The Forgotten Thrash Albums Of 1986! (Part 1)

Angel Dust – Into The Dark Past

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Before they fully embraced power metal, Germany’s Angel Dust had a pop at thrash and as debuts go, Into The Dark Past was a fast, frantic, thrill ride!

Resolutely obsessed with speed over finesse, these 8 ripping tracks were less Sodom and Kreator and more Iron Angel; a thrilling hybrid of speed and thrash that was equal parts melody and barbarity.

Romme Keymer’s vocals may have received a bit of stick over the years but they fit the music perfectly. Ugly, forceful, yet furnished with glimpses of power metal harmony, Keymer was actually an unorthodox yet perfect match-up.

Hirax – Hate, Fear And Power

Source // cdn.discogs.com

Hirax’s second album was thrash how it was meant to be played; short, sharp and savage.

Marching on from their iconic debut, Hate, Fear and Power was a multi-rhythmic nail bomb, firing off in all directions and causing maximum, head-banging, damage. Thrash undoubtedly burned through to the very core of scene legend Katon W. DePena and his compadres, resulting in a crossover thrash classic that burns just as bright 30 years on.

16 minutes of hate, fear and power….funnily enough!

Tankard – Zombie Attack

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Certainly not as obscure as some of the albums on this list, Tankard’s debut still finds itself semi-forgotten when talking about the cream of thrash albums of 1986….even though its merits are writ large.

Tankard’s simple formula was cemented from the get-go (a formula that they’ve barely deviated from ) and their potent brew of light speed thrash, beer and whiskey and partying hard began in earnest on Zombie Attack.

Home to the thrash classic “(Empty) Tankard”, the remaining 9 tracks on Zombie Attack are just as urgent, just as infections and frankly, just as timeless!