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 Returning To The Roots: Thrash Metal April 23, 2003 |
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Thrash metal, and old-school thrash metal, to be specific, happens to be one of my favorite
metal genres. The '80s were a breeding ground for countless tharsh metal
bands, some of which like the pioneers of the genre were immortalized and
others which made it past a dodgy demo. The '80s saw an evolution of this
genre, from bands such as Venom (who though proclaimed themselves to be black
metal due to their dark and satanic lyrics, were instrumentally basic
and very to the point), to pioneers such as Exodus, Megadeth, Metallica,
Slayer, Anthrax, Overkill, and Testament, to name the more renowned ones. The
other side of thrash which was equally as important in the '80s came from
Germany, otherwise known as Teutonic Thrash. These bands were reserved in numbers compared to
the American scene, but had three prominent bands in Kreator, Destruction
and Sodom. The '80s proved to be a glorious decade for metal, as many of these thrash metal bands were pushed in the spotlight and each released its share of classics. However, once the '90s came and metal declined, so did thrash's popularity. Many bands either abandoned the genre completely or changed their direction to stay in the game. Some were cunning enough to remain on their path, but unfortunately suffered from virtually no promotion. The term "comeback", coined in more recent years, is a double edged sword. It's debatable whether "comeback" is made bona fide or whether it is just another marketing hype. To avoid being superfluous and picking on every band that has vowed to make a comeback, I've chosen three bands which are well known and which I have followed throughout the years -- namely, Kreator, Destruction and Megadeth. All three bands have something in common with the term "comeback", they were all at one point playing thrash metal and had gradually abandoned their style only to return to their roots eventually.
Kreator started out in the '80s with a ferocious thrash attack; albums such
as 'Pleasure To Kill' and 'Extreme Aggression' were undoubtedly whiplash
Along with Kreator and Sodom,
Destruction was the embodiment of Teutonic thrash metal. Their albums were
fast, raw and ferocious, the way thrash metal was always meant to sound.
While playing traditional thrash metal, Destruction also left enough room
for experimentation. The band, under the original line-up, broke up in the
Finally we come to Megadeth, a band that doesn't need any introduction. The '90s were quite kind
to Megadeth, and as a band Mustaine and company constantly progressed. True there
was no opus to match 'Rust In Peace', yet what followed wasn't drastic either,
retaining thrashy sounds and not forgetting the excellent solos. Even when
Megadeth's long time rivals were releasing the opus of their commercial
attack, 'Cryptic Writings' continued to retain Megadeth's sound. It was the
release of 'Risk', however, that was viewed by many to be the band's major drawback. Released in 1999 it
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records. The '90s saw the band change styles several times, so much so that
the inconsistent sound affected the fan base. As the '90s had dawned so did
the failed attempts of "experimentation". 'Violent Revolution', released in
2001, had the band returning to the sound they abandoned in the late 80s.
While not as extreme or raw as 'Pleasure to Kill', it has strong shades of
albums such as 'Extreme Aggression' and 'Coma of Souls', blending the fast
thrash attack with catchy riffs and choruses.
very early '90s. They resurfaced around the mid '90s with new releases and a
different line-up. However, be it the lack of metal exposure in the '90s or the fact
that the line-up wasn't well received by the hardcore fans, this reincarnation didn't have
much success. In 2000 Destruction reformed under the original line-up, and 'All
Hell Breaks Loose' was the proof that '80s thrash metal sound could be resumed.
'All Hell' sounded very similar to '80s Destruction, yet it wasn't the album to put
Destruction back on the map. That honor fell one disc later with 'The Anti-Christ', and with it
Destruction started to reconquer the throne, touring extensively all over
the world.
was a complete departure of the sound which Megadeth had managed to keep
together throughout the '90s. The day was to be saved with what was planned as
a bona fide return to their roots. 'The World Needs a Hero' followed, and while realistically it wasn't the return many had hoped for,
it wasn't a failed 180 degrees turn either. Megadeth was set to bring back the heavy sound of their roots;
unfortunately all the good intentions never saw the light of day as the band
split up shortly after "The World Needs A Hero" world tour. Still, longtime fans were able to see shades of their '80s glory days, at least...
