Here is my personnal top 50 Thrash Metal album of all time, order by my preference. (even if it's really hard to order after the top 20 )
Feel free to suggest me some I've forgot to mention, there's so much excellent band and I should have not listen to all of them ! ^^
In my opinion, the best style to see live !!

1.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

2.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

3.Slayer - Reign In Blood

4.Vektor - Black Future

5.Machine Head - Burn My Eyes

      View entire list ››

One album per band.

1.Slayer - Reign In Blood

2.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

3.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

4.Overkill - Horrorscope

5.Testament - The New Order

      View entire list ››

A cross selection of Thrash, Old School, Progressive, Power and Hair Metal.

1.Five Finger Death Punch - The Way Of The Fist

2.Overkill - The Years Of Decay

3.Iron Maiden - Piece Of Mind

4.AC/DC - Back In Black

5.Crimson Glory - Transcendence

      View entire list ››

Long hair, tight jeans, tons of chicks. Thrash metal at it's finest.

1.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

2.Megadeth - Rust In Peace

3.Slayer - Reign In Blood

4.Pantera - Cowboys From Hell

5.Artillery - By Inheritance

      View entire list ››

RANKING CRITERIA :

1. Originality

2. Songwriting

3. Vigorous performance

1.Anacrusis - Screams And Whispers

2.Overkill - Feel The Fire

3.Nuclear Assault - Game Over

4.Wrathchild America - 3-D

5.Toxik - World Circus

      View entire list ››

My favourite thrash records... sorry for not including famous bands like Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth etc.
But these albums are some brilliant thrash gems.

1.Kreator - Pleasure To Kill

2.Overkill - Horrorscope

3.Flotsam & Jetsam - Doomsday For The Deceiver

4.

5.Annihilator - Alice In Hell

      View entire list ››

Ordered. One album per band. Assessed by quality of the track itself, impact as a conclusion and relevance to the rest of the album.

1.Deep Purple - Deep Purple

2.Windir - 1184

3.Slayer - Reign In Blood

4.!T.O.O.H.! - Order And Punishment (Řád A Trest)

5.Helloween - Walls Of Jericho

      View entire list ››

Thrash Metal is, and will always be my favorite type of music. No matter how many sub-genres or idiotic names some bands give to their music style, they'll never reach the complex "simplicity" of Thrash metal. It's raw, heavy, fast, aggressive, and has a historical impact that probably no other type of heavy metal style will ever reach.

1.Venom - Welcome To Hell

2.Discharge - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing

3.Suicidal Tendencies - Suicidal Tendencies

4.Metal Church - Metal Church

5.Metallica - Ride The Lightning

      View entire list ››

1.Metallica - Metallica

2.Ozzy Osbourne - No More Tears

3.Rush - Roll The Bones

4.Skid Row - Slave To The Grind

5.Overkill - Horrorscope

      View entire list ››

1.Annihilator - Alice In Hell

2.Annihilator - Never, Neverland

3.Anthrax - Among The Living

4.Artillery - By Inheritance

5.Celtic Frost - To Mega Therion

      View entire list ››

**WARNING: Mega-list ahead**

So you're seeking some good ol' (or new) Thrash Metal and you don't know where to look? Recommendations are running low and you're tired of wandering forums aimlessly, only to find one or two albums that you've probably already heard of?...If so, my friend, then stop searching and welcome to my little sanctuary. Nowadays, most would say that I'm a complete Thrash addict, always in need of his fix, and they would be right. In order to keep my addiction under control and share it with all of you Thrash Metal maniacs, I've created this monstrous list. You may use my precious creation as an ''Encyclopedia'' of sort, in which I stored what I consider to be the best Thrash releases of all time. From the acclaimed classics like *Exodus - Bonded By Blood* and *Kreator - Pleasure To Kill* to the more hidden jewels like *Believers - Extraction From Mortality* and *Anacrusis - Suffering Hour* or even more recent gems like *Exmortus - Necrophony* and *Vektor - Terminal Redux*, I've got it all. I know it might look exhausting & exhaustive but that's the best way to keep the addiction under control.

-----------------------------------

- Browsing My List - A How To Guide -

1. First of all, albums are ordered by years of release so if you don't like modern thrash metal, keep to the 80's and 90's, there's more than enough stuff to satisfy your needs.

2. Also, I've added every single album's thrash style. So if you like Death, Crossover, Prog, Melodic, Tech, Power, Black, Grind and even Groove Thrash.. it's all there suit yourself.

3. Lastly, albums with a ''★'' after the genre's description represents albums that I.. Myself.. Moi consider as being classics of the genre or something you shouldn't miss, no I am not the all mighty reference guru in Thrash Metal, yes I do know a lot and yes it is possible for you to disagree with me on that matter. So please don't go writing stuff like "Whaa.. Dude.. No star on X or Y album?". Also 🇨🇦 = From Canada, My Country!!!

I do hope that this little guide did help you and if not, press Alt + F4, in order to gtfo. Have fun.

Edit: Now adding my favourites of each year using the mention -> (best of xxxx)
Also removed all mentions of ''Traditional'' or ''Resurgence''. It isn't needed.

-----------------------------------

: Guib's Best Thrash Release of 2023:
Exmortus - Necrophony

Honorable Mention For 2023:
Terminalist - The Crisis As Condition

: Guib's Best Thrash Release Of 2024 So Far:
Messiah - Christus Hypercubus

----------

P.S. Feel free to recommend me new thrash please.
I do accept PMS but you can suggest here aswell

Also check Daggon's List here -- A Quick Guide For Thrash Metal, Sex and Tacos!
And ChapuLviz's List here -- Top 35 German Thrash Albums
And Vasil de Shumen's List over there -- Best of US THRASH

Last Updated: April 15th, 2024

1.Discharge - Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing

2.Metallica - Kill 'Em All

3.Suicidal Tendencies - Suicidal Tendencies

4.Slayer - Show No Mercy

5.Dr. Know - Plug-In Jesus

      View entire list ››

Currently being updated as of 5 September 2012

1.Annihilator - Never, Neverland

2.Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?

3.Artillery - By Inheritance

4.Satan - Blaze Of Obscurity

5.Toxik - World Circus

      View entire list ››

Overall year rating:
3,5/5

1.Death - Human

2.Sepultura - Arise

3.Cathedral - Forest Of Equilibrium

4.Coroner - Mental Vortex

5.Bathory - Twilight Of The Gods

      View entire list ››

Favorite releases from 1991

Updated 9/19/20

1.Suffocation - Effigy Of The Forgotten

2.Sepultura - Arise

3.Atheist - Unquestionable Presence

4.Death - Human

5.Malevolent Creation - The Ten Commandments

      View entire list ››