”) and JOIN US as we go through Discogs.com’s Top 50 Early Thrash Metal Albums listicle and gain some insight as to the evolution of Thrash Metal throughout the 80’s.
Songs, albums, artwork, record and tape shops, shows…time to jump in the Metal Nerdery Time Tunnel and go back to The Golden Age of Thrash: time to go back to the 19motherfucking80’s!!
The Albums
Show Notes
(00:00): Show us on the doll…/valuable life lessons/S.A.D./Discogs.com Top 50 Early Thrash Metal Albums (1981-1987)/Venom-Welcome to Hell, proper production, and “happy black metal” (Is “In League with Satan” aka Venom’s “Escape”?) #eviler #backshadowing through #backmasking (Welcome to Hell)
(09:02): Anvil-Metal on Metal (Metal on Metal)/MORE Venom-Black Metal (Buried Alive) #softintro (do they ALWAYS whisper in Hell?): Baphomet is Baphomay, Boba Fett is Boba Fay/The KISS of Black Metal
(16:04): It’s NOT Exciter x3: Exciter-Heavy Metal Maniac (Heavy Metal Music): Motorhead style #highwaymetal/Anvil-Forged in Fire #readthosetitles (Motor Mount, Hard Times and Fast Ladies)/#yorelore
(22:12): #crickets/The NEXT 3 albums…#6 (July 1983) The Debut (better see a chiropractor about that) #gamechanger/Metallica-Kill’em All (Whiplash) #nevergetsold/6 months later, Satan got a Christmas shout out: Slayer-Show No Mercy (Evil Has No Boundaries)/Old jam memories/Another brush with Big 4 Greatness: Mr. Neil Turbin and Anthrax-Fistful of Metal (Metal Thrashing Mad) #rocksballs
(29:39): Exciter-Violence and Force (another Canadian 3 piece…no, it’s a different power threesome …nope, not that one either)/#crickets and Awesome Song Titles (Pounding Metal)/Venom-At War With Satan (Venom and Satan are #bolth in counseling #itscomplicated)/#11 (check out our Album Dive Episode) /Metal Church-Metal Church (Metal Church): Metal Church x3: YAHTZEE (the new boxset from Exciter)! #projectband A really Small #funsizedDio
(37:30): Piledriver-Metal Inquisition (check out that album cover!): wait WHAT? #songtitles/Celtic Frost- Morbid Tales (Dethroned Emperor)/WTF was that Celtic Frost song they used to play on WREKage?/Onslaught: Power from Hell (Remember, it was the 80’s) #hellisbrutal (Is that Ahrnold?)
(44:02): Slayer-Hell Awaits (#16): Check out the Album Dive Episode!/Exodus-Bonded by Blood (Bonded by Blood) #murderinthefrontrow #getthrashed/Razor: Executioner’s Song (Take This Torch)/#canyouhearmenow/Overkill-Feel The Fire (Rotten to the Core) and past Overkill show memories (including the LEGENDARY Civic Center show: email us at metalnerdery@gmail.com)
(53:05): Destruction: Infernal Overkill/#21 (Whaddya Mean?) Megadeth: Killing is my Business…and Business is Good (Mechanix aka The Fifth Horsemen)/Celtic Frost-Emperor’s Return EP/Stormtroopers of Death (check out our Humor Metal and SOD Album Dive episodes)/Kreator-Endless Pain (Endless Pain)
(59:52): Anthrax-Spreading the Disease (S.S.C./Stand or Fall)/Possessed-Seven Churches and The First Death Metal album EVAHHH (The Exorcist (see also Mike Oldfield-Tubular Bells), Pentagram)/Celtic Frost-To Mega Therion: The Master of Puppets of Celtic Frost (Circle of Tyrants, The Usurper) check out the #albumcover
(1:07:22): Razor-Evil Invaders/Exciter-Long Live the Loud (check out Skeletor’s Sword)/Zoetrope-Amnesty (very obscure!)/#surprise (February 1986 #joyfulnoise) Metallica-Master of Puppets (The Thing That Should Not Be) #huevosgrandes #crunchybottom (Go check out Cliff ‘Em All and Binge and Purge)
(1:13:03): More Razor/Destruction-Eternal Devastation/Flotsam and Jetsam-Doomsday for the Deceiver (a testament to Jason Newsted’s musical geniusdom): Hammerhead (#listenuplars this is what SLAPPIN DE BASS is supposed to SOUND LIKE! \m/ >^<\m/) /#35 (1986): Megadeth-Peace Sells but Who’s Buying? (Wake Up Dead) #killeropener/NO INTRO NEEDED: #albumdiveiscoming Track 8: Slayer-Reign in Blood (Epidemic)
(1:20:53): Nuclear Assault and The Dan Lilker aggro bass (Radiation Sickness)/Metal Church-The Dark (Ton of Bricks)/Dark Angel-Darkness Descends (Burning of Sodom: also check out the Pig Destroyer cover version)/Kreator-Pleasure to Kill (Pleasure to Kill)/Overkill-Taking Over (Powersurge)
(1:29:38): Anthrax-Among the Living (N.F.L.-Efilnikufesin)/Death Angel-The Ultra Violence (Thrashers #thrashmetalchildren)/Testament-The Legacy (part of the Big 5) and a special Rib Lounge Request from Ron: C.O.T.L.O.D.b.l.v.d./Razor-Custom Killing/Infernal Majesty-None Shall Defy/#47-Exodus-Pleasures of the Flesh (Brain Dead) #hailtheHolt
(1:38:59): Sacred Reich-Ignorance (Death Squad) #thoseriffs #longthrashintro (go check out Awakening!)/Kreator-Terrible Certainty, Kreator’s Reign in Blood(?) Tales of Yore (Terrible Certainty)/#50: Zoetrope-A Life of Crime (Detention)