List of thrash metal bands


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. 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.
Four American bands, Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer, are credited with popularizing the genre, earning them the title of the "Big Four of Thrash". In Germany, Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, and Tankard, led the Teutonic thrash metal scene, garnering the nickname "The Big Four of Teutonic Thrash". 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. Thrash metal has seen a resurgence in recent times, with many of the older bands returning to their roots with their new releases. A new generation of thrash metal bands emerged in the early 2000s, drawing lyrical and visual inspiration from the older groups.
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. Over the years, thrash metal has developed a few subgenres of its own, such as crossover thrash and groove metal.

A

BandFormedOriginNote
Acid Drinkers1986Poland
Acid Reign1985United Kingdom
Accuser1986Germany
Aftermath1985United States
Agent Steel1984United States
Am I Blood1992Finland
Amorphia2012India
Anacrusis1986United States
Angel Dust1984Germany
Angel of Sodom2009Finland
Angelus Apatrida2000Spain
Angkor Wat1986United States
A.N.I.M.A.L.1993Argentina
Annihilator1984Canada
Anthrax1981United States
Artillery1982Denmark
Atomkraft1979United Kingdom
Atrophy1986United States
Aura Noir1993Norway
Austrian Death Machine2008United States

B

BandFormedOriginNote
Bathory1983Sweden
Battlecross2003United States
Believer1986United States
Bio-Cancer2010Greece
Black Obelisk 1986Russia-
Blind Illusion1979United States
Blood Feast1985United States
Bloodstain2023Sweden
Blood Tsunami2004Norway
Body Count1990United States
Bonded by Blood2005United States
Brotality2016United States
Bulldozer1980Italy
Bullet for My Valentine1998United Kingdom
Byzantine2000United States

C

BandFormedOriginNote
Carnal Forge1997Sweden
Carnivore1982United States
Celtic Frost1984Switzerland
Cerebral Fix1986United Kingdom
Channel Zero1990Belgium
Coroner1983Switzerland
Crash1991South Korea
Criminal1991Chile
Cripper2005Germany
Crumbsuckers1982United States
Cryptic Shift2013United Kingdom
Cryptic Slaughter1984United States
Cyclone Temple1989United States

D

BandFormedOriginNote
Darkane1998Sweden
Dark Angel1981United States
Dead Brain Cells1986Canada
Death Angel1982United States
Deceased1984United States
Defiance1985United States
Defleshed1991Sweden
Deliverance1985United States
Demiricous2001United States
Demolition Hammer1986United States
Desaster1988Germany
Deströyer 6661994Australia
Destruction1982Germany
Dew-Scented1992Germany
Dorsal Atlântica1981Brazil
Dorso1984Chile
D.R.I.1982United States
Dust Bolt2007Germany

E

BandFormedOriginNote
Early Man2003United States
Embodyment1993United States
English Dogs1981United Kingdom
Epidemic1986United States
Eudoxis1984Canada
Evildead1987United States
Evile2004United Kingdom
Exciter1978Canada
Exhorder1985United States
Exodus1979United States
The Exploited1978United Kingdom
Extol1993Norway
Extrema1986Italy-
Exumer1985Germany

F

BandFormedOriginNote
Flotsam and Jetsam1981United States
Forbidden1985United States-
Forced Entry1983United States-

G

BandFormedOriginNote
Gama Bomb2002Northern Ireland
Generation Kill2008United States
Ghoul2001United States
God Forbid1996United States
Grinder1987Germany
Gwar1984United States

H

BandFormedOriginNote
Hämatom2004Germany
Hand of Fire2010United States
Hatesphere1998Denmark
Hatriot2011United States
The Haunted1996Sweden
Hatchet2006United States
Havok2004United States
Heathen1984United States
Hellhammer1981Switzerland
Helstar1982United States
Hermética1987Argentina
Hirax1982United States
Hobbs' Angel of Death1987Australia
Holocausto1985Brazil
Holy Moses1980Germany
Horcas1988Argentina
Hyades1996Italy

I

BandFormedOriginNote
Iced Earth1984United States
Infernäl Mäjesty1986Canada
Intruder1987United States
Invocator1987Denmark
Iron Angel1983Germany

J

BandFormedOriginNote
Juggernaut1985United States

K

BandFormedOriginNote
Kayser2004Sweden-
Kekal1995Indonesia
Korrozia Metalla1984Russia-
Korzus1983Brazil-
Kreator1982Germany
Kraptor2007Venezuela-
Kryptos1998India

L

BandFormedOriginNote
Lȧȧz Rockit1982United States
Lair of the Minotaur2003United States
Lamb of God1994United States
Lawnmower Deth1987United Kingdom
Lazarus A.D.2005United States
Leeway1984United States
Legion of the Damned2004Netherlands
Lethal1988Argentina
Living Death1980Germany
Living Sacrifice1989United States
Loudblast1986France
Lost Society2010Finland
Lyzanxia1996France
Lich King2004United States

M

BandFormedOriginNote
Machine Head1991United States
Malefice2003United Kingdom
Mantic Ritual2004United States
Massakre1982Chile
Master1987Russia
Megadeth1983United States
Mekong Delta1985Germany
Meliah Rage1986United States
Memorain1999Greece
Messiah1984Switzerland
Metal Allegiance2014United States
Metal Church1980United States
Metallica1981United States
Merciless1986Sweden
M.O.D.1986United States
Mokoma1996Finland
Morbid1986Sweden
Morbid Saint1982United States
Mordred1984United States
Mortal Sin1985Australia
Mortification1987Australia
Municipal Waste2001United States
Mutilator1985Brazil

N

BandFormedOriginNote
NadimaČ2003Serbia
Nailbomb1994United States
Nasty Savage1983United States
Necrodeath1985Italy
Necronomicon1983Germany
Nevermore1991United States
Nervosa2010Brazil
Nocturnal Breed1996Norway
Nuclear1998Chile
Nuclear Assault1984United States

O

BandFormedOriginNote
Obliveon1987Canada
One Bad Pig1985United States
Onslaught1983United Kingdom
Outrage1982Japan
Overkill1980United States

P

BandFormedOriginNote
Pantera1981United States
Paradox1986Germany
Pentagram Chile1985Chile
Possessed1983United States
Powersurge2006Bangladesh
Power Trip2008United States
Prong1986United States
Prototype1994United States

R

BandFormedOriginNote
RAMP1989Portugal
Ratos de Porão1981Brazil
Razor1984Canada
Recon1986United States-
Revocation2006United States
Rifftera2010Finland
Rigor Mortis1983United States
Ruin2005United States

S

BandFormedOriginNote
S7N2009Mexico
Sabbat1985United Kingdom
Sabbat1983Japan-
Sacrament1989United States
Sacred Oath1984United States-
Sacred Reich1985United States
Sacrifice1983Canada
Sacrilege1984United Kingdom
Sadus1984United States
Sarcófago1985Brazil-
Sanatorium1987Macedonia
Sarke2008Norway
Scatterbrain1989United States
Segression1990Australia
Sepultura1984Brazil
Seventh Angel1987United Kingdom
Sex Machineguns1989Japan
Shadows Fall1995United States
Short Sharp Shock2005United Kingdom
Skeletonwitch2003United States
Skin Chamber1991United States
Skrew1990United States
Slayer1981United States
Slaughter1984Canada
Sodom1981Germany
Soulfly1997United States
Stam1na1996Finland
Stone1985Finland
Stormtroopers of Death1985United States
Strapping Young Lad1994Canada
Sturmgeist2002Norway
Suicidal Angels2001Greece
Suicidal Tendencies1981United States
Susperia1998Norway
Swashbuckle2005United States
Sylosis2000United Kingdom

T

BandFormedOriginNote
Tankard1982Germany
Tenet1996Canada
Terror 20001999Sweden-
Testament1983United States
Thanatos1984Netherlands
Tonic Breed2006Norway
Tourniquet1989United States
Torque1994United States
Torturer1989Chile
Toxic Holocaust1999United States
Toxik1985United States
Transmetal1987Mexico
Tremonti2011United States
Trivium2000United States

U

BandFormedOriginNote
Ultimatum1992United States
United1981Japan
Unlocking the Truth2007United States

V

BandFormedOriginNote
Varga1989Canada
Vektor2002United States
Vengeance Rising1987United States
Venom1979United Kingdom
Venom Inc.2015United Kingdom
Viking1986United States
Violator2002Brazil
Vio-lence1985United States
Voivod1982Canada
Vulcano1981Brazil

W

BandFormedOriginNote
Warbringer2004United States
Watchtower1982United States
Whiplash1984United States
Witchery1997Sweden
Wrust2000Botswana

X

BandFormedOriginNote
Xentrix1985United Kingdom

Y

BandFormedOriginNote
Yyrkoon1995France

Z

BandFormedOriginNote
Znöwhite1982United States
Zoetrope1978United States