The Best Thrash / Speed Metal Album - Metal Storm Awards 2025

Coroner - Dissonance Theory

Even if Grin had come out three years ago, Dissonance Theory still would have been hailed as another Coroner classic, another feather-in-cap demonstration of how a thrash band with serious chops and ingenuity challenges itself for a sixth time running.  But Grin came out thirty-three years ago.  For Coroner to sound this intense, this creative, this vital, after half a lifetime away is nothing short of unbelievable.  Dissonance Theory is technical, riff-inundated, and unpredictable, filled with songs you could easily call progressive were it not for the feral directness of its thrash attitude, but it also carries with it the groovier, more mood-focused and mid-paced elements advanced on Grin, making it feel like a real continuation of where Coroner left off.  "Just who is in charge now?" Ron Royce growls.  It's Coroner, absolutely dominating the old-school thrash resurgence so clearly it's embarrassing.

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Hazzerd - The 3rd Dimension

The Canadian thrashers are back! Hazzerd, the band led by vocalist, drummer, and main lyricist Dylan "Shoes" Westendorp, are simply on fire, dishing out one sizzling hot thrash banger after another. On their 3rd album, Hazzerd take you on an interdimensional trip through a variety of fictional universes, referencing Star Wars and Marvel Comics in their lyrics. The accompanying guitar work varies from wild, fun, and energetic to melancholic and thoughtful as the guitarist duo unleashes a blistering combo of solos and riffs. With tongue-in-cheek lyrics and music videos, this talented band shows that it can deliver addictive and accomplished thrash metal that doesn't take itself too seriously. So if you want to hear what the best of modern thrash metal has to offer, you've come to the right place!

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Hexecutor - …Where Spirit Withers In Its Flesh Constraint

Regardless of how quasi-unretired they are, it seems likely that we'll never get another Slayer record, so when you flip on …Where Spirit Withers In Its Flesh Constraint and hear those unmistakable chaos riffs and feral screams, there's a little swell of joy in knowing that somebody's going to keep the sound alive (not to mention some clear Sodom heritage).  But obvious homage wears thin when that's the warp and woof of one's endeavors, so just as you're beginning to think you get the gist of Hexecutor, they burst into some brand new black metal melodies and dial that scream into a scalpel.  Hexecutor can pull off the fundamentals very well, but once they turn on the killer guitar work and start digging into the blackened side, they become a colorful addition to the exciting wave of overpowered blackened thrash we're enjoying these days.

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Sacrifice - Volume Six

Canadian thrashers Sacrifice’s heyday was around the late ‘80s, but there was always a feeling among fans that they never got the recognition they deserved. 16 years after their first comeback album that was the brilliant The Ones I Condemn comes Volume Six, a raging thrasher, playing the role of a second comeback album. Featuring the original lineup, it is a mystery how a band finds the energy to be this raw and violent after its members reach a certain age, but Sacrifice’s latest offering delivers on all fronts and is close to a masterclass on how thrash metal should be played.

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Sijjin - Helljjin Combat

Helljjin Combat is without a doubt the most hellish entry in our thrash metal category this year. But Sijjin’s sophomore album is much more than another rendition of Sumerian horror by this trio. Helljjin Combat also represents a decisive step outside Necros Christos’s shadow. By toning down the influence of their death metal past and embracing the galloping intensity of technical thrash metal, Sijjin have now attained a voice of their own. The result ends up sounding both primitive and meticulous at the same time due to how pummeling the riffs are, while the production remains pristine. The listener would do well in contemplating the creepy artwork. It is a perfect representation of what they will have to face: morbid basslines, devilish vocals, face-melting guitar solos that bleed heavy metal passion, and the looming threat of a quick burst of death metal violence at every corner.

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Species - Changelings

Species, a promising new band from Poland, delivers an energetic thrash metal experience amongst a sea of complexity, with wave upon wave of progressive guitar work crashing in from all sides. Maintaining an energetic, fast pace, the intricate, multi-layered guitar work takes center stage. The great production quality of 20 Buck Spin showcases the elaborate progressive melodies, immersing listeners in a dense web of riffs. Species are true experts in their style of serpentine, labyrinthine guitar playing, entertaining their listeners with both biting, fast-paced riffs and hypnotizing, melodic solos. With satisfying melodies streaming in from all directions, with their sophomore effort Changelings, they've delivered a tasty batch of progressive thrash that any fan of the genre should enjoy.

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Sulfator - Gemini

Despite forming over a decade ago, only now are Sulfator releasing a debut full-length album. The intervening years featured a self-released EP that has disappeared from all legal listening avenues and subsequently a four-year hiatus; based on the few descriptions available online of Feed The Demon, it seems that the French quartet completely revolutionized their sound following said hiatus, as Gemini is a monstrous progressive thrash/technical death rampage to rival the band's influences in Vektor, Voivod, and Obscura. Laser-speed riffs possess bite and hookiness in equal measure, blackened guitar textures flesh out the record's atmosphere, and incendiary instrumental virtuosity leaves jaws firmly planted on the floor. Furthermore, proggy clean/melodic breaks, while used sparingly, add another dimension to a devastating multifaceted experience. While the first iteration of Sulfator seems to have had a failure to launch, Sulfator 2.0 are launching into the stratosphere with Gemini.

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Testament - Para Bellum

Testament are back with what may be their most exciting release of the last ten, if not twenty years. After a series of good albeit progressively weaker and less inspired albums, the thrash legends come back with a revitalized and aggressive sound, often flirting as much with death metal as they do with thrash. Newcomer Chris Dovas must have rejuvenated the other band members (who are twice his age), because everyone is in top form, whether it’s Chuck Billy’s vocals, DiGiorgio’s bass, or Skolnick and Peterson’s guitars. Para Bellum is an onslaught of memorable tracks, riffs, and solos that prove that even bands with more than 40 years of career can still deliver.

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The Haunted - Songs Of Last Resort

Coming after the longest gap to date between releases from The Haunted, Songs Of Last Resort is an album that gets stuck right back into the action. Opening with a rampant assault of melodeath-leaning thrash, the record is a vicious onslaught that lurks somewhere between the biting melodeath of their At The Gates brethren, the groove of peak Lamb Of God, and the jagged energy of modern thrash. Verses rage and slash, solos scintillate, and regular melodic guitar leads add welcome flavour to the underlying fury.

Warbringer - Wrath And Ruin

For twenty years now, Warbringer have been one of the go-to bands for anyone seeking some no-nonsense solid thrash metal. Wrath And Ruin is only here to further that reputation and to once again prove that Warbringer are as consistent as it gets in the genre. There are no big surprises here; you can expect the usual killer riffs and great songwriting, with everyone in the band giving a memorable performance. And sometimes, all you need is some straightforward and fun thrash.

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