Classic Thrash Bands v Modern Thrash Bands

Albums: 
TQT-Psycho and POD
Deliverance-S/T and Stay
Sacrament-Both
Seventh Angel-First two
Living Sacrifice-First album
Ritual Servant
Meliah Rage

I wouldn't include that Meliah Rage album personally.  I think it is closer to US Power Metal.

I would add Hating Evil, Wickeds End,  Angel of Sodom, and Herd to modern thrash bands.  I know I am forgetting some too, especially from Brazil.  Maybe Mosh-pit Justice?

I'd hate for someone to judge our place in the Christian thrash scene before our new album comes out.  That will really tell the tale.

Betrayal/Martyr may be coming back, so that could be really exciting.  Not to mention Deathless.

(I won't include my own band here below, so I won't be too biased)

Top 10 Christian thrash bands
1. Tourniquet
2. Antithesis
3. Deliverance
4. Viking
5. Devastation
6. Seventh Angel
7. Sacrament
8. Betrayal / Martyr
9. Believer
10. Join the Dead
12. Catscan
13. Immortal
14. Hating Evil
15. Wickeds End
16. Deathless

Top 10 essential Christian thrash albums
1.  Tourniquet - Stop the Bleeding
2.  Antithesis - s/t
3.  Deliverance - Weapons of our Warfare
4. Viking - Man of Straw
5. Devastation - Idolatry
6. Seventh Angel - Lament for the Weary
7. Sacrament
8. Betrayal / Martyr
9. Believer - Dimensions
10. Join the Dead - s/t
12. Catscan  (I've finally heard the whole thing.  This may be getting a pro-press in the future!)
13. Immortal - Dead and Buried demo
14. Hating Evil - Rotten inside
15. Wickeds End - Temporal Pain demo
16. Deathless - Enslaved

So many questions. 

1) You would call Anithesis thrash? Do you have some sort of sentimental attachment to the band? I only ask because I have never seen them on a thrash list.

2) Are we counting Viking as a Christian band with Christian lyrics or just secular with Christian friendly lyrics?

3) Same question for Devastation?

average joe wrote:So many questions. 

1) You would call Anithesis thrash? Do you have some sort of sentimental attachment to the band? I only ask because I have never seen them on a thrash list.

I would.  No sentimental attachment except that I thought their albums were by far some of the best metal around at the time.  I've never seen them on thrash lists but I have seen them described as thrashy and compared to bands like Metal Church.  They're not 80s Bay Area thrash, but I think their music is influenced by thrash.

2) Are we counting Viking as a Christian band with Christian lyrics or just secular with Christian friendly lyrics?

The former, and I'm talking about that 2nd album.  Seventh Angel, Deliverance, and Believer are considered Christian thrash although their latest offerings don't have any Christian lyrics either.

3) Same question for Devastation?

Ditto, but less so than Viking was, which I think is beyond question.

I'm loving this discussion!

I like the old thrash bands way better. 

Mostly everything released between 1989 - 1992...

Tourniquet - the first three
The Crucified - everything 
Deliverance - the first four
Sacrament - everything 
Believer - the first two 
Betrayal - the second 
Seventh Angel - everything 
Living Sacrifice - s/t

I like Mortification and Vengeance Rising too, but I left them out because they were a bit more in the death metal direction.

I forgot the Living Sacrifice debut!  arrgh

The modern bands can´t accomplish, what the classic bands have created.
 Thrash Metal was born and grew up in these times. It was a special athmosphere then. But the modern bands can try to compete with them.

My most favourite ones of the days of old are:

Tourniquet - Stop the bleeding
Vengeance rising - Once dead
Martyr and Betrayal all stuff
Believer - Extruction from mortality
Seventh Angel - Lament for the weary
Deliverance - Deliverance

Temple of Blood wrote:

average joe wrote:So many questions. 

1) You would call Anithesis thrash? Do you have some sort of sentimental attachment to the band? I only ask because I have never seen them on a thrash list.

I would.  No sentimental attachment except that I thought their albums were by far some of the best metal around at the time.  I've never seen them on thrash lists but I have seen them described as thrashy and compared to bands like Metal Church.  They're not 80s Bay Area thrash, but I think their music is influenced by thrash.

2) Are we counting Viking as a Christian band with Christian lyrics or just secular with Christian friendly lyrics?

The former, and I'm talking about that 2nd album.  Seventh Angel, Deliverance, and Believer are considered Christian thrash although their latest offerings don't have any Christian lyrics either.

3) Same question for Devastation?

Ditto, but less so than Viking was, which I think is beyond question.

I'm loving this discussion

What about Realm “Endless War?”

Practice didn't even have christian lyrics.

Realm "Endless War" the former.  Lyrics written by the previous vocalist from their demos who was not on the album.

Modern thrash bands usually can't replicate the originals, because the times have passed.  Some of them may get the authentic sound of old thrash down, like Ritual Servant or Hating Evil, but it still usually comes across like "paint by numbers" to me.  Too predictable, no personality, no stand-out riffs, and no unique songwriting skills and unique vocals like the original bands had.

That said, I still applaud them trying!  I hold out hope that some of them will put out something great eventually.  They just need to find their own sound within the genre instead of merely trying to recreate the past.

strangerhoncho wrote:Modern thrash bands usually can't replicate the originals, because the times have passed.  Some of them may get the authentic sound of old thrash down, like Ritual Servant or Hating Evil, but it still usually comes across like "paint by numbers" to me.  Too predictable, no personality, no stand-out riffs, and no unique songwriting skills and unique vocals like the original bands had.

That said, I still applaud them trying!  I hold out hope that some of them will put out something great eventually.  They just need to find their own sound within the genre instead of merely trying to recreate the past.

You'll be proven wrong VERY SOON. 

So waiting for him to be proven wrong!

Temple of Blood wrote:I wouldn't include that Meliah Rage album personally.  I think it is closer to US Power Metal.

I would add Hating Evil, Wickeds End,  Angel of Sodom, and Herd to modern thrash bands.  I know I am forgetting some too, especially from Brazil.  Maybe Mosh-pit Justice?

I'd hate for someone to judge our place in the Christian thrash scene before our new album comes out.  That will really tell the tale.

Betrayal/Martyr may be coming back, so that could be really exciting.  Not to mention Deathless.

(I won't include my own band here below, so I won't be too biased)

Top 10 Christian thrash bands
1. Tourniquet
2. Antithesis
3. Deliverance
4. Viking
5. Devastation
6. Seventh Angel
7. Sacrament
8. Betrayal / Martyr
9. Believer
10. Join the Dead
12. Catscan
13. Immortal
14. Hating Evil
15. Wickeds End
16. Deathless

Top 10 essential Christian thrash albums
1.  Tourniquet - Stop the Bleeding
2.  Antithesis - s/t
3.  Deliverance - Weapons of our Warfare
4. Viking - Man of Straw
5. Devastation - Idolatry
6. Seventh Angel - Lament for the Weary
7. Sacrament
8. Betrayal / Martyr
9. Believer - Dimensions
10. Join the Dead - s/t
12. Catscan  (I've finally heard the whole thing.  This may be getting a pro-press in the future!)
13. Immortal - Dead and Buried demo
14. Hating Evil - Rotten inside
15. Wickeds End - Temporal Pain demo
16. Deathless - Enslaved

An Antithesis fan!? That self titled is amazing!

I need to revisit these guys!

Temple of Blood wrote:

strangerhoncho wrote:Modern thrash bands usually can't replicate the originals, because the times have passed.  Some of them may get the authentic sound of old thrash down, like Ritual Servant or Hating Evil, but it still usually comes across like "paint by numbers" to me.  Too predictable, no personality, no stand-out riffs, and no unique songwriting skills and unique vocals like the original bands had.

That said, I still applaud them trying!  I hold out hope that some of them will put out something great eventually.  They just need to find their own sound within the genre instead of merely trying to recreate the past.

You'll be proven wrong VERY SOON. 

I'd like nothing better!

average joe wrote:

I need to revisit these guys!

Strangely, I don't know if I ever gave these guys a listen or not!  I probably thought their name sounded like it would be power/prog to me so I probably never gave it a chance.  This track is good.  I'll have to give the album a go when I have time.

It love the gritty vocals and growls at the 1:30 and 2:18 mark. In fact, would absolutely love to hear this type of mix of grit and melody on the new Temple of Blood to match the intensity of the music that I know will be there. It’s like a mixture of Shawn Pelata (Final Sign & Oracle) and Mike Torone (Sacrament). Absolutely killer vocal performance on that track and I consider myself very picky in that area.

I liked this vocalist a lot too.  They should've stuck it out IMHO but their band leader quit and they couldn't continue.  Now he is in a Metallica tribute band, which to me seems like a waste of time for a guy with the rare ability to write great songs.  The vocalist did a guest spot somewhere but hasn't done much since parting ways with the band.  It was an honor having James play with us on "Overlord".  He was a very nice guy.

I listened to the album last night.  Great musicianship and tunes, but I can't say I'm a fan of the vocals.  They're fine and he has nice variety but I don't like how he constantly drags out vowels.  Especially "oooooo."  Can't stand it, actually.  That's one of the things about power metal that usually keeps me away even if the music is thrashy.  Just a personal preference.

Everybody is a critic of vocals.  Guitarists/bassists get away with murder! 

The debut is a lot better anyway.  Hard to find though.

Temple of Blood wrote:I liked this vocalist a lot too.  They should've stuck it out IMHO but their band leader quit and they couldn't continue.  Now he is in a Metallica tribute band, which to me seems like a waste of time for a guy with the rare ability to write great songs.  The vocalist did a guest spot somewhere but hasn't done much since parting ways with the band.  It was an honor having James play with us on "Overlord".  He was a very nice guy.

“The vocalist did a guest spot somewhere but hasn't done much since parting ways with the band.”


Hmm... Perhaps he would want to do a little guest feature work on the next Temple if Blood.

average joe wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:I liked this vocalist a lot too.  They should've stuck it out IMHO but their band leader quit and they couldn't continue.  Now he is in a Metallica tribute band, which to me seems like a waste of time for a guy with the rare ability to write great songs.  The vocalist did a guest spot somewhere but hasn't done much since parting ways with the band.  It was an honor having James play with us on "Overlord".  He was a very nice guy.

“The vocalist did a guest spot somewhere but hasn't done much since parting ways with the band.”


Hmm... Perhaps he would want to do a little guest feature work on the next Temple if Blood.

I'd rather see he and Sean reunite again and do more work with Antithesis.