10 New Thrash Bands You Must Check Out

As a thrash metal fan, I used to be very closed-minded, especially in the 1990's when grunge and nu-metal killed my favorite genre of music, but starting in the early to mid 2000's I noticed a resurgence of bands that harnessed the power of my favorite thrash bands of the 1980's.  Here are ten new (post Grunge) Thrash Bands that I think every thrash fan should listen to:

1.  Municipal Waste - Of all the new wave of Thrash Metal bands out there, Richmond based crossover band, Municipal Waste might have had the most success so far.  There is a reason.  They really know how to put together great albums.  I was first introduced to them when a friend was listening to Hazardous Mutation.  I was blown away.  Not since Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power had I been so excited to hear a new album.  There catalog has grown since then, and every album they release, they continue to impress.  Another favorite of mine is their most recent release, The Fatal Feast.  I particularly like the song Idiot Check.  I can completely relate to the lyrics and the anger it addresses.
 

2.  Fueled By Fire - This Los Angeles band was one of the first new Thrash bands to show up on the scene.  Around for thirteen years, they have three full length albums, all of which are great.  My personal favorite is their debut, Spread the Fire.  The title track on it is amazing and worth the price of admission on its own.  Their most recent album, Trapped In Perdition has taken the band to a new level.  There have been comparisons made to Exodus and early Vio-Lence.  If these guys were around in the mid 1980's, they would have been right there with the Bay Area Thrashers.


3.  Warbringer - Another Southern California band, Warbringer has a serious heavy sound.  My introduction to them was with their debut album, War Without End.  It's sheer energy and attitude drive into my soul.  Whenever I'm at the gym or decide to go for a run, War Without End is ready on my iPod.  Their most recent album, IV: Empires Collapse is nothing short of magnificent.  I strongly recommend all thrash fans to check these guys out.


4.  Lich King - This Massachusetts based band has a pretty solid catalog.  They have riffs which remind me of Slayer, a vocalist who reminds me of a young Zetro Souza, and solos that rival Phil Demmel.  Their lyrics are quirky, but not to the point that the music is not listenable.  If you want to get a new batch of old school Thrash, check these guys out.  A couple of the gems I've found in their library are A Storm of Swords and Grindwheel both on the album World Gone Dead.  Born of the Bomb, and their brand new EP, Do-Over are also fantastic finds.  Some of their earlier albums could use an upgrade, but even then, their songwriting skills are ever apparent.


 5.  Razormaze - Another Massachussetts band, Razormaze is an often overlooked band, but they have an amazing sound.  They really outdid themselves on their latest album, Annihilatia.  Being on the West Coast, I can't speak for East Coast radio stations, but I found many radio worthy songs on Annihilatia,  and I am surprised they don't get airplay on some of the hard rock / heavy metal stations.  I highly recommend their entire catelog.


6.  Havok - I first discovered these Colorado thrash masters when I accidentally stumbled upon the initial release of their second album, Time Is Up.  I was hooked immediately.  These guys know how to shred.  D.O.A. and Killing Tendencies are my favorite tracks off Time Is Up.  After listening to it for a couple of weeks straight, I decided to give their debut album a try.  Burn is a great album.  Perhaps it's just my second release man mentality, but I always end up tuning back into Time Is Up.  Another gem of theirs is their cover of Black Sabbath's Children of the Grave on their most recent release, Unnatural Selection.


7.  The Law - I was introduced to The Law when I watched the documentary Get Thrashed, produced by former Overkill drummer, Rat Skates.  Their song Anthem was one of the featured songs in the film, and I had to find out who made such an incredible song.  I came to discover that it was these Swedish thrashers, which amazed me, because the topic of the song Anthem is a roadtrip across America by a band.  I bought their album, and I am so glad I did.  Distorted Anthems from the Suburbs is a hidden treasure within the thrash metal community.  I highly encourage all of you to look into it.  And if you haven't seen it yet, everyone, and I mean everyone, needs to watch Get Thrashed.  The documentary will pump all metalheads up, and make non-metalheads at least understand us a little better.


8.  Toxic Holocaust - Originally a one-member band, Toxic Holocaust has become one of the front runners for most versatile New Thrash Bands.  For nine years Joel Grind was the sole member of Toxic Holocaust, but in 2008, he got himself a couple of new additions to his band, a bassist and a drummer.  Adding the other members to the band has done nothing but great things for Toxic Holocaust.  Their first release as more than just Grind, An Overdose of Death, is still my favorite release by the band.  Their most recent album, Conjure and Command, is an absolute onslaught of Thrash.  I highly recommend you check them out.


9.  Evile - There is a good chance that many of you have already heard of the British band, Evile.  They started their recording careers with a bang, landing Flemming Rasmussen as their producer.  Rasmussen, known for producing many of Metallica's early albums, helped the band record Enter the Grave, a truly epic debut album.  Their second release, Infected Nations, continued to build their status as the elite, up and coming Thrash Metal band, but then they were dealt a major blow.  Similar to Metallica, Evile lost their bass player, Mike Alexander, to an untimely death.  But, just like Metallica, Evile rebounded from the loss and has since released two stellar albums.  My favorite is Skull.  If you haven't heard them yet, give them a try.  You won't be disappointed.


10.  Infinite Translation - The first time I heard these French thrashers, I was extremely drunk.  In my drunken state, I was in awe of their riffs and heaviness.  However, after sobering up I discovered that not only are they heavy and have great riffs, but they are extremely talented song writers.  Impulsive Attack was easily one of the best purchases I made back in 2010.  It's still on my iPod, five years later.  I highly recommend you give these guys a listen. 


If you know of any new thrash bands that I haven't included, and you feel they are worthy to be mentioned, please comment.  I plan on releasing more blogs of this nature in the future.