I would probably say the 50's... The 80's were ok (and the 80's CERTAINLY weren't as good as 1996-2003) but we had artists like Bill Haley & His Comets paving the way for a newer more aggressive form of music, challenging what society could accept and incorporating thrash metal elements into their songs. So that is why I vote for the 50's.

Written by Mattybu on 05.01.2012 at 20:51

I would probably say the 50's... The 80's were ok (and the 80's CERTAINLY weren't as good as 1996-2003) but we had artists like Bill Haley & His Comets paving the way for a newer more aggressive form of music, challenging what society could accept and incorporating thrash metal elements into their songs. So that is why I vote for the 50's.

100% agree.

When Rust in Peace was released? 90..
is that for 80s or 90s?

Written by Metal_4Ever on 06.01.2012 at 00:07
When Rust in Peace was released? 90..
is that for 80s or 90s?

I dunno, it depends on when it was written. If it was written in '89 then it belongs to the '80s.

^ Began recording in 89.

And then I think you guys should not base your vote on only one album one album doesn't make a whole decade. Still the 80's though

The nineteen fucking eighties.

I would say two or more because while the 80's ushered in the birth of thrash and probably the best albums of the genre (Ride The Lightning, Bonded By Blood, Peace Sells, Puppets, etc) the nineties is when it really branched out and flourished, not to mention Rust In Peace and Cowboys From Hell.

Obv's the 2010's.

This is one of those questions where you already know that everyone will be heavily leaning towards the 80's and why not? Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Exodus, Testament, Anthrax...I mean damn. The list goes on and on. The Bay Area scene alone could just about eclipse any other decade when it comes to this genre of Metal. Of course I may be biased, since Metallica was the band that pretty much introduced me to Metal in general. I still remember the first time I heard "Fade to Black" on the local rock station back in 6th grade. My friend and I were floored and immediately proceeded to spend our lawn mowing money on every Metallica album we could find. I remember we would alternate which record we bought, so that we had all of them if we put our collection together. Imagine our shock when we caught up with Load!! LOL!! Oh well....this is about thrash, and when it comes to thrash the Kings reigned in the 80's. This almost can't even be considered a matter of opinion.

Written by Boxcar Willy on 23.01.2012 at 03:13

Obv's the 2010's.

It's a very nasty subliminal shot by you. 2010....really?? Band like Overkill has really maintained the balance of transformer smashing Thrash Metal scene. Look at Metallica, Megadev....they ain't only downgraded their crap but they just led people to puke on them. I don't know on what facts you said 2010.

Written by Arian Totalis on 22.01.2012 at 21:56

I would say two or more because while the 80's ushered in the birth of thrash and probably the best albums of the genre (Ride The Lightning, Bonded By Blood, Peace Sells, Puppets, etc) the nineties is when it really branched out and flourished, not to mention Rust In Peace and Cowboys From Hell.

it didn't flourish during the '90s. it withered shortly after the Clash of the Titans tour... the two albums you listed are "90's" releases, but released in 1990, the very tail end of the boom. Pantera boomed, that's about it.

Written by BitterCOld on 23.01.2012 at 19:06

Written by Arian Totalis on 22.01.2012 at 21:56

I would say two or more because while the 80's ushered in the birth of thrash and probably the best albums of the genre (Ride The Lightning, Bonded By Blood, Peace Sells, Puppets, etc) the nineties is when it really branched out and flourished, not to mention Rust In Peace and Cowboys From Hell.

it didn't flourish during the '90s. it withered shortly after the Clash of the Titans tour... the two albums you listed are "90's" releases, but released in 1990, the very tail end of the boom. Pantera boomed, that's about it.

Agreed. Ever since then Thrash hasn't really gotten back on it's feet. After Grunge took everything by storm metalheads clung to the burgeoning scene of Death and Black Metal and never really looked back.....except of course out of nostalgia. With Grindcore, Hardcore, Deathcore, etc., etc. floating around now I see little room for Thrash since it's strongest elements get incorporated into just about every sub-genre of Metal in some way or another. Yeah...the 80's were the golden era.

Thrash Metal
1980-1990
R.I.P

Written by Cynic Metalhead on 23.01.2012 at 17:01

Written by Boxcar Willy on 23.01.2012 at 03:13

Obv's the 2010's.

It's a very nasty subliminal shot by you. 2010....really?? Band like Overkill has really maintained the balance of transformer smashing Thrash Metal scene. Look at Metallica, Megadev....they ain't only downgraded their crap but they just led people to puke on them. I don't know on what facts you said 2010.

*ahem. SARCASM...

Obviously the answer is the 1980s but there were still some great thrash albums that came out in the 1990s especially demolition hammers tortured existence(1990) and epidemic of violence (1992)

sodom tapping the vein(1992) code red (1999)

among others

Nothing can beat the authenticity of the sound of the 80's. Almost everything else after that is pretty much derivative (and I don't pretend to have listened to even half the hordes of 2nd and 3rd tier bands).

80s were the golden era for thrash.

I went with two or more because no matter what decade/era of thrash your talking about, there are both good and bad bands. I am just now starting to get into the newer bands, as of now Deathhammer is my favorite modern thrash band.

I would say mid to late 80's and early to mid 90's. Modern thrash is generally garbage excluding a few decent acts

My last response to this poll was over a year ago, and my decision still stands.
Considering how boring most 80's thrash got real fast, I welcome the new stuff.

Written by Guest on 28.01.2013 at 19:34

My last response to this poll was over a year ago, and my decision still stands.
Considering how boring most 80's thrash got real fast, I welcome the new stuff.

You know what ? I'm kind of really surprised by this answer, not because I personally think that the 80's thrash was the best. But
because usually people hate so much on mordern thrash, which I love personally. I'm glad some users actually do have a
love for new thrash music. Gj Lit

Modern thrash iis simply rehashing thrash of the eigthies with a modern (crap) sound, not a single original idea of their own. That's the problem with modern thrash

I.e. COPYCATS

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 29.01.2013 at 23:39

Modern thrash iis simply rehashing thrash of the eigthies with a modern (crap) sound, not a single original idea of their own. That's the problem with modern thrash

Totally agree.

For example: Bonded By Blood. Not only are they a crappy knock-off of Exodus, but they couldn't even come up with an original band name.

For some reason, thrash seems to have evolved the least out of any metal genre (in my opinion anyway). Like you said, it's just modern bands trying to recreate the sound that bands of the 80s already did much, much better.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 29.01.2013 at 23:39

I.e. COPYCATS

Noted.

Not the biggest fan of thrash metal, but since Ride The Lightning is a 10 for me, and it came out in 1984, I'll just ride the bandwagon and choose the 80s by default.

Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 29.01.2013 at 23:39

Modern thrash iis simply rehashing thrash of the eigthies with a modern (crap) sound, not a single original idea of their own. That's the problem with modern thrash

My thoughts exactly! The 80s were definitely the golden era for thrash although there were certainly some excellent underground releases in the early 90s as well; all the same, the 80s win by a longshot.

It's not a decade but the best era was '85 - '92.

80's,.....obviously. Not to say there hasn't been any good thrash albums since then because there has, but when comparing those eras as a whole, the 80's is so dominant that it's not really even debatable.

80s here. Nothing really interesting happened in the 90s and 00s and the thrash revival is mainly a bunch of copycat bands (most of whom are at least decent though) with only a few original bands like Vektor.