Thrash was one of the first metal genres I got into around 2005. I discovered Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, etc through Kerrang! magazine and their albums quickly became my favourites at the time. Now, I've discovered many more such as Vektor, Testament and Nevermore thanks to MS.

So here are my favourites of the genre with my rating, its sub-genre and release year:

(Score is an average of each album's song ratings, full list located here)

If you discovered any new albums or like the same sort of thrash metal, be sure to give this list a thumbs-up and leave a comment so more people can find these amazing bands!

My other lists:
Top 500 Albums (ordered & rated)
Top 25 EPs (also ordered & rated)
Top 200 Overlooked Albums (with genres)
Top 200 Overrated Albums (trigger warning)
So I Heard You Like Wintersun... (Time II find new bands)

1.Metallica - Master Of Puppets

2.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

3.Metallica - ...And Justice For All

4.Death - The Sound Of Perseverance

5.Slayer - Reign In Blood

      View entire list ››

My Top 30 Favorite Thrash/Speed Metal albums in alphabetical band order

1.Agent Steel - Skeptics Apocalypse

2.Agent Steel - Unstoppable Force

3.Annihilator - Alice In Hell

4.Artillery - Fear Of Tomorrow

5.Artillery - By Inheritance

      View entire list ››

Mascots are an established and popular part of metal fan culture. In contrast to sports team mascots, they are no cute talismans, but are regarded as personification of the band and its music (or even as some kind of evil band member) that adds enormously to the identification of the fans with the band.

This alphabetical list presents well known examples by showing the album cover where the corresponding mascot first appeared, along with one or two sentences as general information.

Please feel free to suggest more examples of metal mascots or share relevant information on the presented mascots.

1.Alestorm - Captain Morgan's Revenge

2.Annihilator - Alice In Hell

3.Anthrax - Inside Out

4.Artillery - B.A.C.K.

5.Avenged Sevenfold - Waking The Fallen

      View entire list ››

The MS top 200 is supposed to represent the absolute peak of metal music, the timeless classics. I have been listening to metal for about 6 years now and would consider myself fairly knowledgeable about the genre. Yet, I have barely heard half of what the top 200 has to offer. I am now on a quest to listen to it all and give an honest opinion on what I thought of it.
This list will show every album of the top 200 and if I've listened to it whether it's an all-time favourite of mine (+++), I really like it (++), I like it (+), it’s good (*), it’s not great (-), I really dislike it (--) or I hate it from the bottom of my heart (---). The same symbols will be used to characterize what I think my opinion of the albums I haven't heard yet will be, based on my knowledge of the bands and of the genre they play. (?) signifies that I have no idea of whether I'll enjoy it or not and (/) means that my opinion of the album is probably obsolete, and I need to listen to it again. A ★ means the album is in my own top 200.
Edit: The bottom of the top 200 has been changing a lot, with some stuff formerly in the list now closer to 240th, so this is now a top 250. I’m not sure I want to expand the list further down, but I’ll see whenever it’s completed if I feel like going for a top 300 or something like that.
Best discoveries so far: Wildhoney, Nightfall, Out Of Myself, Portal Of I, Autumn Aurora, Nemesis Divina, Abigail, V: Hävitetty, Sounds Of Pain.

1.

2.

3.W.A.S.P. - The Crimson Idol

4.Saturnus - Veronika Decides To Die

5.Ensiferum - Ensiferum

      View entire list ››

1.Metallica - Kill 'Em All

2.Slayer - Show No Mercy

3.Anthrax - Fistful Of Metal

4.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

5.Voivod - War And Pain

      View entire list ››

The best debut records of all time by year…

1.Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

2.KISS - Kiss

3.Rush - Rush

4.AC/DC - High Voltage

5.Motörhead - Motörhead

      View entire list ››

This list shows only my preferences in metal. These albums are not necessarily the best of the bands written by, but I return to them again and again. In my opinion, all this masterpieces confirm the variety and greatness of metal music.
Rules:
1. One album per band.
2. Ordered from highest position (top) to lowest (bottom).
3. No heavy, power, doom, gothic, sludge/stoner albums.

1.Children Of Bodom - Follow The Reaper

2.Dimmu Borgir - Puritanical Euphoric Misanthropia

3.In Flames - Clayman

4.Soilwork - Natural Born Chaos

5.Gojira - From Mars To Sirius

      View entire list ››

1.King Diamond - Conspiracy

2.Annihilator - Alice In Hell

3.Blind Guardian - Follow The Blind

4.W.A.S.P. - The Headless Children

5.Savatage - Gutter Ballet

      View entire list ››

A little list series where I list my top 20 favorite metal albums every year starting from the year I was born in.

1989 was another great year for metal, I tried to add more obscure and overlooked albums on this list

My favorite non heavy metal albums of 1989

1. Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814

1.Running Wild - Death Or Glory

2.Coroner - No More Color

3.Faith No More - The Real Thing

4.Alice Cooper - Trash

5.Titan Force - Titan Force

      View entire list ››

1.Nasty Savage - Indulgence

2.Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow... When I Can't Even Smile Today

3.Uncle Slam - Say Uncle

4.Annihilator - Alice In Hell

5.Tankard - Zombie Attack

      View entire list ››

The eighties was the most productive decade in metal history, the biggest bands born during this decade Iron Maiden, Dio, Slayer, Death, Metallica… for named a few.
The eighties starts with the NWOBHM invasion and new releases from the classic heavy metal bands like Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Judas Priest with renewed sound and heaviness.
New genres of metal start’s in the 80’s Speed Metal, Black Metal, Death Metal, Thrash Metal , the rise and fall of the Glam Rock and the first sign in what dominated the nineties alternative and Grunge.
The most representative records in the end of the 80’s

1.Iron Maiden - Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

2.Testament - Practice What You Preach

3.King Diamond - Conspiracy

4.Death - Leprosy

5.Voivod - Nothingface

      View entire list ››

The albums below is my definition of extreme metal music, regardless of their genre. Entire list is based only on my personal preferences in metal.
Rules:
1. One album per band
2. 305 groups/305 albums

1.In Flames - Clayman

2.Metallica - ...And Justice For All

3.Chimaira - Chimaira

4.Death - Symbolic

5.Testament - The New Order

      View entire list ››

1.Savatage - Gutter Ballet

2.Alice Cooper - Trash

3.Black Sabbath - Headless Cross

4.Skid Row - Skid Row

5.Fates Warning - Perfect Symmetry

      View entire list ››

An ongoing list for personal use as well as for reference for beginners (& veterans alike). This is solely my personal opinion and taste (Death & Prog mostly but do give every genre a try). Basically will include albums I've rated 8 & above. Sorted by year since I'll need a Venn diagram to sort by genre (seriously MS please make it happen if possible). Will feature multiple releases per year (obviously) and per band (since if a band is putting out better albums it deserves more recognition). Keeping the metal faith alive from India

1.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin

2.King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King

3.Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin III

4.Black Sabbath - Paranoid

5.Uriah Heep - Look At Yourself

      View entire list ››

1.King Diamond - Conspiracy

2.Morbid Angel - Altars Of Madness

3.Sepultura - Beneath The Remains

4.Running Wild - Death Or Glory

5.Ministry - The Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Taste

      View entire list ››