The 10 Greatest THRASH METAL Albums Turning 35 Years Old In 2021!

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Onslaught – The Force [UK]

The first band to truly raise hell in the name of British thrash (Venom don’t quite qualify as we’ve never considered them 100% thrash), Onslaught aggressively turned heads with their second album, The Force – was there ever a more appropriate album title? – and their forceful and vitriolic sound hit like a ten ton hammer; thrashing harder than most and with as much conviction as the likes of Dark Angel and early Slayer.

An onslaught of sinister, stabbing riffs awaited the brave  and “Let There Be Death”, “Flame Of The Antichrist” and “Metal Forces” were all instant classics, brutal, utterly devoid of mercy and terrifyingly demonic in equal measure.

Probably the most convincing thrash album ever recorded by a British band.

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Megadeth – Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? [USA]

n terms of musicianship and compositional skill, Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?, represented a monumental leap forward from the previous years Killing Is My Business… album. This time around, Dave Mustaine assembled a posse of musicians who could match his knack for melody and dead-shot metal marksmanship and the results were uniformly stunning.

The first four tracks on this album remain untouchable (tracks 5-8 ain’t bad either). “Wake up Dead” kicked off proceedings with enough riffs and tempo changes to pad out an entire album, while “The Conjuring” was a devilishly diabolical ode to the power of black magic. However, it was on track 3 where Megadeth stamped down their mark on the thrash scene. ”Peace Sells” was the colossal hit that slapped the mainstream round the face with its badass bass line, heavy yet accessible approach and sneering, snarling lyrics spat out by Mustaine using his inimitable delivery. In stark contrast, “Devil’s Island” was a state of the art thrash showcase of predatory power and scintillating speed.

35 years on and Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? remains a thrash metal milestone and a highpoint in Megadeth‘s incredible career!

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Kreator – Pleasure To Kill [Germany]

This precociously vicious shitstorm instantly struck a chord with thrashers worldwide and in 1986 Kreator found themselves leading the way in the teutonic scene.

Unhinged to the point of incarceration, Pleasure To Kill‘s track-list borders on a greatest hits selection with the wall of noise maelstrom of “Ripping Corpse”, the unforgettable “Pleasure To Kill”, the death metal influencing “Riot Of Violence” and the epic and surprisingly complex “The Pestilence” all meriting classic status.

A sonic assault on the senses that has lost none of its power, with Pleasure To Kill Kreator altered the German thrash landscape forever and mayhem of this calibre never sounded so good again. You’d be hard pressed to find a more significant and seminal album in German thrash metal’s arsenal.