thehistoryofthrashpart8

 

PART VIII.
THE FIRST WAVE OF THRASH METAL.
FOR THE FASHION, NOT THE PASSION.
In the first wave of thrash metal there was a bit of a split between how the bands looked. In the beginning of the thrash metal genre I would say that a lot of people still wore the attires of "The Heavy Metal Look" or in some cases "The Biker Look" But the further we got into the 80's the "Street Look" would be what most bands wore. Towards the late eighties we also saw "The crossover look", "The prankster look" and "The battle jacket look" becoming more normalized.

THE BIKER LOOK

Early on the biker look was popular with black leather jackets, maybe some aviator sunglasses or some sporty 80's sunglasses, You could wear leather pants. The bikers would have some black leather boots. Maybe some studs and buttons as decoration on the leather jacket but often very basic and hard look. You could also wear some spiked or studded gauntlets or studded leather wraps around your upper arms or neck. Wearing a bullet belt was also considered to be normal back then. haha. Razor and Destruction sported this look (In the beginning at least)

THE STREET LOOK

This was the choice for the dirt poor kids but also those who were tired of metal being some sort of fashion show. This was either tight black or tight blue denom pants, maybe ripped or some holes in them. Often a tank top, at times a band t-shirt. Maybe a small studded arm bracelet at most. Hi-top sneakers was a must to complete the look. This was the style that bands like Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Kreator sported to name a few. This stripped‑down, urban look would eventually define the thrash aesthetic for the rest of the eighties.

THE HEAVY METAL LOOK

This was for the dudes who were heavily into traditional metal and NWOBHM especially. This style was quickly going out of style the further we got into the thrash metal wave but in the beginning mainly around 1980-1984 or so you could wear colorful tight spandex pants, hi-top sneakers that you tucked your pants into and a tank top or 80's striped shirts. Studded leather belts and smaller gauntlets and buttons. Maybe a union jack or a rising sun tank top.  Definitely more out there and colorful than the street look. Early Exodus and Slayer had this look.




 

THE CROSSOVER LOOK
A parallel crossover look emerged through Suicidal Tendencies, introducing bandanas and caps with logos printed on the underside, sometimes worn together. Chunky sunglasses, baggy pants, flanell shirts with the top button buttoned. Definitely a more urban and perhaps even gang affiliated look. This style became more common towards the late 80's. Especially for crossover bands.

THE PRANKSTER LOOK
This was even more relaxed than the street look. You still mostly just wore white hi-top sneakers and white socks but soft pants and more often colorful shorts. This was mainly populariazed by Anthrax. Who wore this and often looked silly on the photographs that were taken of them. Suicidal Tendencies styled caps or wearing the cap back and forward was common too.



THE BATTLE JACKET LOOK
This was perhaps more of an extension of the street look. Sometimes dudes wore a leather jacket on top of that look or a battle vest or why not a combination of both with the battle vest over the black leather jacket. With the Battle Jacket look it was important to look like Times Square in New York. Patches and ads of everything you like cramped into every space of your jacket or vest. Patches of all the bands you liked on the front and the back and sometimes a bigger backpatch on the back. With additional studs and buttons on the collars. This became popular towards the late eighties but perhaps even more so in the revival era in the 2000's.

THE UNWRITTEN RULES.
No matter what era or what style you went with there were some unwritten rules that you couldn't cross without being called a poser. Perhaps the most important was that all kinds of makeup was frowned upon. Even though early Slayer and Celtic Frost at times wore it. Slayer abandonded the look after being rediculed for it.

It was a very divisive time. Wearing a band shirt for some punk or glam band could result in an ass-kicking. Being a poser was the last thing you wanted to be seen as. The same with the hairstyles, your hair needed to be long or on the way of becoming long, Especially in the 80's. Nowdays it's way more common with bald or shorthaired thrashers. The wrong hairstyle could get you into trouble back in the day. Especially if you had a mohawk or something that signaled that you weren't true enough. The same with "The heavy metal look" if you showed up in spandex to a thrash concert in 1989 you would certainly stick out. Also the pants at the time should be as tight as possible. No baggy pants, no military pants or anything like that was allowed during the peak of the genre. Tattoos and piercings wasn't that normal either back then.

THE MEDIA
The early‑to‑mid eighties saw the rise of the first professional magazines dedicated entirely to heavy metal. Kerrang! launched in 1981, Metal Forces followed in 1983 under Bernard Doe, and Metal Hammer arrived in 1984, with its English‑language edition appearing in 1986. These publications became the primary information channels for metal fans worldwide in the pre‑internet era, shaping taste, spreading new bands, and defining terminology.

The term "thrash metal" itself was coined by Malcolm Dome of Kerrang! when he described Anthrax’s "Metal Thrashing Mad" from Fistful of Metal (1984). For many fans, these magazines were the only reliable window into the rapidly evolving underground.

THE LABELS

Throughout the early eighties, thrash metal depended on a handful of independent labels willing to take risks on a sound that was too fast, too aggressive, and far too uncommercial for the major record companies. Metal Blade Records was the first real catalyst. Brian Slagel’s label built much of the American underground. Through the Metal Massacre compilations, Metal Blade gave early exposure to Metallica, Slayer, Overkill, Voivod, Flotsam and Jetsam, Possessed, and dozens of other bands who would go on to define the genre.

On the East Coast, Megaforce Records became the second major pillar. Jon and Marsha Zazula championed the scene when almost nobody else would, releasing Metallica’s Kill ’Em All, Anthrax’s early material, and Overkill’s first EP. Megaforce had a knack for spotting bands with raw potential long before the rest of the industry caught on.

Combat Records emerged as the grittier, more underground counterpart. Their roster captured the harsher edge of the movement, releasing Megadeth’s debut, Exodus’ Bonded by Blood, and early material from Death Angel and other West Coast acts. Combat specialized in the kind of ferocity that bigger labels wouldn’t touch.

Across the Atlantic, Noise Records in Germany became the central force behind the European wave. Noise released early albums by Kreator, Celtic Frost, Running Wild, Grave Digger and Helloween. Bands that helped define the distinct, razor‑sharp sound of German speed and thrash metal. Steamhammer/SPV played a similar role, issuing early releases from Sodom, Destruction, and Holy Moses, solidifying the Teutonic scene as one of the most influential in the world.

Meanwhile, Roadrunner Records in the Netherlands acted as a crucial bridge between continents. Before becoming a global powerhouse, Roadrunner served as a European distributor for American thrash, helping Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax reach audiences outside the United States. They later signed their own thrash acts, contributing directly to the genre’s growth.

Music for Nations in the UK also played a vital role by licensing and distributing American thrash throughout Europe. Their early releases ensured that British and European fans could actually find the records that were shaping the underground in the US.


THE ARTWORK ARTISTS

Philip Lawvere shaped the visual identity of mid‑’80s European thrash through his work with Noise Records. His apocalyptic, surreal style defined early Kreator, Endless Pain (1985), Pleasure to Kill (1986), Terrible Certainty (1987) and he also delivered iconic covers for Celtic Frost like To Mega Therion (1985). His art gave German and Swiss extremity a brutal, instantly recognizable visual language.

Ed Repka’s hyper‑saturated, razor‑sharp illustrations became the face of American thrash. He created Megadeth’s most iconic imagery, Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (1986), Rust in Peace (1990) and classic covers for Death - Scream Bloody Gore (1987), EvilDead - Annihilation of Civilization (1989), and Nuclear Assault - Game Over (1986). His style defined the genre’s golden‑era look.

Andreas Marschall brought a darker, more gothic and cinematic tone to thrash and extreme metal. His work includes Sodom’s Agent Orange (1989) and Better Off Dead (1990), as well as Blind Guardian’s early fantasy‑driven covers like Tales from the Twilight World (1990). His intricate, shadow‑heavy style expanded metal artwork into more atmospheric territory.

Don Brautigam’s bold, painterly realism made him a standout in the metal world. He created Anthrax’s iconic Among the Living (1987) and Metallica’s Master of Puppets (1986) cover art. His clean, dramatic compositions gave thrash a sense of scale and menace without relying on gore or chaos.

Though best known for death metal, Dan Seagrave’s sprawling, surreal landscapes influenced thrash’s darker edge. His work includes covers for Pestilence (Testimony of the Ancients, 1991) and early UK thrash/death crossover acts. His architectural, otherworldly style pushed extreme‑metal visuals into full world‑building.

Joe Petagno, creator of Motörhead’s Snaggletooth, also contributed to the speed‑ and thrash‑metal aesthetic. His work includes Motörhead’s Overkill (1979) and Bomber (1979), both hugely influential on the visual language of early speed metal. His gritty, feral style bridged rock ’n’ roll swagger with metal aggression.

Pushead’s (Brian Schroeder)stark, skeletal illustrations defined the hardcore‑thrash crossover. His work for Metallica — …And Justice for All (1988) singles, The $5.98 EP (1987), and numerous shirts/posters — fused punk abrasion with metal intensity. His raw, underground aesthetic became a cultural force beyond album covers.

Wes Benscoter brought a dark, hyper‑detailed, almost biomechanical brutality to metal artwork. Known for his work with Slayer - Divine Intervention (1994) and later thrash/death hybrids like Kreator’s Violent Revolution (2001), his style blends realism with nightmarish surrealism. Benscoter’s art helped define the modern, more extreme visual evolution of thrash.

Though primarily a sci‑fi/fantasy painter, Michael Whelan’s work became iconic in metal through his covers for Sepultura, Beneath the Remains (1989) and Arise (1991) both crucial to the thrash‑to‑death transition. His surreal, cosmic horror imagery elevated the genre’s visual ambition.

Sebastian Krüger’s hyper‑stylized caricature realism gave Tankard their unmistakable identity. His covers Chemical Invasion (1987), The Morning After (1988) fused humor, excess, and thrash energy, perfectly matching the band’s beer‑soaked aesthetic.

Rick Lieder delivered some of the most striking early Testament visuals. His cover for The Legacy (1987) a demonic, painterly burst of color and menace, helped define the band’s early identity and remains one of thrash’s most recognizable debut artworks.

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