List of thrash metal bands
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File:Metallica at The O2 Arena London 2008.jpg were part of the Bay Area thrash metal scene and hugely influential on the genre as a whole.{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=mn0000446509|tab=biography|label=Metallica Biography|first=Stephen Thomas|last=Erlewine|access-date=June 17, 2014}}]]
Various bands have played thrash metal at some point of their career. The genre evolved in the early 1980s from combining the drum beats of hardcore punk with the guitar style of the new wave of British heavy metal.{{cite web|last=McIver|first=Joel|title=A History of Thrash Metal|url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/a-history-of-thrash-metal-249162/|work=Total Guitar|publisher=MusicRadar|date=29 April 2010|access-date=17 June 2014}} It emerged partially as a reaction to the more conventional and widely acceptable glam metal, a less aggressive, pop music-infused heavy metal subgenre which appeared simultaneously.{{cite book|last=Weinstein|first=Deena|year=2000|title=Heavy Metal: The Music and Its Culture|publisher=Da Capo Press|page=48|isbn=978-0-306-80970-5}}
Four American bands, Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer, are credited with popularizing the genre, earning them the title of the "Big Four of Thrash".{{cite book|last=Sharpe-Young|first=Garry|title=A to Z of Thrash Metal|year=2002|publisher=Cherry Red Books|isbn=1-901447-09-X|page=450}}{{cite web|last=Grow|first=Kory|title=The Story of the Big Four: The Clash of the Titans|url=http://www.revolvermag.com/news/the-story-of-the-big-four-the-clash-of-the-titans.html|work=Revolver|date=22 August 2011|access-date=19 June 2014}} In Germany, Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, and Tankard, led the Teutonic thrash metal scene, garnering the nickname "The Big Four of Teutonic Thrash".{{cite web|last=Rivadavia|first=Eduardo|title=10 Best Thrash Metal Bands of All Time|url=http://loudwire.com/best-thrash-metal-bands/|website=Loudwire|publisher=Townsquare Media|date=15 August 2013|access-date=28 June 2014}} The Clash of the Titans tour, which featured Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, and Suicidal Tendencies, is considered to be the genre's pinnacle, after which thrash metal saw a decline in popularity throughout the 1990s.{{cite web|last=Bienstock|first=Richard|title=The History of Thrash Metal|url=http://www.guitarworld.com/history-thrash-metal|work=Guitar Player|date=31 August 2011|access-date=17 June 2014}} Thrash metal has seen a resurgence in recent times, with many of the older bands returning to their roots with their new releases.{{cite web|title=Thrash Metal Revival|work=Decibel|url=http://www.decibelmagazine.com/features/nov2007/thrashmetalrevival.aspx|access-date=6 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080223110816/http://www.decibelmagazine.com/features/nov2007/thrashmetalrevival.aspx|archive-date=23 February 2008}} A new generation of thrash metal bands emerged in the early 2000s, drawing lyrical and visual inspiration from the older groups.{{cite news|last=Thomson|first=Jamie|title=Thrash Is Back on the Menu with the Big Four|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/jul/22/big-four-tour-metallica-slayer|access-date=26 January 2014|newspaper=The Guardian|date=22 July 2010}}{{cite web|last=Ramirez|first=Carlos|title=Top 10 New School Thrash Bands|url=http://noisecreep.com/top-10-new-school-thrash-bands/|publisher=Noisecreep|date=22 July 2010|access-date=26 January 2014}}
Thrash metal was an inspiration for later extreme genres such as death metal and black metal. This list also includes certain bands which belong to the first wave of black metal. These bands essentially played thrash metal with a heavy emphasis on Satanic and occult themes in the lyrics and imagery.{{cite video|first=Sam|last=Dunn|url=http://imdb.com/title/tt0478209/|title=Metal: A Headbanger's Journey|medium=motion picture|date=5 August 2005|location=Canada|publisher=Dunn, Sam}} Over the years, thrash metal has developed a few subgenres of its own, such as crossover thrash and groove metal.{{cite book|editor1-first=Jeremy|editor1-last=Wallach|editor2-first=Harris M.|editor2-last=Berger|editor3-first=Paul D.|editor3-last=Greene|title=Metal Rules the Globe: Heavy Metal Music Around the World|url=https://archive.org/details/metalrulesglobeh00wall/page/30|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/metalrulesglobeh00wall/page/30 30]|year=2011|publisher=Duke University Press|isbn=978-0-8223-4733-0}}
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{{Compact ToC|num=yes|center=yes|seealso=yes|nobreak=yes|refs=yes}}
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A
B
C
D
E
F
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Band ! Formed ! Origin ! class=unsortable| Note ! |
| Fallout
|1979 |United States | |
| Flotsam and Jetsam
|1981 |United States |File:Metalmania 2008 Flotsam&Jetsam Jason Ward 01.jpg at Metalmania, 2008]] |
| Forbidden
|1985 |United States |
| Forced Entry
|1983 |United States |{{Cite web |title=Forced Entry Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/forced-entry-mn0000737852#biography |access-date=2024-07-11 |website=AllMusic}} |
G
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Band ! Formed ! Origin ! class=unsortable| Note ! |
| Gama Bomb
|2002 |Northern Ireland | |
| Generation Kill
|2008 |United States | |
| God Forbid
|1996 |United States |File:God Forbid Paard van Troje.JPG at The Hague, The Netherlands, 2009]] |
| Grinder
|1987 |Germany | |
| Gwar
|1984 |United States |File:GWAR @ Arena Joondalup (12 12 2010) (5272638671).jpg at Arena Joondalup, 2010]] |
H
I
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Band ! Formed ! Origin ! class=unsortable| Note ! |
| Iced Earth
|1984 |United States |{{Cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/iced-earth-mn0000769486/biography|title=Iced Earth | Biography & History|website=AllMusic|access-date=16 October 2020}} | |
| Infernäl Mäjesty
|1986 |Canada | |
| Intruder
|1987 |United States |File:Intruder live in Germany, 2004.jpg, Germany, 2004]] |
| Iron Angel
|1983 |Germany | |
K
L
M
N
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Band ! Formed ! Origin ! class=unsortable| Note ! |
| NadimaČ
|2003 |Serbia | |
| Nailbomb
|1994 |United States |{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/point-blank-mw0000111548 | title=Nailbomb - Point Blank Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic | website=AllMusic }} |File:NailbombDynamo.jpg, 2011]] |
| Nasty Savage
|1983 |United States | |
| Necrodeath
|1985 |Italy |File:Necrodeath 6.JPG at Korxefest, Genoa, Italy, 2010]] |
| Necronomicon
|1983 |Germany |File:Necronomicon @ Aggressive Music Fest 2013 in Czech Republic.jpg promotional photo, 2013]] |
| Nevermore
|1991 |United States |File:Nevermore Summerbreeze2007 01.jpg of Nevermore in Dinkelsbühl, 2005]] |
| Nervosa
|2010 |Brazil | |
| Nocturnal Breed
|1996 |Norway |{{Cite web |title=Nocturnal Breed Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/nocturnal-breed-mn0000382711#biography |access-date=2024-09-01 |website=AllMusic}} | |
| Nuclear
|1998 |Chile | |
| Nuclear Assault
|1984 |United States | |
O
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Band ! Formed ! Origin ! class=unsortable| Note ! |
| One Bad Pig
|1985 |United States | |
| Onslaught
|1983 |United Kingdom | |
| Outrage
|1982 |Japan | |
| Overkill
|1980 |United States |File:Metalmania 2008 Overkill 04.jpg at Metalmania, 2008]] |
P
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Band ! Formed ! Origin ! class=unsortable| Note ! |
| Paradox
|1986 |Germany | |
| Pentagram Chile
|1985 |Chile | |
| Possessed
|1983 |United States |
| Power Trip
|2008 |United States |{{Cite web |date=2020-08-26 |title=Power Trip Frontman Riley Gale Dies Aged 34 |url=https://www.kerrang.com/power-trip-frontman-riley-gale-dies-aged-34 |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=Kerrang!}} | |
| Prong
|1986 |United States |File:Prong 16.01.2008 Orpheum Graz-2.jpg of Prong, 2008]] |
| Prototype
|1994 |United States | |
R
S
T
U
V
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Band ! Formed ! Origin ! class=unsortable| Note ! |
| Vektor
|2002 |United States |{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0001644655 | title=Vektor Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More | al | website=AllMusic }} |File:Vektor-Hamilton-2012b.jpg in Hamilton, Ontario, 2012]] |
| Vengeance Rising
|1987 |United States | |
| Venom
|1979 |United Kingdom |File:Venom live at hellfest.jpg at Hellfest, 2008]] |
| Venom Inc.
|2015 |United Kingdom | |
| Violator
|2002 |Brazil | |
| Vio-lence
|1985 |United States | |
| Virus
|1986 |United Kingdom |{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Exley|title=Live Reviews: Megadeth at Queens Hall, Leeds, England|url=http://www.metalforcesmagazine.com/site/live-review-christmas-on-earth-festival-13-12-87/|work=Metal Forces|date=13 December 1987|access-date=17 June 2014}} | |
| Voivod
|1982 |Canada |File:VOIVOD.png at Masters of Rock, Vizovice, Poland, 2009]] |
| Vulcano
|1981 |Brazil | |
W
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Band ! Formed ! Origin ! class=unsortable| Note ! |
| Warbringer
|2004 |United States |File:Warbringer in Rostock 6.jpg in Rostock, Germany, 2012]] |
| Watchtower
|1982 |United States | |
| Whiplash
|1984 |United States | |
| Witchery
|1997 |Sweden | |
| Wrust
|2000 |Botswana |{{Cite web |date=1 March 2019 |title=Wrust on the Metal Storm.|url=https://metalstorm.net/bands/band.php?band_id=9188/|access-date=13 January 2023|website=Metal Storm}} | |
X
Y
| class="wikitable sortable"
! Band ! Formed ! Origin ! class=unsortable| Note |
| Yyrkoon
|1995 |France |
Z
See also
{{portal|Biography|Lists}}
{{Commonscat|Thrash metal music groups}}
- Heavy metal music
- List of heavy metal bands
- List of crossover thrash bands
- List of groove metal bands
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