Copyright (c) 2007-2024 THE THRASH METAL GUIDE
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z H.H.H. (SPAIN)
Fast, brutal thrash/crossover sounding like a mix between Wehrmacht's "Shark Attack" and Slayer's "Reign in Blood"; the songs are very short, most of them in the 1-1.5min range. Of all the 13 tracks there's only one which is mid-tempo ("Entrapas de la Patria"), and the album closer is a cool version of the old country classic "Country Roads" ("Cami Ral" is the name) sung in Spanish; the rest is aggressive and intense.
Homus Homini Lupus Full-Length, 1991 H.M.P. (USA)
Based on the "The Undead Hour" EP, this band whose abbreviation stands for "heavy metal poetry", thrashes hard with crisp energetic riffage and not many changes from the speedy delivery which come in the form of heavy pounding sections recalling Exhorder's exploits from the early-90's, but without too many shades of groove. The singer is an attached angry shouter who accompanies the musical intensity with enthusiasm and panache. This is indeed "heavy metal poetry" done in the "thrash" way. Some of the band members create more poetry of the speed/thrash hybrid variety with Blood of Kings.
Heavy Metal Poetry Full-length, 2007 My Space H.o.S. (ITALY)
This is a good "beginning" for these young Italians, who have taken their name from the Metallica song "Harvester of Sorrow" (although music-wise they have very little to do with the Americans), pull out commendable classic thrash metal of the Germanic kind, starting with the all-out moshers "Fallout" and "Annihilation of Society", the latter adding an aggressive proto-death atmosphere before the more melodic speedster "Road Madness" relieves the situation a bit which gets unbearable again on the 10-ton hammer "The Haunt". The mid-paced rhythms stay around for a string of songs in the middle, but "Ready to Fight" speeds up again with energetic galloping riffs which escalate on the total thrashing madness "Earthquake" which follows suit. The final "We Are H.O.S.!" crosses both tendencies on a jollier crossover base, an appropriate epitaph to this vigorous addition to the burgeoning Italian thrash metal scene.
The Beginning Full-length, 2011 My Space H.O.S.T.I.L.E. (UK)
A three song-demo of heavy, modern, slightly industrialized thrash with a few good technical moments, but also with some not very convincing decisions: there is a long acoustic intermission on "Mocking the Afflicted" which takes a huge part of the song. I personally see it as a dress rehearsal for something bigger to come soon.
Hard 'N' Fast In A Minor EP, 2005 Official Site H2SO4 (SPAIN)
Despite the band's name, the music is not as acid; this is thrash/crossover done by the book, quite fast at times, but also forgettable.
Reality Show Full-length, 1994 H1Z1 (USA)
Modern heavy thrash which relies on catchy, memorable song-writing and officiant mid-tempo riffage which becomes quite playful and jumpy ("Helewe", "Eyes of Shame") at times, but there's a more serious, nearly progressive side (the diverse mechanizer "A.D.H.D.") to the show here also ensured by the versatile vocal performance which is particularly striking on the atmospheric balladic etude "Game Over".
Unbounded Full-Length, 2017 H-GEORGE (ITALY)
A cool new act who specialize in stylish semi-technical retro thrash "courting" both Megadeth and early Testament. The album begins in an energetic Bay-Area fashion with the edgy headbanger "Run Or You're Dead" which sets the tone for a string of songs until the arrival of the heavy stomper "Euthanasia" which also introduces a spare deathly vocal performance as opposed to the main mid-ranged clean ones. The bad news is that after this number the sound acquires mellower, heavy/power metal tendencies which last for too long to be a nice shift. "Globalization" comes to save near the end being a good speedster, but it's only the final "Hate" which matches it in terms of potency the rest being less impressive, without an edge, pulling this effort towards the average pool despite the promising start.
Slave Of Society Full-length, 2010 Official Site HAATE (USA)
This obscurity was like a side-project for the Incubus guys which never took off. The guys hadn't really put their hearts into it starting from the very bad sound quality, all the way to the sloppy clumsy musical delivery which is an awkward hesitation between thrash and proto-death with dark doomy elements present as well probably suiting better the harsh semi-shouty angry vocals. "A Call To Arms" livens up at the end with a cool twisted technical up-tempo section, but that's about it. Back to the Incubus catalogue...
A Taste of Hate Demo, 1990 HABEAS CORPUS (USA)
This is a cool obscurity which features hard-hitting thrash/proto-death along the lines of Devastation, Merciless and
Gammacide. The songs are long ("Divided By Two" alone is over 7-min), but there's no technicality involved, or at least not
very overtly (the closing "Trapped In My Mind" has a few quirky decisions). The singer is an intense semi-clean shouter.
Coated with Lies Full-Length, 1995 Official Site HABIT OF FORCE (SPAIN)
Based on the self-titled sophomore album, this band stays on the more dragging side of the 90's post-thrash movement with repetitive groovy riffs which will remind you of Machine Head at their least inspired. Angry vocals, rehashed riffs, playful tunes: all is here to make the fan's head shake in doubt...
Hybrid EP, 2007 Official Site HABITUAL SINS (USA)
This is the new project of the Icarus Witch guys who have partnered here with none other than the guitar wizard Jim Dofka. The delivery is more aggressive than the one of the other act coming close to the dark power/thrashisms heard on the Dofka albums, and as such should keep the fans happy with its mystical hard-hitting riffage as exemplified by "The Djinn" which sets the tone for the majority of the tracks. There aren't too many speedy deviations although "Kiss Of Shame" is a fairly dynamic jumper with soaring speed metal-ish implements. "I Pray For You" is another more vivid piece with a dark brooding middle and ending; and "Forever Be Tormented" is a similarly-styled speedster with more optimistic overtones. "Down Here in Sodom" is a compelling blend of fast and slower, heavier riffs, and the final "When The Inquisition Calls" is a more engaging, progressive shredder recalling the exploits of the Swedish heroes Hexenhaus and Pathos. The vocals are very similar to the ones on the Icarus Witch efforts, dramatic and evocative; and Dofka is in a traditionally fine form producing superb leads and inspired flashy shreds at every opportunity.
Personal Demons Full-Length, 2017 Official Site HABORYN (VENEZUELA)
Based on "At the Edge of Extinction", this act provide mild friendly modern thrash with not very visible/audible metalcore overtones. The execution is decent, and there's nothing wrong with this kind of music except that it's quite generic and trite regardless of which part of the world it comes from. The guys don't strain themselves too much speed-wise, and the listener may lose interest gradually due to the repetitive character of the music which at least should get some credit for the infectious melodies ("Rise and Fall" which is not a Helloween cover) dispersed throughout. The singer semi-growls in a comprehensive fashion adding a meaner note at times here and there in the vein of early Anders Friden (In Flames).
Infernal Melodies EP, 2004 Official Site HACHA (SPAIN)
Your average groovy heavy thrash with one surprising raging thrashing closer: "Toma Ajo", which disappoints at the end with the next groovy section.
Cortante EP, 2004 HADES (BULGARIA)
This is literally the oldest metal band in Bulgaria having started their career in the distant 1986, and having gained quite a reputation nationwide as one of the more talented acts of the late-80's. By 1990 the band were already no more since they guys all had to join the army for the obligatory two-year military service. 20 years later they are back in action although all the 13 tracks presented here had been written during the 80's; the style is energetic power/speed/thrash metal, mostly guitar-driven with sparse keyboard participation. The guitar work is admirable with clear Shrapnel pretensions, some of the best to ever come out of the Balkans: check out the awesome galloper "Crusaders", or the short blitzkrieger "Fireborn". Pure thrashers also "roam" around, and fillings will fall on the raging "Heaven And Hell" which is smashing technical speed/thrash akin to Paradox and Hellfire, with the more complex opus "Lines Inscribed Upon A Cup Formed From A Skull" a close second. "Dark Alleys" is a nod to the progressive scene, still thrashing hard to the point of proto-deathness. "Hero" is a brutal cut with deathly guitars, super-fast sections, still pretty technical and virtuoso. "Vampires" is another more death-laced song with mid-period Death a clear influence, followed by the encompassing "Party with the Devil", a 10-min opera of perfectly-executed progressive thrash with never a dull note inserted, with a haunting organ-infused exit which flows into the superb classical instrumental "Inspiration" closing the album. If released 20 years ago, this album would have been a sure top ten pick in any year of the mid/late-80's; a truly respectable achievement from genuine talents who are hopefully back in the studio, not satisfied with just releasing old stuff, regardless of how high its quality is.
Hades Full-length, 2010 Official Site HADES (USA)
One of the early more technical speed/thrash metal bands who released two strong albums in the 80's before disappearing. Both efforts are long, with 12-15 tracks, so expect some fillers of the heavy/power metal type, but for the most part these tracks are blistering speed/thrash metal pieces with fairly decent guitar performance (the lead section is particularly good), and cool, albeit a bit undeveloped, vocals (mostly in the screaming department to which the guy adheres too often), courtesy of Alan Tecchio, the vocalist who later sang on Watchtower's sophomore album, and for Seven Witches, among other less known acts. The band are not strangers to slower, heavier songs ("Nightstalker" from "Resisting Success"), but these are the lesser ones, which don't hold water against the much more appealing faster material, some of which is simply striking: the awesome aggressive opener on "If at First You Don't Succeed...": "Opinionate", among others. "Masque Of The Red Death" is worth mentioning from the debut: a very good take on a more elaborate, progressive song-writing, and although thrash is sparsely present, this song works fine as one of the early examples of a more thought-out composition; "Aftermath Of Betrayal" from "If at First You Don't Succeed..." tries to follow the same pattern, but at least half of the time it spends in a slow, doom-absorbed tempo in the vein of early Black Sabbath, before it finds time to thrash intensely near the end.
Resisting Success Full-length, 1987 Official Site HADES ARCHER (CHILE)
Both EP's: expect raw brutal black/thrash/death metal which goes well over the Impaled Nazarene aesthetics blasting with full force through the short 1-2min tracks, only occasionally slowing down for the heavy crushing break in the Bathory ("Blood, Fire, Death") spirit. This is very aggressive, uncompromising stuff: not for everyone.
Penis Metal EP, 2008 My Space HADES INC. (CHILE)
Based on the "Demencia" demo, these lads specialize in heavy mid-tempo power/thrash which is both classic and modern-sounding. This isn't stale stuff, and cuts like "Cruel Demencia" can easily make you move around in appreciation, not to mention the near-headbanging jump-arounder "Mi Mente". The attempt at a mellower, also more progressive song-writing "Solo Un Lamento Mas" is also worth mentioning, giving a chance to the otherwise pedestrian, not very attached clean vocalist to display his more romantic side.
Demencia EP, 1997 HADEZ (PERU)
Those of you who were not happy with the raw amateurish sound of the early Brazilian thrash metal bands (MX, Sextrash, Vulcano, even early Sepultura), here is a band for you whose debut album brings you this sound with a better musicianship and production. However, at the time when it was released, death metal was reigning supreme, and the music presented is a mixture of death, thrash and even black metal. The final result is very vicious and brutal, and if we add the twisted, ala Morbid Angel technical riffs, throw in chaotic solos in the Kerry King-vein starting out of nowhere, and things really become harder to imagine. If you think that Hellwitch are the masters of the aggression-meets-technicality-type cocktails, after listening to this "wonder" here, you might want to give it a second thought.
Aquelarre Full-length, 1993 Official Site HAERESYS (ITALY)
This outfit indulge in a varied classic thrash/death concoction which can be both friendly and melodic ("Sweet Shepherdess", the semi-balladic idyll "An Apple Fallen") and edgy and thrashy ("Edges"), the venomous mean witch-like vocals creating more drama the latter sometimes missing from the music department.
Velum Dogmatum Laceretur EP, 2020 Facebook HAERKEN (UK)
These newcomers attempt to awaken the dormant spirit of the old pagan folklore on the British Isles, but unlike their peers Sabbat, they have chosen purely modern devices to do that. So expect epic modern thrash with dramatic shouty death metal vocals. The battle-like rhythms may make one think of the viking/doom metal acts more often, but in truth there are enough bludgeoning riffs here to satisfy: check out the more intense shredder "A Call To Arms", or the pounding war-instigating "The Kings' Crusade" which boasts a nice acoustic passage in the middle. The last two compositions acquire a more officiant tone and complicate the landscape a little bit, but in a good way giving this cool album a desirable progressive flavour.
...Of Warriors & Kings Full-Length, 2014 HAGGARD (GERMANY)
These symphonic/orchestral metal heroes made much better music in their early days, and they by no means needed 100 musicians to help them bring it to life. There are few efforts which deserve their titles more than the one here: this is standout progressive/technical thrash with more dramatic death metal sweeps the latter a precursor to what the wizards Theory in Practice would achieve a few years later. This is captivating music which shows a not very often reached level of complexity wrapped in some of the most dazzling melodic tunes from the 90's. Each song develops like a separate symphony the drama also achieved through a capable alternation in the vocal sector: emotional clean mid-ranged and deep guttural death metal vocals the "duel" also giving an ethereal gothic colouring to the elaborate musical landscapes this touch also recalling the early-90's works of Messiah ("Choir of Horrors", "Rotten Perish"). It's kind of sad that the band didn't stay on this page for at least one full-length: the 90's would have been a much better place to live...
Progressive EP, 1994 Official Site HAGGATH (CANADA)
Quite aggressive thrash for the time of release; if the sound quality was a bit better, it would have been a really cool slab of intense, fast-paced thrash, which sounds well more brutal than the Slayer and Hallows Eve works from the same year. The guitar sound is a bit hollow, and the singer has the tendency to scream like a banshee, which doesn't really suit the fairly extreme music. "Eternal Bullshit" is probably the most melodic track sounding more like speed metal. The last song "I Bought Remington" is a bit more-than-a-minute brutal thrashcore outburst. Although utterly obscure, this release had for quite a while remained the most vicious and aggressive one to come out of Canada.
All Hands on Deck EP, 2007
The Undead Hour EP, 2008
Submission Denied Full-length, 2010
Habit of Force Full-length, 2011
Programming Death EP, 2006
Welcome to the Suffering Full-length, 2007
Route of Violence EP, 2009
At the Edge of Extinction Full-length, 2011
"Radiation" is a brand-new collection of tracks, and is another awesome presentation of classic power/thrashisms. "Kurvavi Ruce" is a bit on the dirgy modern side, but one can't go wrong with impetuous speedsters like "Radiacia" and the bumpy "Sizif". More technical walkabouts ("Shoutut") insistently roam around, the more serious expletives also staying around for some of the faster-paced material ("Armagedon") as well, "My Soul is Dark" adding a few more pluses in the more ambitious department with a heavy stomping veneer. "Ujas" has a more epic layout, one that is also exercised successfully on "The Dance of Death" which also features nice dazzling lead sections, the latter more prominently featured on the excellent closing instrumental "Destroyer".
"The Weather" comes served with a marginally sharper, more in-your-face guitar sound, but is a sure-handed winner once again, the complex progressive title-track also introducing an unobtrusive keyboard background which can also be heard on the headlong speed/thrasher
"Troia". "Philisteri" follows the same hyper-active trajectory, a nice technical shredder, the choppy more absorbing layout staying around for "Tova Li e?", the lead guitarist showing up for an array of fascinating melodic lead sections. "Ne" is the-next-in-line masterful display of expert less ordinary musicianship, the fast-paced confines engulfing it all the way to the heavier more atmospheric "Icar". "Pheniks" is a galloping technical delight, and "H.A.A.R.P." follows the same lofty path, only more restlessly performed. The more immediate expletives return with the short non-fussy "I Vsichko Cvurshva", the band revealing their more lyrical side with the poignant soulful ballad
"V Imeto na Liubovta".
Radiation Full-length, 2012
The Weather Full-Length, 2014
In the mid 90's they reminded of themselves with a compilation of old and unreleased tracks, which brought back the sound from their early efforts, albeit again with less appealing fillers present. Still, some songs are even better than the older stuff: the technical, stomping steam-roller "Rape Of Persephone", the short speed/thrash piece "The Other", graced by short, but very cool lead guitars.
However, it was four more years before their next full length album was released. "Saviorself" is a good return to form with the band carrying on from where their last work left off; the speed has actually been reduced, and most of the songs are in the mid-paced range, but filled with hard-hitting sharp riffs and clever intriguing sections: Oriental tunes, technical breaks, etc. The next two releases are more disappointing being even slower and less technical, with quite a few quiet, balladic moments, and a generally more mainstream approach even borrowing heavily from modern thrash ("Pay the Price") which starkly contrast to pure hard rock numbers ala Warrant (USA) and Quiet Riot: "Hail to the Thief", with the occasional blast from the past: the aggressive opener "Bloast" on "Damnation".
If at First You Don't Succeed... Full-length, 1988
Exist to Resist Full-length, 1995
$avior$elf Full-length, 1999
The Downside Full-length, 2000
DamNation Full-length, 2001
"For the Diabolical Ages" is another furious amalgam of all the three styles (thrash metal is just a humble "assistant"), a brutal slap in your face, which this time is not as comprehensive blasting through the speakers with an utmost intensity for at least half the time calming down on the atmospheric doom opuses "6 Into The Black Mass" and "11 Theater of Nightmares".
Gloria Rex Infernvs EP, 2010
For the Diabolical Ages Full-length, 2011
Weapon of Massive Destruction EP, 2003
Downcast Full-length, 2005
Despite the seven year-gap, "Even If You Die a Thousand Times" is not miles away sound-wise from its predecessor. The aggression and speed are here, but there is a fair number of slower, doom-laden songs, too; the technical guitar work is put on an even higher level, making the comparisons with Morbid Angel even more obvious. There are also new techniques inserted: the black/epic thrasher "The Sin Made Flesh", and a second intro placed in the middle of the album.
"Doomsday: The Death Rides" sees the band back after another fairly lengthy pause, but the approach is quite similar to the one on the previous album, so this is classic technical death metal with timid nods to thrash; pretty good music, quite fast assisted by very brutal low-tuned vocals and a couple of very stylish leads ("The Dammed"). One will catch several atmospheric/doom breaks, too, as well as one pure thrash metal number: the closing "Altar of Sacrifice", which is not a Slayer cover despite the similarities in the guitar department.
Even If You Die a Thousand Times Full-length, 2000
Doomsday: The Death Rides Full-length, 2009