Copyright (c) 2007 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 B.A.R.F. (CANADA)
Based on the demos, this band plays raw aggressive thrash/crossover not too far from The Accused, but with a more punk-ish attitude. The music on
"Tumulte" takes a slightly more aggressive edge, even treading into death metal waters on quite a few times, but the punk-ish atmosphere still remains
("Mouton Noir", "Intoxicate"), despite the presence of more vicious and brutal vocals.
Social Disorder Demo, 1986 B.O.T.
Thrashy hardcore with a very bad sound quality and surprisingly cool leads; the songs are very short (1-1.5min), and some are just instrumental
variations, including the opening 2-min from Diamond Head's "Am I Evil"- yeah, that same one which Metallica covered two years earlier, and one noisy bass
instrumental as a finishing touch.
Faster Thrashing Speed Demo, 1986 BAAL (GERMANY)
Based on "Confusion of Tongues": modern thrash/death, quite fast and furious, but having a genuine technical edge, which makes it stand out from the rest
of the pack. The guys have the knack to combine raging thrashy riffs with nice melodies ("(Heads Deep in the Ass of the) Red Dragon"). Some tracks are
a nice take on the Bolt Thrower war metal style ("Vespertine Absurdity", "Pile Of Debris", with a more technical twist), but there are some which are your
average Swedish death metal ("Endeavor Bafflegab"). Often do the guys thrash without mercy ("Pink Tank Fantasies"- this is probably the next stage after
the pink elephants... I guess?; "Blackwater Crusade"), and these are the times when the music really takes off. Certainly, a release like that can not pass
without pure death metal pieces, but this is where the technicality shows more clearly: "The Throne of Nimrod", although the ultra fast parts might
make you faint. The closing "Exodus" is a more melodic gothic thrash/death metal instrumental, adding more to the diverse, interesting nature of this album.
The Lilith Complex Full-length, 2004 Official Site BACCHUS (USA)
Based on the third demo, this band varies things quite well, always staying within the confines of thrash metal. "Hatchet Man" is a cool aggressive Slayer-esque number; "Mein Kampf" is a jolly thrash/crossover piece recalling Ludichrist and Leeway; "Reanimator" is a Bay Area-influenced thrasher ala Vio-lence.
The rest is fast and energetic, with cool sharp guitars and excellent vocals courtesy of Manuel Lopez: a former singer of the early technical thrashers Ulysses Siren.
Demo 1 "Enraged" Demo, 1987 BACK FROM ASHES (USA)
Modern thrash sounding close to Geezer's "Black Science" and Grip Inc.'s "Solidify"; edgy heavy riffs of a more ordinary nature will one hear here, mostly in mid-tempo with a pinch of alternative. The music becomes too melodic and bland near the end, but suits better the good clean vocals.
Broken Full-Length, 2007 BACKHOE BUTCHERY (USA)
Based on "Once Upon A Thrasher's Dream", this band plays heavy doomy thrash which livens up with a few intense death metal passages, but the crushing steam-roller riffs are all over the place. "I Am A Pirate" comes in the middle to offer some relief with jollier crossover rhythms and a good melody, and the closer "Land Of No Change" is also faster and more uplifting ending in a chaotic grindy fashion, but the very brutal death metal grunts mar them quite a bit. Some band members also take part in the death metal outfit Apnea.
Once Upon A Thrasher's Dream Full-length, 2001 My Space BACKMASK (USA)
Modern thrash/death with some technical tendencies, but not enough to make it really stand out; the riffs are crunchy and heavy, and the overall style
could be described as more technical Pantera, mixed with Gothenburg-styled melodies and very cool leads. "Prisoner of Mind" is a good attempt at
atmospheric progressive metal ala Opeth.
Dark Fiber Full-length, 2006 Official Site My Space BACKWATER (GERMANY)
One of the first thrash metal bands from Germany, Backwater are not of the aggressive type- their music is mid-paced and simplistic recalling Venom,
Motorhead and the first two Flames albums, with some rock'n roll variations ("Green Eyed Woman" and "Smokin'drinkin'" from "Final Strike").
Revelation Full-length, 1984 My Space BACKWATER (SWEDEN)
Alternative groovy post-thrash with cool alternative vocals, but its very melodic at times nature might pull back the thrash fans, especially after I
add that there are hardly any intense, headbanging sections here.
Revenge Full-Length, 2007 BACKWATER BURIAL (USA)
A 2-song demo of a modern/classic thrash mixture: "American Dream" is a good up-tempo track with groovy implements; "Under a Blood Moon" is mid-
paced, heavy, recalling the more recent Venom sound.
Under a Blood Moon EP, 2007 BACTERIA (ARGENTINA)
Melodic power/thrash, of course influenced by Hermetica and Horcas (their early works); sometimes the music picks up speed, and becomes quite good: "En
Decadencia", "Cansado de Luchar", "Dueno de las Calles", which are excellent energetic thrashers with cool melodic leads and sharp riffs, but the rest is
less striking, with balladic moments and a softer guitar sound.
Cansado de Luchar Full-length, 2005 Official Site BAD ACID TRIP (USA)
Based on "Lynch the Weirdo", this band offers a wild, frantic mixture of thrash, death, hard and grindcore, which is quite entertaining with short,
explosive tracks, often blending all of the aforementioned genres in less than 2-min. The vocal variety is also quite big, and again tries to take part in
most tracks; so prepare for 17 pieces of total death/thrashing grindcore madness... The guys play it fair, and give equal chances to each style, with death
metal being the not very obvious favourite.
Live From the Fudge EP, 1995 Official Site BAD BLOOD (CROATIA)
A mix of thrash metal and hardcore, fast and intense, with brutal guttural death metal vocals; apart from the predominant fast-paced tracks a couple of slower numbers can be found which come served with a crushing steam-rollier sound.
To Sin by Silence Full-length, 2002 My Space BAD BLOOD (USA)
Modern, slightly technical power/thrash, which has its twists, but lacks energy and sharpness; still some numbers offer more intense play (the galloping,
jumpy "Bad Blood"; the good heavy closer "Welcome To My Nightmare"), but the concentration on the rest is clearly on melody. "The Burning Truth" is the
other place where your head may headbang a bit, but the second part is even more interesting: softer, but there is a very cool acoustic guitar inserted,
contrasting to the heavy riffs. "Extreme Metal Attitude" doesn't really deserve its sinister title, being another modern power/thrasher in the Black Album
vein.
Bad Blood Full-length, 2007 My Space BAD HEAVEN (USA)
A very good demo of speed/thrash akin to early Exciter with touches of American power metal (Savage Grace, Helstar); the tempo varies throughout, but
tracks like "Cavern" and "Reigns of Fate" are mighty speed killers with great sharp riffs.
Dragon Lord Demo, 1987 BAD KARMA (USA)
Good semi-technical thrash with frequently changing tempos and a really good lead guitar; a somewhat awkward choice is to put an 8-min ballad, which
although slightly reminding of the Testament variations in this direction, could have been avoided on just a 3-song demo.
Demo Demo, 1989 BAD YODELERS (USA)
Some songs sound like pure pop-metal, but the band have enough powerful thrashers to pull it through; melodic stuff- will not appeal to all thrash fans. "I
Wonder" is clearly the better achievement, with even interesting semi-technical moments showing up here and there, sharper guitars and more intensity involved, recalling Mordred's "In This Life". The guys have a penchant for ballads, and produce good results ("Queen", the excellent heavy semi-ballad "Life"); at least half of the songs actually are of the semi-balladic type. One could see them as the inventors of the modern gothic style, which later was picked by acts like Sentenced, Century, H.I.M., To Die For, Razorback- check out "Forgotten Face", which is probably the first track of this kind, and the more thrashy, but still quite melodic and atmospheric "Goodbye". "Beyond" is an exemplary smashing, pounding mid-tempo thrasher with great guitar work, both technical and melodic; if only there were at least a few more of this kind.
I Wonder... Full-length, 1990 BAGHEAD (USA)
Fans of the darker, more technical side of modern thrash, will love this. Yes, I know you think of later period Obliveon almost immediately, and this is a good
reference point, but Baghead's songwriting is more ambitious and more complex. There are occasional shades of death metal, but used with taste and style.
The sound is crushingly heavy, and it's a good thing that the band have included one purely atmospheric, acoustic piece near the end- "The Soul Within", to
take away the pressure. Watch out for these guys- they haven't said their last word yet.
The New Elite Full-length, 2003 Official Site My Space BAHAL (ITALY)
Based on "Striges", this band pulls out an atmospheric mixture of black and thrash, which focuses more on atmosphere and orchestral arrangements, touching more recent Dimmu Borgir quite a bit. The thrashy breaks are more than welcome, recalling later-period Immortal, since the sprawling black metal sections may stretch your nerves a bit, forgetting to end, often not offering anything speedy, just sweeping landscapes with a shade of ambient. Certainly, there are quite a few blast-beats inserted, and the dynamics at least in the first half is not missing; it's just that the guys feel more comfortable crossing over a wider spectre from the black metal genre.
Gazing At The Winter Moon Full-length, 2005 Official Site BAJO ZERO (VENEZUELA)
Modern thrash with crunchy riffs and cool melodic leads; the tempo varies from song to song, at times thrashing with force, at others settling for plodding groove. The singer spoils the picture a bit with his very gruff brutal delivery, which suits better the slower groove-laden parts.
Santeria Full-length, 2003 My Space BAKER'S DOZEN (BELARUS)
Modern thrash of the energetic edgy variety; the music is speedy and energetic, but the guys have the detrimental tendency to insert unnecessary metalcore breaks from time to time, which serve to no purpose, and kill the gained inertia. On top of that the vocals are awful synthesized shouts.
Demo Demo, 2009 BALANCE OF ONE (KASAKHSTAN)
Competent all-instrumental speed/power/thrash with progressive overtones; the music is moderately complex giving enough room for the riffage to develop, with the leads taking a secondary role, albeit being quite good. The compositions are diverse mixing faster and slower passages the whole time, seldom blasting out for a change, but on the other hand cool balladic interludes are inserted here and there as well, including two purely balladic pieces, the closer being only acoustic guitar, quite a romantic touch. The sound quality is a bit muddy making the leads a bit screamy contrasting too much at times to the heavy pounding riffage.
Death Becoming Force Full-Length, 2010 BALISTIK KICK (USA)
American power metal meets a slight shade of thrash; good stuff with a more modern edge on the last two efforts.
Balistik Kick Full-length, 1993 BALLISTIC (USA)
This is Tom Gattis' third band (after Tension and Wardog), and here he does a very job again. Surrounded by musicians having done service in other
renowned bands (Jag Panzer, Twisted Tower Dire, Tension), the way to the top looks pretty easy. The band plays speed/thrash of the more melodic variety,
with few moments from the 90's power/speed metal scene ("Silent Killer"), and the inclusion of pure heavy metal numbers, which are not of the sloppy
kind, but pack a punch, and shades of his two previous bands could be clearly heard; Ballistic's music is perhaps more technical.
Ballistic Full-length, 2003 Official Site BANDANOS (BRAZIL)
Thrash/crossover with a good up-tempo thrashy rhythm recalling Wehrmacht ("Te Amo Pora") in the faster songs, and Ratos de Porao's more thrashy period.
We Crush Your Mind With The Thrash Inside Full-length, 2007 My Space BAPHOMET (GERMANY)
"No Answers" is one of the undisputable masterpieces of the 90's, triumphant technical thrash/death metal, a fine addition to a tremendous, on the
technical metal side, year (the works of Coroner, Pestilence, Anacrusis, Death, Atheist, Assorted Heap, etc.). "No Answers" opens in a fast-paced, intense manner, not too far from Pestilence's "Testimony of the Ancients". The guys introduce slower darker, but equally as interesting,
tracks ("Time Has Come") later on. Still, their more speedy delivery is the more attractive one, and smashing killers like "Elm Street" are the highlight,
although near the end the music takes a slower, atmospheric turn. "Rise of Baphomet" is a melodic power/thrash metal instrumental.
No Answers Full-length, 1991 BAPHOMET'S BLOOD (ITALY)
"Satanic Metal Attack" an awful sound and amateurish musicianship leave little to enjoy here: otherwise if you pay serious attention, you may recognize light-hearted speed/thrash in the spirit of Motorhead (the Brits are honoured with a cover of "Heart of Stone") and Hallow's Eve ("Kill the Monk"), on the more aggressive moments. The last song "Heavy Metal Forces" is a cover version of their compatriots Fingernails who play very similar stuff, and are one of the first acts to start the speed/thrash metal mania in Italy back in the mid-80's. The singer has a gruff tember coming a sa blend between Lemmy and Kermit (Tyrant).
Satanic Metal Attack Full-length, 2006 My Space BAPTIZED IN BLOOD (CANADA)
The full-length is your typical melodic modern thrash metal, which acquires more melodic speed/power metal elements ala Children of Bodom on quite a few
moments. Some tracks are quite satisfying takes on speed metal: "Next Stop Hollywood", and especially the speed monster "Kickin' Ass And Takin' The Blame",
but on the rest the tempos change all the time, with maybe too many melodic deviations to keep the thrash metal fan entertained the whole time.
Baptized In Blood EP, 2006 My Space BARBARIAN (SPAIN)
This band was founded by Pep Casas- the guitarist (and singer) who was the mainman behind one of the first (and best) Spanish thrash metal bands Fuck Off.
Half of the songs from this live album are old songs taken from the two Fuck Off releases; the other half keeps up in the same spirit: up-tempo
speed/thrash, maybe more melodic and catchy than the older material, with influences from classic heavy metal, but still enjoyable enough. Casas does a
great job on the guitar, and steals the show big time. His riffs are not as killing as before, but his skills, especially in the lead-section, have
improved a lot. His vocal abilities seem to have declined a bit, as his voice now has acquired a clear hardcore shade, and could be annoying at times. A
decent version of Black Sabbath's "Syptom of the Universe" is included as well.
Seguimos Avanzando Live album, 2006 Official Site BARBARIAN (USA)
On this only demo this band combines quite a few influences: heavy power/thrash in the vein of Nasty Savage's debut, American power metal ala Savage Grace
and Omen, speed/thrash akin to Destructor and Exciter, and for a dessert there is one excellent technical thrashy instrumental ("Barbaric Core").
Demo Demo, 1987 BARBARIANS (ARGENTINA)
Melodic punk-ish thrash/crossover with very good melodic leads; surprisingly there are very few faster sections, only the energetic "Instinto Guerrero" comes to mind, and this stuff will be also of interest to heavy and power metal fans (check out the epic "Hombres Del Norte").
Destino al Walhalla Full-length, 2006 BARBATOS (JAPAN)
Black/thrash metal akin to Abigail; Barbatos are even less serious and more light-hearted in their approach; the music is playful rock-ish thrash
reminiscent of Venom, Motorhead, mid 90's Sodom, etc.
War! Speed and Power Full-length, 2001 BARBED WIRE (HUNGARY)
Very good, but roughly produced thrash metal reminiscent or Sepultura's mid period ("Arise, above all); the guys tend to write longer songs, but there is
nothing technical. The bass and the lead work are particularly good, and overshadow the not very impressive riffage. "Time" and "Empty Lies" are cool
aggressive thrashers, which could fit onto "Beneath the Remains" without any problems, even with the quiet, atmospheric ending of the latter. Seldom can
one hear less-serious, punky jokes: "Liar", which are not as a nice touch as, say, the excellent slower semi-balladic instrumental "A Lost Friend".
Demo Demo, 1991 BAREHANDED (SLOVENIA)
This is a very mixed bag: on their only demo so far this band offers a wild cocktail of styles; the good thing is that the base is thrash metal and it's of
the more melodic, semi-technical variety typical for 90's Megadeth ("Symphony of Destruction" is not a Megadeth-cover), but there are Swedish death metal riffs (think Dark Tranquillity), folk/pagan melodies, and even progressive rock/metal sections not too far from Porcupine Tree. It definitely has its
moments, but apparently this is just a bit more than a draft for something better and more compact (with fewer styles, I mean).
Manipulator Demo, 2005 Official Site BAROPHOBIA (SWEDEN)
Based on the last demo, this band, who boasts the presence of Mĺrten Hagström (Meshuggah), pulls out a cool mix of fast raging thrash ala Merciless and clever heavy technical riffage ala early Meshuggah and Dark Angel's "Time Does Not Heal". The latter are clearly the dominating sound, and one doesn't need a very big imagination to see where the beginnings of the Meshuggah characteristic delivery had been laid.
International Hits Demo, 1988 BARRACUDA (CZECH)
Good technical thrash/death metal which, in its faster and more frantic parts, reminds of Atheist quite a bit, and Carcass' early 90's period, but the guys
don't rely on speed a lot, often mixing the tempo with heavy, mid-paced moments as well as cool atmospheric, progressive passages. There is a variety
of vocal styles used, too, the predominant ones being both death metal-based: low growls and higher-pitched snarls similar to Kelly Shaefer from Atheist.
There are semi-whispered clean ones, too, accompanying the mellower progressive sections. The songs do not go over the 4-min range, and are infused with
a fair number of interesting, ever changing riffs which, along with the alternating vocals, create the impression that one listens to different bands.
Hopefully this band is ready to strike with something new soon: by all means a valuable addition to the technical side of metal.
Blasting All Rotten Fuckers Demo, 1990
Tumulte Full-length, 1992
Ignorance Chaos Suicide Full-length, 1993
Surprise... Full-length, 1995
Catharsis Full-length, 1998
Confusion of Tongues Full-length, 2008
Demo 2 Demo, 1987
Demo 3 Demo, 1989
Demo 4 "Live and Learn" Demo, 1990
Prolonging The Misery Full-length, 2004
Mailbox Full Of Mouse-Traps Full-length, 2007
Final Strike Full-length, 1986
For the Weird by the Weird Full-length, 2002
Lynch the Weirdo Full-length, 2004
Window Full-length, 1991
Striges Full-length, 2009
Caminos Inhumanos EP, 2008
Warhead Full-length, 1997
Destroy Full-length, 2000
"Latest Jesus" is another strong offering, maybe a bit slower and more on the death metal side, but the cool riff-work stays pretty much intact. The
music is darker and sinister, and the leads are more proficient and longer, but on the other hand we have two soft, pure gothic tracks: "Lethal
Tendencies", "Latest Jesus", which don't really fit the overall picture. "State of Censorship" is a magnificent fast technical smasher, followed by the
stylish dark "Coaliton of the Lost". "Born Of No Name" has shades of gothic as well, but this time it is combined with good thrashing guitars,
and the result is more satisfying. "Full Moon Eyes", the last song, is another whirlwind of both fast and slower technical riffs, greatly summing up
what this effort is about.
"Trust" is clearly a letdown, with less impressive and more modern guitar work. It actually starts in a way no worse than the other two, with the
excellent fast-paced "Betrayed" and "Mind the Doubt", and it's the 3rd song: "What Went Wrong", which tells a different story with its slower, more modern
riffs. The technical guitars step down to leave room for more stomping, even groovy ones ("Intense"), although just sparkles of the technical genius of old
spring up here and there: the Coroner ("Grin")-influenced and quite cool "Low Life", but the awful, distorted vocals will pull you back. The closing track
"Trust" is a gothic/doom affair, which is not a surprise, having in mind the band's previous experiments in this field.
Latest Jesus Full-length, 1992
Trust Full-length, 1994
"Metal Damnation" is a more hard-hitting, and a much better, affair relying more on speed metal to pull it through, and succeeds as such even touching the legendary "Violence and Force" on the best moments ("Midnight Patrol"). "Italian Steel" partly justifies its title although this is vintage Motorhead, also recalling the German power/speed metal veterans Tyrant ("Fight for Your Life", in particular). The following "Evilbringer" deserves this title more being a furious speedster which sets the tone for the next "The Iron Bonehead", another pure speed metal delight. The closing "Ready For Hell" is mellower again "nodding" towards the guys' idols Motorhead, but up to this point the band have already proved themselves as one of the better practitioners of the good old speed metal nowadays standing proud beside "pillars" of the genre like the still-operating veterans Killers (France) and Not Fragile, and Solitaire from the more recent practitioners.
Actually the band's rise to a higher level of musicianship has started with "Second Strike" which is quite close music-wise to its follow-up. The brisk opener, also carrying the band name, pulls no punches with its speedy riffage, and although the next "Baphometal" is a softer Motorhead-ish roller coaster, later the album offers not many relieves of the kind, heading onwards in a nice energetic fashion raising the flag of classic speed metal sky-high in the best tradition of the Germans Vectom and Tyrant, a dedication also displayed by the song-titles ("Speed, Fast, Loud"; "Speed Metal Earthquake", which is indeed a moshing seismic speedster). The end is preserved for a cover of the afore-mentioned Tyrant: "Making Noise and Drinking Beer" from their debut "Mean Machine", to these ears maybe not very appropriately chosen, slower than the other material, betraying its energy and passion.
Second Strike Full-length, 2008
Metal Damnation Full-length, 2009
Gutterbound Full-length, 2009
War Metal Drinkers EP, 2002
Rocking Metal Motherfucker Full-length, 2003
Fury and Fear, Flesh and Bone Full-length, 2005
LEt's fucking die! Full-length, 2006
Immemorial Demo, 1992
Beckomberga Ensemble Demo, 1989
Demo Demo, 1990
Labyrinth of the Mind Demo, 1990