Do you know this feeling when you stumble across a random word, and then suddenly that name pops up just about everywhere? That specific term haunting yours truly has long been "Portland, Oregon". It seems to me that every new discovery was founded in Portland, apparently every other album was mastered at Brad Boatright's Audiosiege Studio in Portland, and every single of my favorite bands had, at some point, performed on a stage somewhere in Portland.

In the 1980s, LA was undeniably the world's glam metal capital, alongside with San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal as a counter development. Then we witnessed the death metal boom of the early 90s, with Tampa, Florida as its global hotspot. Not to forget the New York punk and hardcore scene (NYHC), the rise of sludge metal from the swamps of New Orleans during the late 80s, grunge from Seattle gaining mainstream prominence in the early 90s...
Apparently, there has always been a tendency in the US towards rapidly developing, locally restricted music scenes, in whose environment a completely new style or genre could develop in order to have a lasting impact on the global musical landscape within a few years.

So I just had to find out if my mind was playing tricks on me or if Portland really is the current capital of the US for heavy music and extreme metal - hence this list.

Inclusion criteria:
featured on Metal Strom and
established in Portland or
a long-term creative phase in Portland or
still active and currently based in Portland
(that's why Leviathan is here but Lurker Of Chalice isn't)

Only one album (preferably the most recent full-length album) per band.

By the way, according to this article, Portland harbors the highest amount of active metal bands per capita in the US. Quite a surprise, isn't it?

While we are at it, what's your favorite Portland band?

1.Abhorrent Affliction - Forever Will He Reign

2.Acathexis - Acathexis

3.Ænigmatum - Deconsecrate

4.Ævangelist - Dream An Evil Dream III

5.Agalloch - The Serpent & The Sphere

      View entire list ››

Here is a list of all the bands who received at least one write-in vote during MSA 2019.

Following the annoucement of the results, this information is lost, I post it here so you can continue to explore your favorite genres !

I'm still working on fixing links, if you find errors, feel free to notify in the comments !

1.Babymetal - Metal Galaxy

2.Cave In - Final Transmission

3.Mother Of Millions - Artifacts

4.Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind

5.Soen - Lotus

      View entire list ››

1.Babymetal - Metal Galaxy

2.Cave In - Final Transmission

3.Mother Of Millions - Artifacts

4.Slipknot - We Are Not Your Kind

5.Soen - Lotus

      View entire list ››

Albums that I listened to in 2019
The Albums are ordered from best to worst but the List is changing till the end of the year.
This is just my opinion.

1.In Mourning - Garden Of Storms

2.Cloak - The Burning Dawn

3.Beast In Black - From Hell With Love

4.Darkthrone - Old Star

5.Midnight Priest - Aggressive Hauntings

      View entire list ››

Only good stuff included.

So far 2019 has been truly marvelous year full of stellar metal releases. I'll be updating this list as I find more worthy ones and/or get more into the ones already listed.

My ratings:

✮✮✮✮✮ = Instant classic.
✮✮✮✮½ = The Force is strong with this one.
✮✮✮✮ = Pretty damn good!

1.Finsterforst - Zerfall

2.Iapetus - The Body Cosmic

3.Numenorean - Adore

4.IQ - Resistance

5.White Ward - Love Exchange Failure

      View entire list ››

1.Abbath - Outstrider

2.Amon Amarth - Berserker

3.As I Lay Dying - Shaped By Fire

4.Belzebubs - Pantheon Of The Nightside Gods

5.Blood Incantation - Hidden History Of The Human Race

      View entire list ››

1.Misþyrming - Algleymi

2.Mgła - Age Of Excuse

3.Flotsam And Jetsam - The End Of Chaos

4.Finsterforst - Zerfall

5.Borknagar - True North

      View entire list ››

1.Lingua Ignota - Caligula

2.Full Of Hell - Weeping Choir

3.Cloud Rat - Pollinator

4.Serpent Column - Mirror In Darkness

5.Sadness (USA) - Circle Of Veins

      View entire list ››

1.Overkill - The Wings Of War

2.Death Angel - Humanicide

3.Elvenking - Reader Of The Runes - Divination

4.Evergrey - The Atlantic

5.Flotsam And Jetsam - The End Of Chaos

      View entire list ››

Top picks from 2019 Releases: Attempts made at the top 10 in order as a best of based on how often I found myself listening to the album.

1.Wormwitch - Heaven That Dwells Within

2.Children Of Bodom - Hexed

3.Exhumed - Horror

4.Babymetal - Metal Galaxy

5.Wormwood - Nattarvet

      View entire list ››

1.Knocked Loose - A Different Shade Of Blue

2.Tanith - In Another Time

3.Coffin Rot - A Monument To The Dead

4.Spirit Adrift - Divided By Darkness

5.Magic Circle - Departed Souls

      View entire list ››

**WARNING: Mega-list ahead**

So you're seeking some good ol' (or new) Thrash Metal and you don't know where to look? Recommendations are running low and you're tired of wandering forums aimlessly, only to find one or two albums that you've probably already heard of?...If so, my friend, then stop searching and welcome to my little sanctuary. Nowadays, most would say that I'm a complete Thrash addict, always in need of his fix, and they would be right. In order to keep my addiction under control and share it with all of you Thrash Metal maniacs, I've created this monstrous list. You may use my precious creation as an ''Encyclopedia'' of sort, in which I stored what I consider to be the best Thrash releases of all time. From the acclaimed classics like *Exodus - Bonded By Blood* and *Kreator - Pleasure To Kill* to the more hidden jewels like *Believers - Extraction From Mortality* and *Anacrusis - Suffering Hour* or even more recent gems like *Exmortus - Necrophony* and *Vektor - Terminal Redux*, I've got it all. I know it might look exhausting & exhaustive but that's the best way to keep the addiction under control.

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- Browsing My List - A How To Guide -

1. First of all, albums are ordered by years of release so if you don't like modern thrash metal, keep to the 80's and 90's, there's more than enough stuff to satisfy your needs.

2. Also, I've added every single album's thrash style. So if you like Death, Crossover, Prog, Melodic, Tech, Power, Black, Grind and even Groove Thrash.. it's all there suit yourself.

3. Lastly, albums with a ''★'' after the genre's description represents albums that I.. Myself.. Moi consider as being classics of the genre or something you shouldn't miss, no I am not the all mighty reference guru in Thrash Metal, yes I do know a lot and yes it is possible for you to disagree with me on that matter. So please don't go writing stuff like "Whaa.. Dude.. No star on X or Y album?". Also 🇨🇦 = From Canada, My Country!!!

I do hope that this little guide did help you and if not, press Alt + F4, in order to gtfo. Have fun.

Edit: Now adding my favourites of each year using the mention -> (best of xxxx)
Also removed all mentions of ''Traditional'' or ''Resurgence''. It isn't needed.

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: Guib's Best Thrash Release of 2023:
Exmortus - Necrophony

Honorable Mention For 2023:
Terminalist - The Crisis As Condition

: Guib's Best Thrash Release Of 2024 So Far:
Messiah - Christus Hypercubus

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P.S. Feel free to recommend me new thrash please.
I do accept PMS but you can suggest here aswell

Also check Daggon's List here -- A Quick Guide For Thrash Metal, Sex and Tacos!
And ChapuLviz's List here -- Top 35 German Thrash Albums
And Vasil de Shumen's List over there -- Best of US THRASH

Last Updated: May 6th, 2024

1.Discharge - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing

2.Metallica - Kill 'Em All

3.Suicidal Tendencies - Suicidal Tendencies

4.Slayer - Show No Mercy

5.Dr. Know - Plug-In Jesus

      View entire list ››