HALL OF THRASH

The Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame has always been totally lame and never really interested in giving cred to those who deserve it. The fact that Beastie Boys and N.W.A. is in it but Judas Priest aint. That should tell you everything you need to know about the disgrace that the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame is. So I made this Hall of Thrash to shed some light on some legendary and important acts within the thrash metal genre. I decided to induct bands and when they peaked creatively..

* The band members that have been inducted are the members who played in the inducted band during the bands peak.

* The years are the years when each band were at their most productive and strongest phase.

Bands become eligible for induction into the Hall of Thrash 25 years after the release of their first record. Besides demonstrating unquestionable musical excellence and talent, inductees will have had a significant impact on the development, evolution and preservation of thrash metal music. Without further ado, here are the bands that shaped thrash metal.

AGENT STEEL (1985-1988)

Los Angeles based Agent Steel were a very special band, they took influences from Aliens and conspiracy theories and mixed it with their fast brand of power / speed / thrash. Skeptics Apocalypse from 1985 is a true classic. After the Mad Locust Rising Ep the band released Unstoppable Force in 1987. Agent Steel disbanded in 1988 so they never became the huge stars that they had potential to be. They made a comeback in 1999 without their charismatic falsetto singer John Cyriis and released three more albums before once again disbanding: Omega Conspiracy (1999), Order of the Illuminati (2003) and Alienigma (2007).

Members inducted: John Cyriis, Juan Garcia, Bernie Versailles, Chuck Profus, Kurt Kilfelt, George Robb and Mike Zaputil.

ANNIHILATOR (1989-1990)

One of the shortest time spans for any inductee, Annihilator from Canada has a long career but it was undoubtly two years in their career that made all the difference. During 1989 they album debuted with Alice in Hell, one of the greatest debuts of all time. It was a huge success and Dave Mustaine wanted to recruit Jeff Waters to Megadeth, but he said no and Annihilator released Never, Neverland in 1990. Two great albums but then Annihilator made big lineup changes and the band started to write ballads and more modern sounding metal and the momentum was forever lost. But their first two albums will go down in history for the brilliant and unique guitar work by Jeff Waters combined with a all the talents that were a part of the band in the late eighties and early nineties.

Members inducted: Jeff Waters, Randy Rampage, Ray Hartmann, Coburn Pharr and Dave Scott Davis.

ANTHRAX (1984-1990)

Anthrax has always been the main band on the East Coast around the New York area. They album debuted in 1984 with Fistful of Metal but it was when Joey Belladonna joined the band they made it big with albums like Spreading the Disease (1985) and Among the Living (1987). After 1990's Persistence of Time the band switched vocalist and musical direction and the nineties was a tough period for the band. But Anthrax kept going and since Joey Belladonna came back in 2010 the band's popularity has reached levels close to what they were in the eighties. Today Anthrax are in the exclusive Big Four of thrash club with Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica. Anthrax legacy and importance for thrash can't be denied as it was their song Metal Thrashing Mad that named the genre.

Members inducted: Joey Belladonna, Frank Bello, Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, Dan Spitz and Neil Turbin.

ARTILLERY (1985-1990)

Artillery from Denmark signed up with Neat Records and released Fear of Tomorrow in 1985, the very first scandinavian thrash metal record. In 1987 They released Terror Squad and in 1990 they worked with Metallica's producer Flemming Rasmussen and created the best thrash metal album to come out of Scandinavia: By Inheritance. Artillery disbanded in the nineties but they returned in 1999 before taking another long break until 2009. Now Artillery are back and more active than ever before, but today the band is without their charismatic old frontman Flemming Rönsdorf. Artillery has always been considered to be THE band from Scandinavia, they are not only the most active and persistent band they were also the most talented.

 

Members Inducted: Flemming Rönsdorf, Michael Stützer, Morten Stützer, Carsten Nielsen, Peter Thorslund and Jørgen Sandau.

ASSASSIN (1987-1988)

Assassin from Düsseldorf stormed upon the scene with their The Upcoming Terror album from 1987. They followed it up with the sci-fi thrasher Interstellar Experience in 1988. Things were looking good for the band and even though they often were in the shadows of the three or four big german bands they built quite a following. But then the bands equipment was stolen and Assassin folded. In around 2002 they reformed and it seems like their career is on the right path again.

 

Members Inducted: Jürgen Scholz, Robert Gonnella, Dinko Vekic, Markus Ludwig, Andreas Süther, Michael Hoffmann & Frank Nellen.

BULLDOZER (1984-1988)

After the Fallen Angel single from 1984 Bulldozer signed with Roadrunner Records in Europe, who also had Slayer under their umbrella. Bulldozer managed to write history during the short spann of four years, from 1985 to 1988 they released four albums that would change the metal landscape of Italy. First they brought thrash metal to Italy with The Day of Wrath (1985) then they released The Final Separation (1986), IX (1987) and Neurodeliri (1988) before the band got wierd and started making dance music. They made a solid comeback in 2009's Unexpected Fate but it will be their first four albums that the band will be remembered for.

 

Members Inducted: Andy Panigada, AC Wild, Dario Carria, Rob ''Klister'' Cabrini and ''Don'' Andras.

CELTIC FROST (1984-1987)

After Hellhammer disbanded Celtic Frost was formed out of it's ashes. In 1984 Celtic Frost from Switzerland released the Morbid Tales EP which became a land mark in metal music. They then released the Emperor's Return EP (1985) before releasing their first full-length studio album in To Mega Therion (1985). An album of grand proportions that inspired generations to come. They released two more EP's Tragic Serenades and I Won't Dance in '86 and '87. The bands classic period ends with Into the Pandemonium from 1987. After that they took a swan dive into the glam swamp with their Cold Lake album. Celtic Frost were also an openminded band that experimented with doom, black, death, thrash, gothic elements and even glam metal.

 

Members Inducted: Tom G. Warrior, Martin Eric Ain, Stephen Priestly, Reed St. Mark and Dominic Steiner.

CORONER (1986-1993)

Coroner, the masters of technical thrash recorded a demo in 1985 with none other than Tom G. Warrior of Celtic Frost as a guest. After that the Swiss trio took things in a more technical direction with each album. Coroner debuted in 1987 with R.I.P.. They then released Punishment for Decadence (1988), No More Color (1989), Mental Vortex (1991) and Grin (1993). After that they disbanded and no more albums has come from the Coroner camp since then. Coroner was also a part of the Thrashing East home video which was released in 1990. The video also featured Kreator, Sabbat and Tankard. Coroner are inducted for their groundbreakingly technical thrash metal that never gave up an inch of aggression or melody no matter how fast and heavy their music became.

 

Members Inducted: Ron Royce, Tommy T. Baron and Marquis Marky.

DARK ANGEL (1985-1991)

Dark Angel from Downey, California debuted in 1985 with We Have Arrived, but it wasn't until the following year they made a huge impact with the release of Darkness Descends (1986). The album was an instant classic and one of the most extreme thrash metal albums of the classic year of 1986. They then switched vocalist from Don Doty to Ron Rinehart and they released two more albums: Leave Scars (1989) and Time Does Not Heal (1991). Dark Angel are in the Thrash of Fame for their uncompromised brutality, their legendary Darkness Descends album and for how they managed to stay relevant in the area of Los Angeles were Glam Metal ruled the clubs.

 

Members Inducted: Don Doty, Jim Durkin, Eric Meyer, Gene Hoglan, Mike Gonzalez and Ron Rinehart.

DEATH ANGEL (1987-1990)

Death Angel from San Francisco, California album debuted in 1987 with the legendary The Ultra-Violence, they were just kids when they recorded the album but it took the Bay Area with storm and Death Angel became one of the leading bands of the second thrash wave together with Heathen, Forbidden, Testament and Vio-Lence. They never fully lived up to their 1987 debut but Frolic Through The Park (1988) and Act III (1990) are still popular albums. Death Angel were also one of the first to include funk into their thrash which can be heard on their third album Act III. They have gained popularity over the last decade with a bunch of new albums but the bands peak came back in 1987. Maybe they never fully realized their full potential but their debut album alone is definitely an album for the Thrash of Fame.

Members Inducted: Rob Cavestany, Mark Osegueda, Dennis Pepa, Andy Galeon & Gus Pepa.

DEATHROW (1986-1988)

Deathrow might not be the obvious choice for a thrash metal hall of fame, but the mix of pure musical talent and their savage brutality it was hard to ignore the band. Deathrow signed up to Noise Records and released the brutish Riders of Doom (1986), and then the released Raging Steel (1987). After that they took a new direction with their progressive thrash masterpiece Deception Ignored (1988). They released one more album in 1992 (Life Beyond) but by then they had lost some of their old magic.

Members Inducted: Milo, Sven Flügge, Uwe Österlehner, Markus Hahn and Thomas Priebe.

DEMOLITION HAMMER (1990-1992)

Demolition Hammer from New York appeared quite late as they album debuted in 1990 with Tortured Existence, two years later they released the classic Epidemic of Violence. They released another album in 1994 called Timebomb but it was a groove metal album. Even if the band debuted late their popularity grew quickly and their fast and aggressive thrash was something out of the ordinary. Much thanks to the internet Demolition Hammer's status has grown significantly over the last decade. In 2016 Demolition Hammer reformed, The future will tell if they can give us another classic album.

Members Inducted: Steve Reynolds, James Reilly, Derek Sykes and Vinny Daze.

DESTRUCTION (1984-1990, 2001)

Destruction, the ferocious trio from Weil am Rhein, Germany debuted in 1984 with the Sentence of Death EP. During the following years they released albums like: Infernal Overkill (1985), Eternal Devastation (1986), Mad Butcher EP (1987), Release From Agony (1987) and then their front man Schmier left the band but they recruited André Grieder and recorded another classic in the underestimated Cracked Brain (1990). The nineties was a disillusional time for Destruction and members came and went and new musical ideas were explored. Around the year 2000 Destruction returned to thrash and they have never looked back. Together with Kreator and Sodom, Destruction has been one of the main attractions on the German scene.

Members Inducted: Mike Sifringer, Schmier, Tommy Sandmann, Harry Wilkens, Oliver Kaiser and André Grieder.

D.R.I. (1985-1989)

D.R.I. or the Dirty Rotten Imbeciles formed in 1982 in Houston, Texas. They debuted in 1983 with the Dirty Rotten EP. The same year they relocated to San Francisco and lived in a van until Dead Kennedy's took them on tour. They then released Dealing with it (1985) before moving towards a more metallic sound with the arrival of Felix Griffin. In 1987 D.R.I. released the album crossover and it named the style. It was the bridging between metal and punk. The band kept thrashing with albums like 4 of a kind (1988), Thrash Zone (1989) and Definition (1992). Since then the band has kept touring but they haven't released a full-length since 1996. D.R.I. are seen as the fathers of crossover thrash alongside Suicidal Tendencies, S.O.D., M.O.D., Excel and a few others.

Members Inducted: Spike Cassidy, Eric Brecht, Kurt Brecht, Felix Griffin, Josh Pappé, John Menor and Mikey Donaldson.

EXODUS (1985-1990, 2004)

Exodus was perhaps the first band that played thrash metal, that fact alone makes them a name for the thrash of fame. Another reason is their debut album Bonded By Blood from 1985. The album was delayed a year but even if it was released in 1985 it was ahead of it's time. For some reason the band fired their charismatic front man Paul Baloff and in came Steve 'Zetro' Souza from Legacy (Pre-Testament). With Zetro the band released three strong albums: Pleasures of the Flesh (1987), Fabulous Disaster (1989) and Impact is Imminent (1990). In 1992 they released a more mainstream sounding album in Force of Habit. After a few years of silence Exodus returned in 2004 with Tempof of the Damned.

Members Inducted: Gary Holt, Rick Hunolt, Tom Hunting, Paul Baloff, Steve 'Zetro' Souza and Rob McKillop.

EXUMER (1986)

In 1986 a band from Frankfurt, Germany released their debut album Possessed By Fire. The album was one of the best albums to be released in Germany and the band was an instant success. But the success was short because their bassist and vocalist Mem Von Stein decided to leave the band and the followup Rising From The Sea (1987) was a more ordinary affair. Exumer then disbanded but they returned unsuspectedly in 2012 with the Fire & Damnation Album, in 2016 they released The Raging Tides. But with all fairness the band exploded unto the thrash scene in 1986, but unfortunately some bad decisions later the momentum was lost.

Members Inducted: Mem Von Stein, Syke Bornetto, Ray Mensh and Bernie Siedler.

FORBIDDEN (1988-1990)

Forbidden from the Bay Area debuted in 1988 with Forbidden Evil and two years later they released Twisted Into Form and that was enough to write themselves into the history books and into the Thrash of Fame. With high Technical skills and a vocalist unheard of in thrash Forbidden managed to bridge the gap between traditional heavy metal and thrash. Always displayed with technical finesse and speed. Forbidden were a part of the second wave of thrash together with Testament, Vio-Lence, Death Angel and Heathen. They kept going in the nineties but their style was modernized and it just didn't work out for Forbidden but in 2010 they released Omega Wave.

Members Inducted: Craig Locicero, Russ Anderson, Matt Camacho, Paul Bostaph, Glen Alvelais and Tim Calvert.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM (1986-1988)

Flotsam and Jetsam from Phoenix, Arizona debuted in 1986 with Doomsday For the Deceiver. Their debut was nothing less than extraordinary and Metallica lured Jason Newsted to their band. In came Troy Gregory and Flotsam and Jetsam released another classic in 1988, No Place For Disgrace. Flotsam and Jetsam made an impact on the genre even if they were from the middle of nowhere. Far away from the metal scenes of New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Their melodic sensitivity combined with splendid fast yet melodic riffs was an immidiate succes. In the nineties the band moved into a more mainstream direction. But on their last couple of records things are getting faster and heavier.

Members Inducted: Jason Newsted, Eric A.K., Michael Spencer, Michael Gilbert, Kelly David-Smith, Edward Carlson and Troy Gregory.

HALLOW'S EVE (1984-1990)

Atlanta's Hallow's Eve was perhaps not as known as some of the bands in this thrash of fame, but they were an important and seminal thrash band, they were also one of Metal Blade's earliest thrash metal signings after appearing on the Metal Massacre compilation (MMVI). Their 1985 debut Tales of Terror is a pure classic. Their Death and Insanity and Monument might not be as known to the common metal fan as their debut but the band proved that they could deliver top material on those records as well.

Members Inducted: Tommy Stewart, Stacy Andersen, Tym Helton, Steve 'Skullator' Shoemaker, David Stuart, Ronny Appoldt and Rob Clayton.

HEATHEN (1987-1991)

Heathen, often underrated in the crowded late eighties. Heathen was a second wave band together with Testament, Vio-Lence and Death Angel. Heathen debuted in 1987 with Breaking the Silence, after that they recorded a demo tape with Paul Baloff of Exodus before David Godfrey-White returned to the band. In 1991 Heathen released Victims of Deception. With their technical skills and melodic sound they became legends after just two albums. Heathen then disbanded in the early 90's, they returned in 2010 with The Evolution of Chaos.

Members Inducted: David Godfrey-White, Lee Altus, Carl Sacco, Doug Piercy, Mike 'Yaz' Jastremski and Darren Minter.

HIRAX (1984-1987)

Hirax from California signed up to Metal Blade and released two punkish speed metal albums in 1985's Raging Violence and 1986's Hate, Fear and Power. In the nineties the band took a break but in the 2000's Katon DePena revived his old band and they have lately gained a bigger following than perhaps ever before. Much thanks to the charismatic Katon whom is the only original member left these days. Who also happens to be one of the few black men in our genre, so he is definitely a great role model and spokesperson for the genre.

Members Inducted: Katon W. DePena, Scott Owen, Gary Monardo, John Tabares & Eric Brecht.

HOBBS' ANGEL OF DEATH (1987-1988)

Hobbs' Angel of Death from Melbourne, Australia played pure untainted virgin metal (or thrash) in the veins of Slayer. Peter Hobbs, the bands vocalist and guitarist lended his name to the band and he is the only original member of the band today. In 1988 they album debuted with the self-titled Hobbs' Angel of Death. But unfortunately we had to wait until 1995 when the followup was released and it was hardly shipped outside the borders of Australia. In 2016 we await their comeback album Heaven Bled.

Members Inducted: Peter Hobbs, Darren McMaster-Smith, Mark Woolley and Phil Gresik.

HOLY MOSES (1986-1989)

Female Fronted Holy Moses from Aachen, Germany started making demos in 1980, their first demo was called Black Metal Masters and it was perhaps the first time anyone used the word black metal. Unfortunately it took Holy Moses six years before they finally debuted in 1986 with Queen of Siam. The following year the band improved and they released Finished with the Dogs in 1987.  In 1989 they released The New Machine of Liechtenstein. They have kept going ever since but their late eighties was their most successful period. Holy Moses was the most aggressive female fronted metal band back in the late eighties.

Members Inducted: Sabina Classen, Andy Classen, Herbert Dreger, Ramon Brüssler, Uli Kusch and Thomas Becker.

KAT (1986-1992)

KAT signed up to Mausoleum Records and released Metal and Hell in 1986. The following year a polish version of the record was released under the name 666. In 1987 KAT Toured Poland with Metallica and they played gigs with Helloween, Running Wild and Overkill. The Metal and Hell record was more in the speed / black metal realm similar to Venom but on their 1988 record Oddech Wymarlych Swiatow it was full on thrash metal in 1992 KAT released Bastard. After that their career took a dive but the band is still active to this day. KAT were extremely popular in their native Poland even if they are quite unknown outside the nations borders.

Members Inducted: Piotr Luczyk, Ireneusz Loth, Tomasz Jagus, Roman Kostrzewski, Wojciech Mrowiec, Krzysztof Oset, Krzystof Stasiak and Jacek Regulski.

KREATOR (1985-1990, 2001-)

Kreator one of the big three (or four) of German thrash together with Sodom and Destruction. During the second half of the eighties Kreator looked unstoppable and they released one classic album after the other. The band debuted in 1985 with Endless Pain but it was their 1986 release titled Pleasure to Kill that were the bands big breakthrough. An influential album and perhaps the heaviest metal album of 1986. They followed it up with three more classics; Terrible Certainty (1987), Extreme Aggression (1989) and Coma of Souls (1990). After experimenting with other genres in the nineties Kreator returned to thrash in 2001's Violent Revolution and they have kept releasing strong material ever since.

Members Inducted: Mille Petrozza, Jürgen 'Ventor' Reil, Rob Fioretti, Frank Blackfire, Christian Giesler, Sami Yli-Sirniö and Jörg Tritze.

LAAZ ROCKIT (1987-1991)

After being a power metal band during their first active years in the Oakland around San Francisco. They soon realized that thrash metal was a better direction and on their third album Know Your Enemy from 1987 the transformation had started. They released two more thrash albums before disbanding in the early nineties: Annihilation Principle (1989 and Nothing's Sacred (1991). Laaz Rockit gained some popularity in the late eighties and early nineties but they never gained the same recognition as some of the Bay Area bands, maybe because they played softer metal in the mid eighties but here on the Thrash of Fame they are a sure pick.

Members Inducted: Aaron Jellum, Michael Coons, Phil Kettner, Willy Lange, Scott Dominguez, Dave Chavarri, Scott Sargeant and Victor Agnello.

LIVING DEATH (1984-1991)

Living Death from Velbert, Germany album debuted in 1984 with Vengeance of Hell, which was the very full-length speed/thrash metal release in Germany and for that fact they are of course a band for the Thrash of fame. After the Watch Out! EP in 1985 they released the classic Metal Revolution LP. They continued the momentum with the Back to weapons EP in '86 and in '87 they released Protected from Reality. They released World Neurosis in 1989 and one more LP in 1991 titled Killing in Action, without their charismatic vocalist Thorsten 'Toto' Bergmann.

Members Inducted: Thorsten 'Toto' Bergmann, Reiner Kelch, Dieter Kelch, Andreas Oberhoff, Atomic Steif, Fred, Frank Ullrich, Gerard Thelen and Rainer Schmitz.

MEGADETH (1985-1990)

After Dave Mustaine's departure from Metallica he formed Megadeth. In 1985 they debuted with Killing Is My Business... And Business is Good, In 1986 their big breakthrough came with Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?. They followed it up with So Far, So Good... So What! in 1988. In 1990 they released Rust in Peace. After that they went for a more mainstream metal sound through the nineties, Countdown to Extinction from 1992 and Youthanasia from 1994 was pretty successful albums. Since then their albums have been of varied quality. As one of the big four of thrash, Megadeths place in the history books are forever cemented.

Members Inducted: Gar Samuelson, Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, Chris Poland, Chuch Behler, Jeff Young, Nick Menza and Marty Friedman.

MEKONG DELTA (1987-1991)

Classical metal combined with thrash? Well Mekong Delta played progressive thrash with neoclassical concepts and it worked out pretty well for the band. They debuted in 1987 with a self-titled album. In 1988 they released The Music of Erich Zann and they continued with albums like The Principle of Doubt (1989), Dances of Death (And Other Walking Shadows) (1990) and Kaleidoscope (1992). They have continued ever since and they are releasing strong albums still to this day.

Members Inducted: Rolf Stein, Wolfgang Borgmann, Vincent St. Johns, Björn Eklund, Gordon Perkins, Reiner Kelch, Uli Kusch, Uwe Baltrusch, Ralph Hubert, Doug Lee and Peter Haas.

METALLICA (1983-1989)

The biggest and most popular thrash band of all time, Metallica debuted in 1983 with Kill 'Em All, which was the very first thrash metal album, especially if you think that Exciter plays speed metal. With four albums they outsold every other thrash metal band combined. In 1984 they released the masterpiece Ride the Lightning and in 1986 they released another masterpiece in Master of Puppets, After Cliff Burton's death they managed to release another legendary album in 1989's ...And Justice For All. After that they left the thrash scene behind for a more mainstream sound and they have never looked back.

Members Inducted: James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, Kirk Hammett, Lars Ulrich and Jason Newsted.

METAL CHURCH (1984-1989)

Metal Church bridged the gap between heavy metal and thrash better than anyone. Their self-titled debut album from 1984 is still talked about more than thirty years later. In 1986 the released The Dark but after that their vocalist David Wayne left the band but they found Mike Howe and the bands perhaps most successful period followed. In 1989 they released Blessings in Disguise, in 1991 The Human Factor and in 1993 Hanging in the Balance. In the 2000's Ronny Munroe fronted the band but in 2016 Mike Howe returned to the Metal Church camp.

Members Inducted: Mike Howe, David Wayne, Kurdt Vanderhoof, Kirk Arrington, Duke Erickson, Craig Wells and John Marshall.

MORTAL SIN (1987-1989)

Mortal Sin from Australia helped popularize the genre in Australia. They also gigged with Metallica ans Kerrang once hailed them as the next big thing in thrash. But the mainstream success was never realized. However they were the kings of thrash back in Australia, they signed up to Vertigo were they became label mates with Dio, Black Sabbath and Metallica. Mortal Sin album debuted in 1987 with Mayhemic Destruction. The followup from 1989 was titled Face of Despair. The band broke up after 1991's Every Dog Has It's Day. In 2007 they returned with An Absence of Faith.

Members Inducted: Andy Eftichiou, Wayne Campbell, Paul Carwana, Keith Krstin, Mat Maurer and Mick Burke.



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NASTY SAVAGE (1985-1989)

Nasty Savage from Brandon, Florida debuted in 1985 with a self-titled album that were a huge success. Over the years Nasty Savage slowly adopted a more technica thrash style with the releases of Indulgence from 1987, Abstract Reality EP in 1988 and Penetration Point from 1989. The charismatic front man Nasty Ronnie broke TV's and acted like a maniac on stage like a true entertainer. Nasty Savage broke up in the nineties but returned in 2004 with Psycho, Psycho but they went on another hiatus but in 2016 they announced their returnal.

Members Inducted: Nasty Ronnie, Fred Dregischan, David Austin, Curtis Beeson, Ben Meyer, Dezsõ István Bartha, Chris Moorhouse and Richard Bateman.

NUCLEAR ASSAULT (1986-1989)

After Dan Lilker was fired from Anthrax he started Nuclear Assault in 1984. The band debuted in 1986 with the Game Over LP, In 1988 they released Survive and in 1989 Handle With Care was released. With social and political topics Nuclear Assault stood out from the pack and the songs were delivered with such intensity and with such an obvious message it was hard to deny the bands skills. Especially around 1986-1989 when they had their creative peak. Like most New York bands Nuclear Assault had a punkier edge to their music than the bands from the west coast.

Members Inducted: Dan Lilker, Glenn Evans, John Connelly and Anthony Bramante.

ONSLAUGHT (1985-1989)

Onslaught from Bristol could be dubbed the first English thrash metal band when they album debuted in 1985 with Power From Hell. In 1986 they released The Force and in 1989 they released In Search of Sanity. The band suffered from lineup changes and the fact that they got three different vocalists on their first three albums, albums that were very different from each other. Still they managed to establish themselves as the leading thrash band in the UK during the eighties.

Members Inducted: Sy Keeler, Nige Rockett, Jase Stallard, Steve Grice, Paul Mahoney, Rob Trotman and James Hinder.

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OVERKILL (1984-1991)

New Jersey's Overkill is one of the most consistent bands out there, they album debuted in 1985 with Feel the Fire and they has kept the flag of thrash waving ever since with smaller exceptions in the nineties. Overkill has released classic thrash albums like Taking Over (1987), Under the Influence (1988), The Years of Decay (1989), Horrorscope (1991), Killbox 13 (2003), Ironbound (2010), The Elecrtic Age (2012) and White Devil Armory (2014) to name a few. They punkish ways combined with doomlike heaviness and thrashing speed, Overkill became one of the top acts in the New York / New Jersey area. Much thanks to D.D. Verni's bass work and Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth charismatic ways.

Members Inducted: D.D. Verni, Bobby 'Blitz' Ellsworth, Bobby Gustafson, Rat Skates, Rob Cannavino, Bob ''Sid'' Falck and Merritt Gant.

POSSESSED (1984-1987)

Possessed recorded the Death Metal demo in 1984 and that demo named the genre that Possessed was a huge part of creating. Possessed were the most aggressive metal band in the Bay Area in the mid eighties. In 1985 they album debuted with Seven Churches, an iconic album for all fans of extreme metal. They then released Beyond the Gates in 1986, which was more of a traditional thrash metal album and in 1987 they released The Eyes of Horror EP. But Jeff Becerra was shot during a robbery and Possessed disbanded but lately Jeff Becerra has teamed up with a few Sadistic Intent members and reformed Possessed as the only original member,

Members Inducted: Jeff Becerra, Mike Sus, Mike Torrao and Larry Lalonde.

RAZOR (1984-1991)

Razor from Guelph, Ontario Canada released their debut EP in 1984 titled Armed and Dangerous (Before Anthrax did the same). In 1985 they released Executioner's Song. The band were very productive and they released another album in 1985 called Evil Invaders. In 1986 they released Malicious Intent and in 1987 they released Custom Killing. In 1988 they released Violent Restitution and then Stace ''Sheepdog'' McLaren left the band but they managed to find a good replacement in Bob Reid. They then released Shotgun Justice and Open Hostility in 1990 and 1991. Razor was always underestimated, maybe because they were Canadians instead of from San Francisco. But just have a look at their discography, they released a ton of solid speed / thrash metal albums.

Members Inducted: Dave Carlo, Mike Campagnolo, Mike 'M-Bro' Embro, Stace ''Sheepdog'' McLaren, Jon Armstrong, Bob Reid, Adam Carlo and Rob Mills.

SABBAT (1988-1989)

Sabbat from the United Kingdom released two albums in 1988 and 1989: History of a Time to Come and Dreamweaver. They released one more album in 1991 called Mourning Has Broken, but that was without their charismatic vocalist Martin Walkyier.  Martin is today perhaps most known for his work in Skyclad and Andy Sneap for his work in Hell (The band not the place). Andy is also one of the top thrash metal producers and he has worked with Exodus, Onslaught, Megadeth and Testament to name a few. Sabbat was famous for their hedonistic ways and for including historical and pagan themes into their music. They were also incredible lyricists.

Members Inducted: Andy Sneap, Martin Walkyier, Simon Negus and Simon Jones.

SACRED REICH (1987-1990)

Sacred Reich is a Phoenix, Arizona based thrash metal band that formed in 1985. Part of the second wave of thrash along with Testament, Death Angel and Vio-Lence. Sacred Reich has produced a catalog of politically charged aggressive music that has stood the test of time. They signed up to Metal Blade Records and album debuted in 1987 with the Ignorance LP, In 1988 they released the Surf Nicaragua EP and in 1990 they released The American Way. They released two more albums in the mid nineties, Independent and Heal. (1993 & 1996) Sacred Reich played socially concious and punkish thrash always performed with a confident posture.

Members Inducted: Phil Rind, Greg Hall, Jason Rainey and Wiley Arnett.

SACRIFICE (1987-1993)

Sacrifice from Toronto, Canada album debuted in 1985 with Torment in Fire but the band improved quite a bit prior to the release of their second LP Forward to Termination from 1987, In 1990 they released Soldiers of Misfortune and in 1993 they released Apocalypse Inside. After that the Sacrifice disbanded, they returned in 2009 with The Ones I Condemn, but it was in the late eighties and early nineties Sacrifice had their best period. Some might write them off as just another Slayer replica but Sacrifice wrote incredible material, especially on Forward to Termination and Soldiers of Misfortune.

Members Inducted: Scott Watts, Rob Urbinati, Joe Rico, Michael Rosenthal and Gus Pynn.

SADUS (1988-1992)

Sadus from Antioch, California debuted in 1988 with Illusions, a record that was shockingly tight, fast and aggressive for the time. They followed it up with two more strong albums in 1990's Swallowed in Black and 1992's A Vision of Misery. Sadus became known for their aggressive brand of death / thrash. The growling snarls from vocalist Darren Travis combined with the precise drumming of Jon Allen and lets not forget Steve DiGiorgio who had the most impressive bass work the genre had seen since Cliff Burton's passing. The band had to take a break in the nineties when Steve DiGiorgio played with Death and Testament. They released two more records in 1998 and 2006: Elements of Anger and Out for Blood.

Members Inducted: Steve DiGiorgio, Jon Allen, Rob Moore & Darren Travis.

SEPULTURA (1985-1991)

Sepultura from Belo Horizonte, Brazil debuted in 1985 with a split EP called Bestial Devastation. In 1986 they released their first full-length called Morbid Visions. They then adopted a more traditional thrash sound on 1987's Schizophrenia. Their international breakthrough came with 1989's Beneath the Remains and Arise followed in 1991.  They became even more popular in the early nineties but albums like Chaos A.D. and Roots didn't impress their old thrash fans. When Max Cavalera left the band in 1996 they have struggled but Paulo Jr. and Andreas Kisser has kept the band alive even if their popularity has dropped. Sepultura became metal legends even if they were from a city down in Brazil, they have made an incredible journey and some magnificent albums over the years. Only the national football team is bigger in Brazil.

Members Inducted: Igor Cavalera, Andreas Kisser, Max Cavalera, Paulo Jr. and Jairo Guedz.

SLAYER (1983-1990)

Slayer debuted in 1983 with the Show No Mercy LP, instantly they took th e crown from Venom and Mercyful Fate as the most dangerous metal band. Their reputation spread even further with 1985's Show No Mercy. But their crowning achievement must be Reign in Blood from 1986. After that they released South of Heaven in 1988 and Seasons in the Abyss in 1990. The band has kept going and released a bunch of records ever since but it was what the band produced between 1983 up until 1990 that were their most successful period. Today they are perhaps the most popular thrash band after Metallica. Nowdays it will be interesting if they can make a comeback to form without Jeff Hanneman (R.I.P.) in the lineup.

Members Inducted: Tom Araya, Kerry King, Jeff Hanneman and Dave Lombardo.

SODOM (1984-1992, 1997-)

Sodom from Gelsenkirchen, Germany debuted in 1984 with the In The Sign of Evil EP. In 1986 they released Obsessed By Cruelty. They then cleaned up their act and dropped the satanic hints and adopted the war theme with the arrival of guitarist Frank Blackfire. In 1987 they released the classic Persecution Mania and in 1989 Agent Orange was released. In 1990 they released Better Off Dead and in 1992 Sodom released the brutal Tapping the Vein. In the nineties the band had a dip in popularity but with the release of M-16 in 2001 they have climbed back to the top of things. Vocalist and bassist Tom Angelripper has been the main force behind the band since day one. Sodom is today one of Europes most popular thrash metal bands.

Members Inducted: Tom Angelripper, Frank Blackfire, Aggressor, Grave Violator, Chris Witchhunter, Michael 'Micha' Hoffman, Andy Brings and Michael Wulf.

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES (1983-1990)

Suicidal Tendencies from Venice Beach, California was no usual thrash band, they started out more or less as a hardcore punk band when they debuted in 1983. Before Metallica, Slayer or Anthrax had their first records out yet. With the arrival of guitarist Rocky George and later bassist Bob Heathcote Suicidal Tendencies took steps towards thrash metal with the release of Join the Army from '87. In 1988 they were more or less a thrash metal band when they released the brilliant How Can I Laugh Tomorrow, When I Can't Even Smile Today. They continued with two EP's before they released the popular Lights... Camera... Revolution in 1990. Since then they have visited funk metal territories and back to crossover again.

Members Inducted: Rocky George, Mike Muir, Louiche Mayorga, R.J. Herrera, Grant Estes, Robert Trujillo, Bob Heathcote and Mike Clark.

TANKARD (1986-1992)

Tankard from Frankfurt, Germany debuted in 1986 with the Zombie Attack LP. They then became more fascinated with alcohol and has written songs on the topic for three decades now. In 1987 they released Chemical Invasion, The Morning After was released in 1988. After the Alien EP they released The Meaning of Life in 1990. They released Stone Cold Sober in 1992. The band has kept thrashing for three decades now and their popularity is bigger than ever before. Tankard are in the hall of fame for their longevity, they never sold out or took things too far. They always stayed true to themselves and they have released a couple of the greatest German thrash albums of all time back in the eighties.

Members Inducted: Andreas 'Gerre' Geremia, Frank Thorwarth, Andy Boulgaropoulos, Oliver Werner, Arnulf Tunn and Axel Katzmann.

TESTAMENT (1987-1992)

Testament the kings of the second thrash wave debuted in 1987 with The Legacy. They followed it up with a bunch of classic thrash albums like The New Order (1988), Practice What You Preach (1989), Souls of Black (1990) and The Ritual (1992). After that lead guitarist Alex Skolnick left and the bands signature sound changed a bit on Low (1994), Demonic (1997) and The Gathering (1999). In 2005 Alex rejoined the band and they released The Formation of Damnation in 2008 and Dark Roots of Earth in 2012. Testament are amongst the most popular thrash acts of today and they keep delivering top notch material to this day. Testament is famous for Alex Skolnicks expressive guitar work and Chuck Billys thunderous vocals.

Members Inducted: Chuck Billy, Eric Peterson, Alex Skolnick, Greg Christian and Louie Clemente.

VIO-LENCE (1988-1990)

Vio-Lence from San Francisco were the fastest and the most streetwise band of the Bay Area. They debuted in 1988 with the legendary Eternal Nightmare and the followup Oppresing the Masses from 1990 was no disappointment. They released one more EP and a LP in the early nineties without the same intensity and power behind it. The Torture Tactics EP (1991) and the Nothing to Gain LP (1993). They made an impressive comeback on the Thrash of the Titans concert in 2001 but their comeback was short and no new album was recorded. People have been begging for their return for over a decade now. In 2006 they released the brilliant video Blood and dirt, a feature film documentary about Vio-Lence.

Members Inducted: Perry Strickland, Dean Dell, Robb Flynn, Troy Fua, Phil Demmel and Sean Killian.

VOIVOD (1984-1989)

Voivod's futuristic space thrash had flavouring of progressive metal. Hailing from Quebec, Canada they debuted in 1984 with the ferocious War and Pain LP. In the eighties they delivered albums like Rrrröööaaarrr (1986), Killing Technology (1987), Dimension Hatröss (1988) and Nothingface (1989) Over the years they included more and more progressive element and the thrashing rage was toned down. The band is still active to this very day and their career has spanned for more than thirty years. They also had Jason 'Jasonic' Newsted of Metallica fame in the lineup for a while.

Members Inducted: Piggy, Away, Snake and Blacky.

WATCHTOWER (1985-1989)

Watchtower from Austin, Texas, U.S.A. invented the progressive thrash metal genre in 1985 with the release of Energetic Disassembly. Four years later in 1989 they released the followup titled Control and Resistence. Their music was more complex than anything heard before and perhaps since in the thrash genre. They inspired a lot of bands that followed including Death and Cynic. They are back once again and has recorded a few more songs but we still await a third full-length album.

Members Inducted: Ron Jarzombek, Doug Keyser, Alan Tecchio, Rick Colaluca, Jason McMaster and Billy White.

WHIPLASH (1986-1989)

Whiplash took their name after the Metallica song. They debuted in 1986 with the intense Power and Pain LP. In 1987 they released Ticket To Mayhem and in 1989 they released Insult To Injury. After those three records the band suffered from lineup changes and they went in another direction. The band was active throughout the nineties and the band took a turn for a retro thrash sound on their 1998 album Thrashback but the death of Tony Bono was hard on the band and it took eleven years for the band to release another album, their comeback Unborn Again.

Members Inducted: Tony Bono, Joe Cangelosi, Tony Portaro, Tony Scaglione and Glenn Hansen.

XENTRIX (1989-1990)

Xentrix from Preston, U.K. debuted in 1989 with Shattered Existence on Roadracer Records, they followed it up with the popular For Whose Advantage in 1990 and it looked like the band was destined for stardom. They also recorded a popular cover of Ray Parker Jr.'s Ghostbusters theme song. But in the early nineties things went in the wrong direction and after one EP (Dilute to Taste) and the LP Kin, the bands rhythm guitarist and vocalist Chris Astley left the band. But Xentrix managed to record another album in 1996 titled Scourge before folding.

Members Inducted: Kristian 'Stan' Havard, Chris Astley, Dennis Gasser and Paul MacKenzie.