The 90's was a very dire decade for the thrash genre. With many bands of that genre either splitting up, or persuing new musical directions. Around the turn of the 00's, many of those aforementioned bands returned to playing thrash and/or reformed. Since then, a few of the genres old greats have shown they still have the capability to make amazing thrash music, with some genuine gems being released since thrash's resurgance. So, which album from the 80's thrash veterans do you think is the epitome of the recently regenerated thrash scene?

I love all of the albums that I've listed in the poll, and some others besides them. But if I had to pick only one, I think I'd have to go for "Tempo Of The Damned". As a comeback, they really couldn't have done any better. They managed to imbue their sound with a slight modern touch, but still retained the total thrash mania they delivered in the 80's. And it is more than deserving of sitting alongside their earlier classics like "Bonded By Blood", and "Pleasures Of The Flesh". Truly one of the great comebacks of all time in the metal genre. xD It's just a shame that after this album, both Zetro and Rick Hunolt exited the band...

Tempo of the Damned, definitely. What a way to emerge from the dead.

Hard to choose, all songs are good from list and I cant name another

A total no-brainer this one...

Tempo Of The Damned is by miles the best albums of an 80s band during the thrash resurgence.

Written by Angelic Storm on 25.11.2011 at 08:24

... alongside their earlier classics ... and "Pleasures Of The Flesh". ...

Somehow many oldies and youngsters would disagree with you and state it's Fabulous Disaster. But I am one who finds Pleasures Of The Flesh a lot stronger than Fabulous Disaster

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 26.11.2011 at 02:14
Somehow many oldies and youngsters would disagree with you and state it's Fabulous Disaster. But I am one who finds Pleasures Of The Flesh a lot stronger than Fabulous Disaster

Yep, I'm aware that "Fabulous Disaster" is widely considered to be the definitive classic alongside "Bonded By Blood", but I've always found that album to be a bit overrated... Don't get me wrong, songs like the title track and "Corruption" are amazing songs, but I find it overall to be just a tad patchy. Pleasures... is an album that I love from beginning to end, every song bristles with a tension and energy that I'd argue they never fully recaptured on an album until "Tempo Of The Damned". I find it to be an immensely underrated album, and have never understood why it has always been so overshadowed by it's successor, when to me, it's clearly the better of the two albums. Ah well.. *shrugs* lol

Written by Angelic Storm on 26.11.2011 at 02:23


Yep, I'm aware that "Fabulous Disaster" is widely considered to be the definitive classic alongside "Bonded By Blood", but I've always found that album to be a bit overrated... Don't get me wrong, songs like the title track and "Corruption" are amazing songs, but I find it overall to be just a tad patchy. Pleasures... is an album that I love from beginning to end, every song bristles with a tension and energy that I'd argue they never fully recaptured on an album until "Tempo Of The Damned". I find it to be an immensely underrated album, and have never understood why it has always been so overshadowed by it's successor, when to me, it's clearly the better of the two albums. Ah well.. *shrugs* lol

I totally agree with you. I already thought at the time when Fabulous Disaster was released. I found and still find it a fillerish album. And my feelings about the first three have grown even stronger over the past 23 years And Tempo is indeed the album that totally recaptured everything that made Exodus so special. Unfortunately they went quite a bit downhill after that with mroe pedestrian and boring thrash album which are too full with too long songs. It's not the vocalist there, it's the song writing, just like with Machine Head they somehow forgot how to trim the fat of songs.

I've probably posted way to much about how awesome Ironbound is, but since you asked... Song ranging from 8 minute thrashing epics to 4 and a half minute speed fests, everything catchy, an amazing vocal performance, shredding solos, softer more atmospheric parts that fit in perfectly, massive bass, yada yada yada...

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 26.11.2011 at 02:38
I totally agree with you. I already thought at the time when Fabulous Disaster was released. I found and still find it a fillerish album. And my feelings about the first three have grown even stronger over the past 23 years And Tempo is indeed the album that totally recaptured everything that made Exodus so special. Unfortunately they went quite a bit downhill after that with mroe pedestrian and boring thrash album which are too full with too long songs. It's not the vocalist there, it's the song writing, just like with Machine Head they somehow forgot how to trim the fat of songs.

If anything, "Fabulous Disaster" has improved over the years to my ears. hehe But I've always found it a patchy album, and my opinion on that has never changed over the years. The thing about Pleasures... is, even when they slow things down a bit like on "Til' Death Do Us Part" and "Chemi-Kill" the tension level does not drop at all, showing that mid-paced songs can still be killer in a thrash band's catalogue.

I remember being floored when I first heard "Tempo", as I definitely wasn't expecting thrash of that quality to be on offer. Sure, I thought it might have been decent, but an album up there with their first two releases? I'd never have believed it if someone had said that was going to be the case before I heard it. And yes, they have unfortunately gone a bit downhill since coming back in such stunning fashion with "Tempo". Isolated tracks from the Rob Dukes era like "Deathamphetamine", "Children Of A Worthless God" and "Burn, Hollywood Burn" show that the ability to make great thrash is still there. It's just that in Gary's quest to make Exodus ever more "brutal" and epic, it seems that something has been lost in the transition. And you're right, it has nothing to do with Rob Dukes, or even Rick Hunolt not being there anymore. (Gary always wrote the bulk of Exodus' music anyway)

@Void: "Ironbound" is a great album, it's first 2 tracks in particular, just being mindblowing examples of thrash at it's finest.

I, for one, love Fabulous Disaster. they did forget to trim the fat... and the extremity has driven out a chunk of, maybe, melody. Awesome tracks like "Burn, Hollywood, Burn!" would be well offset with a modern "Toxic Waltz" or something midpaced and catchy. problem is a lot of the current midpace is boring.

and, yes, with all my talk being of Exodus, they were my selection... although i might have gone with the overdone and bloated "Exhibit B" just because the awesome songs are so awesome.

Written by BitterCOld on 26.11.2011 at 09:26

I, for one, love Fabulous Disaster. they did forget to trim the fat... and the extremity has driven out a chunk of, maybe, melody. Awesome tracks like "Burn, Hollywood, Burn!" would be well offset with a modern "Toxic Waltz" or something midpaced and catchy. problem is a lot of the current midpace is boring.

and, yes, with all my talk being of Exodus, they were my selection... although i might have gone with the overdone and bloated "Exhibit B" just because the awesome songs are so awesome.

"Fabulous Disaster" has some awesome songs on it which are amongst Exodus' best ever. I just don't see it as a front-to-back thrash masterpiece as it's two predecessors were.

Talking of a modern "Toxic Waltz", when they play that downtuned these days, it sounds much less effective. Hopefully his stint playing live as a member of Slayer will show him that it's best to play your classic material in it's original tunings.

"Exhibit B" is definitely my favourite Exodus album with Rob Dukes. It is overlong, but there is some genuinely awesome songs on it, and the killer-filler ratio is definitely weighted more in the favour of killer, unlike it's predecessor...

Another one is Destruction's Antichrist.

Although I think TOTD just edges it for me.

Written by [user id=115335] on 26.11.2011 at 12:04

Another one is Destruction's Antichrist.

Funnily enough, that album was going to be in my poll list, but it had to be omitted to make room for the "other" selection.

Very tough choice, but both Sodom and Overkill probably take it for me. There's a lot of good thrash records from the old school bands. It's too bad not a lot of these new bands follow suit.

For me it's Testament's The Formation of Damnation all the way. But then again I never really got that into Exodus, Forbidden, Overkill or Sodom. I did thoroughly enjoy Enemy of God but TFoD was still better imo. And I thought Christ Illusion was very meh, same with Death Angel.

The Formation of Damnation, probably because it's the only one I know. Thrash is not my forte anyway.

Ironbound. I've been hearing alot of praise for Tempo of the Damned. I'll have to try that.
Also, what, no Endgame?

I always thought Endgame was one of the worst thrash albums of the '00s. I think the revivalist bands I normally hate on even did it better.

Here's one for ya: Hellwitch's Omnipotent Convocation by miles. No modern thrash albums touch it.

Written by strade on 27.11.2011 at 10:45

Here's one for ya: Hellwitch's Omnipotent Convocation by miles. No modern thrash albums touch it.

Do they even play Thrash?

Chose for Enemy of God, Most of them are insane albums, especially Ironbound, Tempo Of The Damned and The Art Of Dying.
In War And Pieces and Christ Illusion were a bit of a let down though, not that they were bad albums by any means, Sodom and Slayer are just capable of more in my opinion...

This is a toss up. My favorites are Christ Illuison, Enemy of God and Formation of Damnation. Although not as good as their older stuff obviously, but still righteous albums in my opinion.

Written by [user id=101272] on 28.11.2011 at 04:50

Written by strade on 27.11.2011 at 10:45

Here's one for ya: Hellwitch's Omnipotent Convocation by miles. No modern thrash albums touch it.

Do they even play Thrash?

It's thrash with death (or death with thrash, can't really tell). Anyway, according to the samples on youtube, their new album is as good as their first.

Written by Charly546 on 28.11.2011 at 22:19

Written by [user id=101272] on 28.11.2011 at 04:50

Written by strade on 27.11.2011 at 10:45

Here's one for ya: Hellwitch's Omnipotent Convocation by miles. No modern thrash albums touch it.

Do they even play Thrash?

It's thrash with death (or death with thrash, can't really tell). Anyway, according to the samples on youtube, their new album is as good as their first.

Good call.

For some reason I cannot vote ??!!

well, Exodus - Tempo of the damned would be my choice

Enemy of God AND Tempo of the Damned. I voted Enemy of God though.

I had to go with "Tempo"... "Formation" was pretty close too, but there are a few on that album that don't do it for me. Where as "Tempo" crushes you from beginning to end...

Those who know me will guess where my vote went.

Tempo Of The Damned. Enemy Of God would be my 2nd choice.

Unbeliviable that no one mentioned The Evolution of Chaos by Heathen. No Stone Unturned is better than all tracks on the mentioned albums. Formation of The Damned by Testament would be a second choice.