2016 has been a very long year for most people. Between the political controversy and recent celebrity deaths, many were looking forward to the end of this year.
However, 2016 was also one of the most active years in the 21st century for our type of music.
Artists from every generation of rock have all put out their present day masterpieces for our convenience. From the early innovators including David Bowie, The Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton to thrash pioneers Sodom and Destruction to modern era superstars Avenged Sevenfold and Vektor.
When have all members of the Big 4 released new material within months of each other? The widespread activity has encouraged others to get into the studio themselves such as Kreator and Overkill who will both make their impressions in 2017…
As for this year, it’s certainly been an overwhelming opportunity to rank ALL of these countless albums that arrived seemingly at once. However, my list was created based on my personal musical taste and my choices in no way discredit those who did not make the roster.
10. DEATH ANGEL – THE EVIL DIVIDE
To start off the list, look no further than one of thrash’s top powerhouses: Death Angel. After three years since the band’s last release, The Dream Calls For Blood, 2016 was the perfect time to show off their contribution to thrash, a year overflowing with new albums from like-minded constituents. Opening strong with tracks such as Cause For Alarm assures listeners that there is plenty of attitude still in the group. However, there is a moment of relief with the song Lost, a slow ballad you wouldn’t expect from Death Angel. But this surprise reveals that they left room to show a tamer side to their songwriting. Ending with Let The Pieces Fall leaves a great impression on the overall aggressiveness behind the record.
9. SUICIDAL ANGELS – DIVISION OF BLOOD
Suicidal Angels are a Greek thrash band with promising potential. They launched one of their strongest releases this year with Division In Blood. Offering some Exodus/Testament style riffs and tempo changes, they bring new life into the genre with their attitude and capacity. Tracks like Eternally To Suffer and Of Thy Shall Bring The Light prove that there are still groups out there that sound as old school as some of the earliest names from the 80s. I was glad to see this band join the list of returning thrashers who are still making an impact for the genre in the 21st century.
8. PARADOX – PANGEA
7. METALLICA – HARDWIRED…TO SELF-DESTRUCT
After 8 long years, Metallica has finally come through and released their tenth studio album, Hardwired…To Self-Destruct. Building off of the positive reception from returning to the band’s thrash roots, the kings of the Big 4 have topped their previous effort, Death Magnetic. Although some criticized Death Magnetic for containing familiar elements that tainted past albums, those critics won’t find any problems with this follow-up.
There’s nothing more pure than a 3 minute opening track and doesn’t the change in style reveal the motivation behind the production of it? The return to thrash is the feedback from fans being answered and it wasn’t just mindless speed metal, this was confirmed by the next few songs.
Moth Into Flame is a much more polished piece of music. It begins with synchronized guitars and is audibly more melodic while still retaining many thrash elements. The balance between melody and aggressiveness is also mastered in the third single: Atlas, Rise! But there are those that are skeptical about Metallica continuing to use melody in their songs.
The elimination of melody isn’t the best solution for any band. In fact, the focus of melody is what gave us The Black Album, however that doesn’t mean it’s more important than the instrumental section. Anything can have melody and still meet the heavy metal standards. That being said, it is easier to forgive songs such as Fade To Black and One when they are surrounded by undiluted thrash classics from those albums. It also helps that these aren’t weak songs by any stretch, but it does blur the line between acceptable and non-acceptable melody in metal.
Hardwired tries to cover different areas within metal without stepping too far outside the genre. Examples include the moody Dream No More and Am I Savage? driven by a slower pace to break up the album as a whole. Meanwhile, Halo On Fire takes listeners through those transitions mid-song, staying melodic consistently and creating that crowd-chanting vibe towards the end. Metallica also made room for a much-deserved tribute to the late pioneer of speed, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead with the track, Murder One.
This album is a blend of the furious energy from the glory years with a dose of The Black Album. From the tone of Here Comes Revenge to the 1000 MPH speed of Spit Out The Bone, Metallica can safely pat themselves on the back without any doubt. Of course you can’t satisfy everyone, but it is clear that there is a significant sign of progression in the band’s songwriting capacity thanks to this record.
Although we will never get another Master Of Puppets or Ride The Lightning, there are still other aspects to appreciate. Metallica have gone through more highs and lows than any band still touring today. You can never tell when or how a band is going to transform and there’s certainly some ugly memories we’d rather forget, but as of now we can call Hardwired a job well done.
That’s assuming we don’t get another Lulu album…
6. ARTILLERY – PENALTY BY PERCEPTION
5. PRIMAL FEAR – RULEBREAKER
4. SUICIDAL TENDENCIES – WORLD GONE MAD
This is certainly the comeback year for thrash and it’s emphasized with the launch of World Gone Mad by Suicidal Tendencies. Credited as the innovators of crossover thrash, it’s with open arms that fans should welcome ST in one of the genre’s strongest years.
Returning with vengeance, the band wastes no time in their 56 minute album, starting with the stage-diving opener Clap Like Ozzy. The energy only accelerates with the rebellious, fist raising The New Degeneration and kicks into overdrive with Get Your Fight On! The record keeps its in-your-face intensity with the slow and steady build up in tracks such as Happy Never After and especially Damage Control.
After 9 solid songs of non-stop exhilaration, ST ends the thrash fueled LP with somber ballads to give the listener a chance to catch their breath.
The duel guitar powerhouse of Dean Pleasants and Jeff Pogan ring out some of the most mind-blowing solos I’ve ever heard. The volume and consistency of their guitar playing is beyond words and makes for a killer live performance.
It’s probably notable to mention that Slayer‘s Dave Lombardo is behind the drum kit for both the album and tour, getting some proper exposure on tracks including Living For Life.
Overall, ST is still kicking ass like it’s 1988 and delivering every show like it’s their last while advertising this adrenaline roller coaster!
3. ANTHRAX – FOR ALL KINGS
After an earful of Anthrax‘s newest release, For All Kings, it is clear that the band is more robust than ever before. Despite the five year gap from the band’s previous album, Worship Music, they made a blistering effort to outdo themselves with their latest powerhouse.
One of the pinnacles of this LP is the remarkable performance of vocalist Joey Belladonna. His voice comes off as very refreshing, and it’s audible that he pushed himself to go a step beyond his comfort zone. Songs such as the title track and Breathing Lightning really capture the strength of his voice and show that he is still capable of stretching to new levels.
The addition of Jon Donais is very distinctive to the overall sound. His contribution stands out among other guitarists who’ve played in the band like Dan Spitz and Rob Caggiano. Donais’s work on For All Kings breathes fresh life into the group’s mix. Notable segments include the end of the solo in You Gotta Believe and the entire instrumental in All Of Them Thieves. The musicianship compliments the rest of the members and leaves a significant stamp on the band’s sound.
Another key trait that is satisfying to hear is the fierce playing of Charlie Benante. The composition in Suzerain and Defend Avenge is monstrous. His segments on the album are a kick in the ass to the rhythm section and a major highlight in each track.
The chemistry between each member really shines off of this record. The progression in For All Kings track-by-track truly builds this LP from the ground up, getting more and more intricate until the very end.
For All Kings is a combination of the traditional, metal thrashing mad intensity that they’re trademarked for and a larger than life, orchestral tone impeded throughout the album. This fusion is an advancement from past LPs, because they incorporate modernized song structures while still staying true to their classic-era thrash roots.
2. TESTAMENT – BROTHERHOOD OF THE SNAKE
Testament has never disappointed fans with any release they’ve made…and they are still holding that tradition with their eleventh studio album, Brotherhood Of The Snake.
Dark Roots Of Earth saw the band heading in a more grandiose side of thrash metal. Songs such as Cold Embrace and Throne Of Thorns are examples of long, almost progressive tunes that focus on more elaborate areas in metal.
Brotherhood Of The Snake was designed to be straight-ahead thrash from start to finish. No detours, pure hostility!
A goal that doesn’t seem to be a challenge for a band like Testament, but this was a task great enough to compete against their past work dating 25+ years back.
The idea behind the record is primarily based around a secret society that looked up to extraterrestrials as their Gods. Although the entire LP isn’t necessarily a concept album, this was the basic premise that inspired the theme within the songwriting process. Branching out of their real-life topics focused on other releases like The Formation Of Damnation, while still sustaining the occult side of Testament in which they were founded on.
Chuck Billy has been sounding better with each album and since the emphasis with Brotherhood Of The Snake is pure thrash, Billy brings out a more fierce approach to singing. Gene Hoglan continues to be a beast as usual with audible fills ringing out constantly through each song. My main takeaway was the incredible musicianship of Alex Skolnick. Utilizing both heavy rhythms and melodic solos, he is a prodigy and serves as an essential part to the overall sound.
The band’s latest album comes out swinging with the exhilarating title track. As soon as you hear Chuck Billy’s growl, you know you’re in for an aggressive album. The momentum keeps increasing with The Pale King, a song with more layers and mood changes. Complete with a harmonizing solo and a tempo change reminiscent of Slayer‘s Seasons In The Abyss, this is one of the major highlights on Brotherhood Of The Snake.
From the non-stop belligerence of Centuries Of Suffering to the moody vibe of Born In A Rut, Testament crafted the perfect thrash album without repeating the same patterns or sounding repetitive. There’s plenty of crowd chanters including Stronghold and when they feel the need to add melody like in Seven Seals, it doesn’t throw the song off balance.
One of the gems in Brotherhood Of The Snake is Neptune’s Spear, describing the assassination mission of Osama Bin Laden. At first it sounds like another killer thrash tune just like the tracks before it, however during the second solo Skolnick carries the tone towards an almost classical direction. Shining like a true guitar hero, this section may have been influenced from his time in Trans Siberian Orchestra perhaps and it stands as one of the peaks of Brotherhood Of The Snake.
As a whole, the band compiled a flawless batch of new material and can wear it like a badge for doing such a damn good job. Upfront and polished with melodic brilliance, Testament have created a thrashterpiece and they’re not ready to throw in the towel anytime soon.
1. MEGADETH – DYSTOPIA
January saw the first thrash release from the Big 4 with Megadeth‘s fifteenth album, Dystopia.
Following the mixed reception of Super Collider, it appeared that the studio magic that created the thrash masterpiece, Endgame, was gone and buried. It was also disappointing considering that Endgame was their most polished album with little to no filler since Countdown To Extinction.
After Cryptic Writings, Megadeth has been open to melodic ballads and radio-friendly rock tracks in between their heavy metal songs on each album. This new method of songwriting was made infamous after the notorious launch of Risk.
Even when the band redirected their focus to heavy metal in the early 2000s, there were still familiar drawbacks cursing albums like The System Has Failed and Thirteen, preventing them from being praised as classic Megadeth.
Dystopia breaks through all these barriers and defies expectations with every song. It reinstates the capacity of Megadeth and displays the magnitude of musical chemistry between Dave Mustaine and new guitarist, Kiko Loureiro.
Another remarkable change in the new lineup is the addition of Lamb Of God‘s Chris Adler. His presence is made clear with the inclusion of double bass drumming being a key factor to the rhythm section.
There is also a significant amount of atmosphere within the album that separates it from every other album in the band’s discography. From murderers to political corruption, there are plenty of different themes represented in Dystopia that mirror the very elements that defined the early Megadeth records.
The Threat Is Real is the perfect way to start the album, describing the vulnerability of mankind and the lack of protection we have against potential danger. Complete with a galloping riff and somewhat reflecting a slower version of This Day We Fight, it offers the first taste of Mustaine and Loureiro’s leads and gets you pumped up for what’s to come.
Fatal Illusion is classic Megadeth at its finest. Beginning with a menacing intro, the song quickly picks up the pace and builds off the commentary of a criminal who was sentenced to death, but survived and set out on a killing spree. It serves as one of the most intense moments on the album and is almost identical to Black Friday‘s theme.
Although it’s widely known that Mustaine is a republican, his politically-driven songs don’t shove his beliefs down our throats. Post American World is a great example. It contains vague lyrics that don’t pin one political party against the other while still keeping the apocalyptic concept. Mustaine’s tongue-in-cheek humor makes a return in Megadeth‘s songwriting on tracks such as Look Who’s Talking and specifically The Emperor.
The album takes a symphonic turn as well with Poisonous Shadows, filled with pianos and violins. In the same vein as In My Darkest Hour, it’s a slow-paced tale of a relationship that ended in tragedy. The overall composition makes it one of the most epic tracks on Dystopia, especially with the lightning-speed violin sections.
Dystopia also contains a rare moment with Mustaine taking the back seat for one track on the album. Conquer Or Die! is 3 and a half minute instrumental that is 100% Loureiro going off on a melodic journey, presenting himself as one of Megadeth‘s greatest guitar heroes. Consider it an opportunity that neither Chris Poland, Marty Friedman nor Chris Broderick got the chance to have.
The main takeaway from this album is the advancement in Megadeth‘s songwriting. Each track is built from the ground up in many different variations and no two songs sound alike. Mustaine and Loureiro have reached a musical connection that sparked new magic in the band’s capabilities.
It isn’t just a great album compared to their recent releases, Dystopia stands on its own as a modern day classic that will be cited among Megadeth‘s other masterpieces along with Rust In Peace and Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?
In conclusion, I’ve been beyond impressed with how many bands can still amaze me at this point in their 30+ year careers. Seeing both big and small league musicians continue to release strong material leaves me confident about the future of rock, metal and thrash!
See you in 2017 with Overkill, Kreator and others!
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