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The 6 Most Anticipated Thrash Albums of 2020!

Thrashy, thrashy, nice, nice.....

In 2020, thrash metal’s big-hitters are returning in their droves and there’s reformations and comebacks a-plenty!

Here’s 6 forthcoming thrash albums making our thrashy thighs the most moist…..

Atrophy

Arizonan thrashers Atrophy are officially back!

Yes, those thrash happy bastards responsible for the cult late 80’s / early 90’s albums Socialized Hate and Violent By Nature, have been back performing of late but it’s new material fans crave and new material seemed like something we would never get to hear…..until now!

‘Comeback’ single “R.I.P Tide” was unleashed on Boxing Day and fans will be pleased to hear that it was everything you’d want from an Atrophy track. Catchy as fuck, aggressive, and with vocal hooks that’ll drag you under like a vicious undertow, the most important thing is that Atrophy still sound exactly as you remember them….just 30 years later.

A few years ago, Atrophy had this to say: “We are not signed to any label, and have no contracts telling us what we can and can’t do. We have the freedom to write whatever we want, which basically means that you should expect a thrash album”.

When it arrives, we’re certain that Atrophy’s new album will be welcomed with open arms by thrash fans the world over.

Let’s just make sure it’s this year, eh lads!

Current members:
Brian Zimmerman – vocals
Casper Garret – guitar
Denny Seefieldt – guitar
Bobby Stein – guitar
James Gulotta – bass
Tim Kelly – drums

Dark Angel

How can you not be cock-a-fuckin’-hoop about the very thought of a new album from Dark Angel; one of thrash metal’s greatest ever bands and the creators of all-time classics Darkness Descends , Leave Scars and Time Does Not Heal.

Bearing in mind that we’ve already waited a bum-numbing 29(!) years for a new album to emerge, a little more patience should be easy to come by and that might come in useful. We’re not promising that you will get to hear new material this year but either way, just the very fact that we will be getting a new Dark Angel album at some point, is reason enough to rejoice!

Just to reiterate that fact, in a February 2019 interview with Agoraphobic News, Gene Hoglan stated that Dark Angel has “5 or 6 songs on the go” and that their new album will be released “by the end of this year or by 2020”.

Well, it’s 2020….and we’re still waiting with bated breath!

Current members:
Jim Durkin – guitars (1981–1989, 2013–present)
Eric Meyer – guitars (1984–1992, 2002–2005, 2013–present)
Gene Hoglan – drums (1984–1992, 2002–2005, 2013–present)
Mike Gonzalez – bass (1986–1992, 2013–present)
Ron Rinehart – vocals (1987–1992, 2002–2005, 2013–present)

Evildead

These L.A. thrashers were always as capable as Anthrax and Slayer etc at penning some seriously shred-heavy crossover thrash and Evildead‘s Annihilation Of Civilisation (1989) and The Underworld (1991) are both stone-cold, second-tier classics!

Originally forming in ’86 – initially as a side-project of Agent Steel guitarist Juan Garcia and Abattoir bassist Mel Sanchez –  Evildead went on to establish themselves as real contenders and a third album has been eagerly anticipated ever since.

Despite the disruption of hiatus’, disbandments, reformations and god knows what else, talk of a new Evildead has never really gone away, such is the love for the band and on February 11th, 2018, Evildead announced on their Facebook page that their new album was “coming soon.”

Two years on and we’re still waiting. Will this year be the year?

Tick, tock.

Current members:
Juan Garcia – Guitars (1986–1995, 2008–2012, 2016–present)
Phil Flores – Vocals (1986-1993, 2016-present)
Rob Alaniz – Drums (1986–1990, 2008–2012, 2016–present)
Albert Gonzalez – Guitars (1987–1989, 2010–2012, 2016–present)
Karlos Medina – Bass (1990–1993, 2016–present)

Evile

It’s been nearly seven long years since Evile‘s 4th album, Skull, shattered our craniums but these modern UK thrash heroes are working on a new full length – which if H from Acid Reign’s relatively recent Talking Bollocks podcast is to go by is nearing completion….if it isn’t already) and 2020 should see its release!

With Ol Drake taking his rightful place back in the band, hopes are understandably high for an album that rivals their best (Infected Nations and Skull would be our personal favourites), as Evile’s Matt and Ol Drake are a songwriting partnership which has always reaped generous thrash rewards.

UK thrash is currently in rude health but it certainly wouldn’t harm to have Evile back with a new album; one that shows both the old and the new guard how this shit is done!

Current members:
Matt Drake – lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2004–present)
Ben Carter – drums (2004–present)
Ol Drake – lead guitar, backing vocals (2004–2013, 2018–present)
Joel Graham – bass, backing vocals (2009–present)

Heathen

It’s pretty clear to those of us who adore Heathen‘s recorded output to date (1987’s Breaking The Silence / 1991’s Victims Of Deception / 2010’s The Evolution Of Chaos) that these Bay Area thrashers should be a household name. The fact they’re not is yet another example of a band falling by the wayside while The Big 4 marched on to greater glories.

Perhaps that’s about to finally change!

Home to musicians of insane ability – and a singer who can, gulp, actually fuckin’ sing! – these progressive thrash masters practically surpasses Metallica, Megadeth and co. in each and every area and they’ve a new album waiting in the wings as we speak.

Which is fuckin’ fantastic news as it’s been 10 long years since 2010’s comeback album, The Evolution Of Chaos blew us away (in fact, a 10th Anniversary Edition was released on January 31st, 2020) and we’re ready for more.

After a decade, do we count this as their 2nd comeback album?

Either way, something tells us that Heathen will deliver one of the thrash albums of the year!

Current members:
David White – Vocals
Lee Altus – Lead & Rhythm Guitars
Kragen Lum – Lead & Rhythm Guitars, Backing Vocals
Jason Viebrooks – Bass

Vio-Lence

We’ll keep this one simple.

We all want a new album from Vio-Lence, the band who gave us one of the finest albums in thrash; the uncompromising Eternal Nightmare.

Frontman Sean Killian wants a new Vio-lence album.

But are we getting one?

The band are officially back together and have also roped in thrash legend and former Overkill guitarist Bobby Gustafson for the their upcoming shows (which include a UK first at Bloodstock) but word on an actual new album is inconclusive.

It appears it’s down to the ever-busy Phil Demmel to sit the fuck down and pen the apocalyptic thrash tunes we all know this band still has in them!

No pressure there then mate.

Current members:
Phil Demmel – lead guitar (1985–1994, 2001–2003, 2019–present)
Deen Dell – bass (1985–1994, 2001–2003, 2019–present)
Sean Killian – vocals (1986–1994, 2001–2003, 2019–present)
Perry Strickland – drums (1985–1993, 2001–2003, 2019–present)
Bobby Gustafson – rhythm guitar (2020–present)

About Chris Jennings (1957 Articles)
I love metal. Always have. Always will. As editor of Worship Metal - a site dedicated to being as positive about metal and its myriad of sub-genres as possible - my aim is to 'worship' metal through honest reviews, current news and a wide variety of features; offering the same exposure to underground bands as we do to mainstream/well known acts. Our mantra; the bands are partners and we exist to serve the bands \m/

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