The 6 Most Anticipated Thrash Albums of 2019!
A clean pair of pants will be required!
In 2019, 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…..
Sacred Reich – Awakening
Phoenix thrashers Sacred Reich, renowned and revered for their socially conscious and heavily political late 80’s/early 90’s output, signed to Metal Blade Records in January 2018.
With the band confirming that the “record is done and off to mastering for the finishing touches” Sacred Reich’s new album is due for a tentative 2019 release and we hope ‘tentative’ turns to reality!
After all, with ex-Machine Head drummer Dave McClain back behind the kit – and a whole host of worldwide political turmoil to draw from – this could very well turn into one of the greatest thrash comebacks of recent memory!
Heathen – Untitled
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.
But perhaps that’s about to finally change!
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 in pre-production as we speak.
Its been 8 long years since 2010’s comeback album, The Evolution Of Chaos, blew us away and we’re ready for more!
Acid Reign – Untitled
With a relatively recent reappraisal of Acid Reign’s contribution to thrash finally resulting in their eagerly awaited return (albeit without 4 of the members who penned ‘last’ album, 1990’s excellent Obnoxious), the band released The Apple Core Archives in 2014 – a box set retrospective that was an absolutely essential purchase for anyone with even a passing interest in thrash.
Two brand new singles followed in the formidable shape of “Plan Of The Damned” (2015) and “The Man Who Became Himself” (2017) and a new full length album from one of the UK’s finest ever thrash acts is finally imminent.
Possessed – Revelations Of Oblivion
Surely the comeback that most death/thrash fans are salivating over the most, 2019 will finally see the return of pioneering heroes Possessed!
Revelations Of Oblivion, their first full length release since 1986’s exquisite Beyond The Gates, will be released on 10 May 2019 via Nuclear Blast Records.
An influence on everyone and anyone who has ever formed a metal band since the 80’s, this is the comeback of all comebacks…..the time to get very excited is NOW!
Sodom – Untitled
With Frank Blackfire back in the band, two-thirds of the minds behind thrash milestones Persecution Mania and Agent Orange are back together and expectations are, understandably, high for Sodom‘s 16(!) album.
One of the best-selling thrash metal acts of all time (eight million records sold and counting), the band are confirmed to be currently working on a new album, which is tentatively due for release in 2019 or 2020.
Something tells us the results could be pretty spectacular!
Dark Angel – Untitled
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 and Time Does Not Heal.
Bearing in mind that we’ve already waited a bum-numbing 28(!) 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”.
Honourable mentions:
Old-school Tucson thrashers Atrophy are currently working on their third album, which is tentatively due for release in 2019.
On November 20, 2018, it was announced that the legendary Exhorder had signed to Nuclear Blast, and are working on their first full-length studio album in more than two decades.
We’ve been waiting a long, long time for a new album from Swiss technical thrash pioneers Coroner and 2019 could see new material come to light…..or might not! Time will tell.
In an August 2018 interview at Wacken Open Air, Sepultura’s Andreas Kisser confirmed they’d begun the songwriting process for their 15th studio album, and stated later that month that it was not expected to be released before 2020. However, according to drummer Eloy Casagrande, the album will be released in 2019.
UK melodic power thrashers Savage Messiah are back with Demons, due for release on May 17th, 2019.
It has been reported that D.R.I. have been working on their first full-length studio album since 1995’s Full Speed Ahead, tentatively planned for release later this year or in 2020.
German death/thrash mainstays Protector are back with album number 7, titled Summon The Hordes and German thrash veterans Exumer return with Hostile Defiance on April 5th.
Megadeth, Testament, Onslaught, Death Angel, Destruction, Exodus, Havok, Warbringer, Annihilator and Anthrax are all pretty prolific so we’re excited about their forthcoming new albums but not on the same scale as those listed in the main feature!
Not forgetting that Dust Bolt, Mortal Scepter, Insanity Alert, a resurrected Carnal Forge, scene legends Flotsam and Jetsam and Overkill and cult crossover meets technical thrashers Aftermath have already released absolute bangers, signalling that 2019 is going to be a fuckin’ great year for quality thrash!
Sounds emanating from the underground include (but are certainly not limited to) new releases from Germany’s Mortal Inifinity, Portugal’s Toxik Attack, USA’s Eyes Of The Living, Germany’s Rezet, Columbia’s Lucifera, Germany’s Ravager, USA’s Eyes Of The Living, Chile’s Critical Defiance, USA’s Black Mass, Italy’s Violentor, USA’s Usurper, Poland’s Bloodthirst, USA’s Blatant Disarray, Antecessor, USA’s Oozing Wound, Canada’s Enime, USA’s Wretch, Brazil’s Tormentor Bestial, USA’s Varkan, UK’s Forged In Black, Canada’s Chainbreaker, USA’s Indestructible Noise Command, Canada’s Hellnite, Luxembourg’s Fusion Bomb…..and much, much more!
Not quite ‘thrash’ but certainly of interest is that speed metal legend John Cyriis has reformed Agent Steel. The band is set to perform at the Keep It True festival in April and at the Metalheadz Open Air festival on June 1. They also announced their first studio album in 12 years, titled 8 Lights Protocol, is tentatively scheduled to be released in September 2019.
Also, Armored Saint’s Gonzo Sandoval has stated that the band begun the writing process for a new record in 2018 and is due to be released via Metal Blade Records in 2019.
2018 was a bit shit for thrash but 2019 is looking to rectify that….in a big way!
Any 2019 thrash releases we’ve missed? Pop ’em in the comments below…..
Coroner are Swiss.
Yes. Yes they are.
EXHORDER will be in good company for sure… But, I think ya’ll got something for the competition without a doubt. ??????
Re-Animator one more war e.p. sounds cracking!!
Damn right! Another cracking comeback \m/
For underground you forgot to mention I Dont Konform and their new album Sagebrush Rejects
Good call…..but it came out last year! \m/
Meshiaak (Australia)
Had ’em pegged as more prog metal than thrash. Great band though!
Can’t wait for the Dark Angel, Possessed, and Sacred Reich.The new Indestructible Noise Command it out and it is INCREDIBLE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v67V9nRxPUk&list=RDv67V9nRxPUk&index=1
Some of the ones mentioned are really bad, &thrash metal gods are only given short mention & given shit because their albums won’t be standouts? Really?eeeee
Eh? Who on earth out of Dark Angel, Sodom, Sacred Reich, Heathen, Possessed and Acid Reign are really bad??
And what about Xentrix’s new album? They we’re (?) working on it but they stoped making updates. Do you have any clues? \m/
EXHORDER will be in good company for sure… But, I think ya’ll got something for the competition without a doubt. ??????
SACRED REICH have revealed their album is to be titled “Awakening”…
My 2 piece aggressive thrash/death band from Australia’s debut album from late last year featuring Kevin Talley on drums.
https://youtu.be/sMVB00ls_rQ
INTENT-Mesa, AZ TRASH METAL- Influenced by most above mentioned bands. Touring with DRI this Fall 2019, Independent Tours, Up and coming next generation heavy metal. Check them out on YOUTUBE/Spotify/Bandcamp/FB/Instagram.
Vektor???
You left out Black Thorn Halo from Texas. Their new album “The Horde” is phenomenal! You won’t be disappointed!
VIO-LENCE!!!!!!
‘Gates Of Darkness II’ tour in 2020, please!! Hey Dark Angel, get off yer asses and get that new album out!!