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

E.S.T. (RUSSIA)

Based on the debut, this is a more thrashy version of Motorhead, with a certain Exciter flavour as well. There are some more traditional heavy metal numbers and ballads, but most of the time the music is speedy and enjoyable.

Electro Shock Therapy Full-length, 1989
Feel Of The Feather Full-length, 1991
13 Full-length, 1995
Therapy For The Soul Full-length, 1998
Zloi Rok Full-length, 2003
Ïîäú¸ìú! Full-length, 2005

Official Site

E-X-E (USA)

The band's debut is an uneven mixture of some fast, furious thrashers and some generic heavy metal; quite a mixed bag, but the energy of outbursts like "Slaughter Disorder" and "Stricken by Might" is hard to be ignored; the guitar work is quite simplistic, reminiscent of Venom and Celtic Frost on the aggressive material. "Seek & Destroy" is not a Metallica cover, but a very cool energetic power metal hymn. "Sicker Than I Thought" is a full-out speed/thrash assault topped up by some good high-pitched vocals, and is the much better of the two; the guitar work is sharper and more polished, and one can find some interesting, albeit a bit undeveloped exercises in abstract, Voivod-ish technical thrash ("Sexploitation"). There are some really impressive aggressive smashers: "Horros of the Mind", "Chamber of Sorrow".

Stricken By Might Full-length, 1987
Sicker Than I Thought Full-length, 1990

Vibrations of Doom

E-FORCE (CANADA)

Eric Forrest keeps himself quite busy after he left Voivod. Apart from the industrial/death/thrash outfit Project Failing Flesh, he also takes part in this band. Of the two bands, this one is much closer in spirit to Voivod; actually this is very similar to "Negatron". It starts in a very cool intense manner with "Mayhem" (actually, the real beginning is a short haunting intro: "Satanic Rituals"), which thrashes with conviction and a certain industrial edge. Later things become only more interesting, with a more complex, dark sound, and nice stylish guitars: "Germ Warfare". "Belief" preserves the darkness, but increases the intensity, resulting in the album highlight. "Psychopath" is a slow doomy track, but quite effective and creepy. The second half of the album contains shorter, direct tracks, with a stronger industrial shade, but quite cool and dynamic, graced by nice melodic guitar hooks ("Global Warning"). The untitled song, which finishes the album, is the most aggressive one, with a touch of post-black metal ala later period The Kovenant, also brought by the more vicious tone acquired by Forrest (his style on the other material is quite similar to the one on the Voivod works). Those of you who loved the Voivod period with Forrest, and are pulled back by the new unimpressive output they released in recent years, will be delighted.

Evil Forces Full-length, 2003

My Space

EAR-SHOT (GERMANY)

This band's line-up includes Andreas "Andi" Siegl: a former member of the speed/thrashers Paradox. Based on the full-length debut: you won't hear anything like Paradox here; this is groovy thrash reminiscent of mid-period Machine Head (after "The More Things Change...") with the obligatory melodic breaks and clean vocals which are quite good, by the way, as opposed to the Phil Anselmo-like main ones.

Emotions EP, 2000
Earshot EP, 2004
The Pain Full-length, 2007

Official Site

EARTH AD (CANADA)

Based on the "A Crucifix" EP, this band play raw, amateurish death/thrash metal, spiced with hardcore, which is surprisingly non-aggressive, with some slower, doomy moments, and very vicious low death growls for vocals (which is the only brutal thing here).

A Crucifix EP, 1993
These Days Full-length, 1998
On the Surface Full-length, 2005

Official Site

EARTHQUAKE (SWEDEN)

"The Truth" sounds so much like Metallica's Black Album that you might start wondering who influenced who as both albums were released at the same year. Earthquake stretch a little back, as a matter of fact, and reach "...And Justice For All" on some tracks. The sound is thick, heavy, but offers little outside mere Metallica-worship. The sophomore release follows in the steps of the debut, and offers a very little deviation from the formula.

The Truth Full-length, 1991
Theatricals Full-length, 1993

EBONY TEARS (SWEDEN)

Another one from the whole pleiad of thrash/death metal acts from Sweden who try hard to be the new At The Gates. This band's style is more thrashy than the one of that legendary band and is also infused (at least on the debut) with some quiet, acoustic moments and a considerable presence of violins which creates a somewhat haunting atmosphere. On later works the band hardened the course (especially on their last album so far), introducing some Floridian death metal-styled riffs, and the final result is more satisfying although a certain number of their old fans were not very happy with the transition. Having moved away from the restraints of the Swedish death/thrash metal scene quite a bit and on the way to forge their own sound, the band members took a very strange decision, voting to change their name to Dog Faced Gods. Reportedly the style of this new formation is not miles away from Ebony Tears.

Tortura Insomniae Full-length, 1997
A Handful Of Nothing Full-length, 1999
Evil As Hell Full-length, 2001

Official Site

ECHIDNA (GREECE)

Melodic death/thrash metal of the modern type with nice guitar work which at times reminds of the Shrapnel bands. The guys break the pattern by adding some more complex, progressive sections.

This Suffering Demo, 2006

Official Site

ECHIDNA (PORTUGAL)

Modern thrash/death, very well done, mixing nice intense thrashing pieces ("Partisans Of Disonesty", "To Obey Is To Die") with some less aggressive, but very effective more technical ones ("New Age Of Murder"). "Painkiller" is not a Judas Priest cover, but is an awesome up-tempo death/thrasher, with a nice quiet interlude, maybe a bit overlong.

Tearing the Cloth EP, 2006

My Space

ED'S ATTIC (HOLLAND)

A 3-track demo of heavy doomy thrash which sounds like a predecessor to the doom/death metal wave which started in Holland a few years later. The main vocals are clear death metal, but there is an annoying inclusion of some clean ones, which are not too bad, but together with the brutal singing just don't make sense. The music is surprisingly melodic, with a touch of early gothic even, despite the presence of some more intense thrashy riffs here and there.

Demo 1 Demo, 1988

EDEN’S FALL (USA)

A good new band who play a fusion of Bay Area thrash ala Testament and dark power/thrash metal in the Nevermore mould. The guys concentrate on heavy, not very fast riffage, and with some more energy added on future works, things might be better, like on the only more up-tempo track here: "Chemical Dreams", which is graced by some cool guitar melodies.

Harmony of Lies Full-length, 2006

Official Site

EGZEKUTHOR (POLAND)

Based on the second demo, the band play high-speed technical thrash bordering on death at times, akin to Infernal Majesty's faster material, or Massacra and Hellwitch; quite good. The songs start in a heavier, stomping manner (these elements also spring up sometimes in the middle, serving as breaks from the intense delivery), but later develop into fast, aggressive bombs, at times on the edge of falling apart. "Degenerated Madness" will spare you, slowing down, increasing the technicality, including some nice melodic touches, but this is the only track where the guys don't go out with all the guns blazing.
The band's full-length debut is finally a fact, and is a very good work on all counts. The music is not very fast anymore, and death metal is almost nowhere to be heard; the technical leanings are not that stressed on, which could be considered a drawback, but could be caught here and there. This is very well executed retro thrash, with some more mellow moments: the slower power/thrasher "Powroty", the stomping "Wodnik", which boasts the greatest lead guitar work on the album. The rest is up-tempo, recalling the more aggressive nature of the band's earlier efforts on the closing "B¹dŸ Jak Metal", which also reminds that the guys were quite technically inclined in the not so distant past.

Czas Sumienia Demo, 1988
Hateful Subconsciousness Demo, 1992
Zuk Demo, 2004
B¹dŸ jak metal Full-length, 2008

Official Site

EIDOLON (CANADA)

The first two Eidolon albums (not included here) are power metal with some progressive passages. "Nightmare World" is the first entry for the band into the thrash metal world, and since then they virtually have had no competition as the prime Canadian power/thrash metal band. The music is marked by the distinctive razor sharp riffs of Glen Drover whose great guitar skills have brought him to the attention of prominent bands like Megadeth and King Diamond. The music most of the time is heavy, crunchy and mid-paced, but every album has at least two or three fast thrash headbangers. The band have always shown a penchant for more progressive song writing, but things go a bit too far on their last effort with very long, often dragging tracks (the excellent cover version of the Mercyful Fate's "The Oath" has to be mentioned, although the guys could have added something of their own, instead of doing it by the book, including the high-pitched King Diamond vocals, courtesy of the ex-Pagan Mind singer Nils K. Rue, showing that Eidolon do not feel very comfortable handling progressive metal of such a complex variety. Certainly this is a solitary experiment, and the band would hopefully return to what they could do best of all pretty soon.

Nightmare World Full-length, 2000
Hallowed Apparition Full-length, 2001
Coma Nation Full-length, 2002
Sacred Shrine Best of/Compilation, 2003
Apostles Of Defiance Full-length, 2003
The Parallel Otherworld Full-length, 2006

Official Site

EKHYMOSIS (COLOMBIA)

Based on "Nino Gigante", this band play power/thrash metal with some pop-ish sound which at times is downright annoying; later they completely abandoned the thrash metal idea.

De Rodillas EP, 1991
Niño Gigante Full-length, 1991
Ciudad Pacifico Full-length, 1992

ELDRITCH (ITALY)

The band's works of the 90's are in the progressive/power metal realm with frequent nods to thrash, especially on "El Nino". "Reverse" is a radical turn into modern technical thrash- a brilliant album which divided the band's fans into those who love it with passion, and those who detest it with the same intensity. From then on the guys were unstoppable, and the next two releases were nothing short of outstanding, preserving the thrashy style of "Reverse" and mixing it with their sound from the 90's. With a well established, winning music formula there was nothing to stop these guys, but themselves alone: "Blackenday" is very disappointing abandoning all thrash metal elements, opting for a more melodic progressive metal sound.

Seeds Of Rage Full-length, 1995
Headquake Full-length, 1997
El Nino Full-length, 1998
Reverse Full-length, 2001
Portrait Of The Abyss Within Full-length, 2004
Neighbourhell Full-length, 2006
Blackenday Full-length, 2007

Official Site

ELDRITCH (JAPAN)

The strong 80's Japanese thrash metal scene experienced a strong recession in the next decade, with many of its representatives having mutated into various modern styles, with just occasional hints of thrash. This album is a cool mix of thrash, speed, power and heavy metal, with a nod to the Bay Area heroes in the more thrashy sections. The problem is that, like it happens with many other Japanese bands, the music ventures into more melodic territories quite often ("Pig Blood Blues", "Lifemaker", to name a few), losing considerably its edge. However, the presence of some good headbangers like "Moon Hawk Project" reminds of the former glories of Japanese thrash.

Blood Breed Calls My Name Full-length, 1993

Official Site

ELDRITCH RITE (USA)

A first rate demo of speed/thrash metal which will make you headbang more intensely than some full-lengths released around the same time (Blessed Death's debut, Destructor, Anvil Bitch, etc.). The overall style resembles Helstar's "Remnants of War" and Sentinel Beast's "Depths of Death", but this demo is more energetic than both. You can hear great melodic guitar lines, supported by some stylish intricate riffs, and cool mid-range vocals which nicely follow at times the guitar melody.

Demo Demo, 1986

Official Site

ELECTRO QUARTERSTAFF (CANADA)

An all instrumental band who use thrash metal as a base for their music, but incorporate elements from other extreme styles. This is mindblowing technical stuff which has no precedent on the contemporary metal scene- very highly recommended.

Swayze EP, 2004
Gretzky Full-length, 2006

Official Site

ELECTROCUTE (TURKEY)

The Turkish metal scene has been witnessing quite a revival throughout the new millennium. Electrocute play typical classic thrash with a Bay Area-flavour similar to Testament; a very promising demo. "Pirates of Thrash" suddenly comes with a sound much closer to the German school and the Canadians Sacrifice; this is great energetic thrash with mean, but very catchy vocals ala Rob Urinari from Sacrifice again (this same singer lends his vocal abilities to another Turkish act: Vengeful Ghoul, also reviewed here). There are plenty of cool guitar melodies which nicely contrast to the sharp riffs, including the intro of the album opener "Fall in Hate" which, if I'm not mistaken, is taken from the American film "Love Story". Actually, there are a lot of similarities between this album and the debut of another excellent Turkish act: Mezarkabul- "Pentagram". This one boasts a better guitar sound, and is less aggressive.

Recieve The Evil Demo, 2004
Pirates of Thrash Full-Length, 2007

Official Site

ELIMINATION (UK)

A 6-song live demo of quite decent Bay Area-influenced thrash akin to Metallica (both their early and late 80's period) and their compatriots Xentrix; there are both heavy, semi-technical as well as faster tracks here; the sound quality is a bit muddy, though.

Raw , live and still evil ! Demo, 2007

My Space

ELIMINATION (USA)

Thrash/crossover of the more aggressive type, reminiscent of Cryptic Slaughter, and almost as fast; the guitar work here is maybe a bit better, and more melodic (the leads).

Process Of Elimination Demo, 1989

ELIMINATOR (CROATIA)

A 4-song EP of retro speed/thrash in the spirit of Whiplash's "Power and Pain"; fast, energetic music with harsh, not very pleasant semi-death metal vocals.

Front is Coming EP, 2007

ELIMINATOR (USA)

This is a one-man project, going under the pseudonym Warchild. On both demos the guy does a fairly good job, offering classic thrash, quite speedy, mixed with some slower epic/war tunes; the style comes as a blend of the Brits Sabbat (there are some Slayer-esque riffs present as well) and Destroyer 666, both their early and later period.

...Will Kill You Demo, 2007
Eliminator Demo, 2007

My Space

ELVARON (FRANCE)

Elvaron's style is mostly progressive/epic power metal with a certain presence of thrash on the first two albums.

Mages Battle Full-length, 1997
The Five Shires Full-length, 2001
The Buried Crown Full-length, 2005
Gravitation Control System Full-length, 2007

Official Site

ELYSIUM (USA)

A really impressive demo from this very little known band from the heydays of the genre. Both fast and slower tracks could be found here. The sound pays tribute to the mighty Bay-Area Scene: Metallica, Testament, Vio-lence. Some riffs from the Kreator's more technical period ("Coma Of Souls") could also be heard; definitely worth checking out.

Inspired Hatred Demo, 1989

EM RUINAS (BRAZIL)

A cool 4-track demo of energetic speed/thrash in the vein of Warrant (Germany) and Helloween (the first two songs); "Morbid Pits" is a very cool aggressive track, with a touch of hardcore ala Nuclear Assault, partially ruined by the bad live sound quality. The other live recording: "Destructed Life/Dead City", is a cool speed/thrasher in the vein of early Whiplash.

From The Speed Metal Graves Demo, 2007

EMBERS OF EUPHORIA (USA)

An excellent new progressive power/thrash metal band. The style is a fine cross between Vicious Rumours' best period and Agent Steel (their new sound, after the reformation). The only downpoint is that for seven songs only featured on their debut, the inclusion of one ballad and a short semi-balladic instrumental kind of lessen the impact of the more aggressive material. Surely these guys' finest hour is yet to be witnessed.

Embers of Euphoria Full-length, 2007

Official Site

EMBRACING DARKNESS (PORTUGAL)

This is pleasant gothic thrash, obviously influenced by Moonspell (but who isn't, of the contemporary Portuguese acts?), with mid-tempo riffs, and some really stylish melodic hooks. "Whispers" is a nice dark thrasher, which will also remind you of the Finns Sentenced ("Amok", in particular). The thing which might annoy here, is the melodic, alternative vocals, opposing to the gruff, death-ish main ones.

Gloomy Storms Demo, 2006

Official Site

EMINENCE (BRAZIL)

This band was formed by former members of one of the most famous (and oldest) Brazilian metal bands Sepultura and Overdose. Of course, such a line-up would raise the expectations high, but unfortunately this turns out to be unimpressive industrialized modern thrash reminiscent of Sepultura's mid-90's period ("Chaos AD", "Roots") plus some more intense death metal passages, and noisy hardcore-ish vocals.

Faces EP, 1996
Eminence EP, 1998
Chaotic System Full-length, 1999
Humanology Full-length, 2003
The God of all Mistakes Full-length, 2007

Official Site

EMINENCE (USA)

Even the bad sound quality which gives the guitar a slightly fuzzy sound can not hide the sheer talent displayed here: this is standout speed/thrash metal which has a surprisingly German flavour- think Angel Dust's debut and Iron Angel. This is great, mostly fast music with nice lead guitar and heavy, sharp riffs. The only pullback would be possibly the vocals which sound a bit strained, somewhat like an unrehearsed James Rivera. "Staring at My Face" takes a heavier turn, towards the Bay Area, and reduces the speed a bit, concentrating on pounding riffs; the sound quality remains bad, even worse, and the songs this time are unnecessarily long, plodding and quite boring, simply because the same riffs are been repeated over and over. The vocals are also worse, taking a slight hardcore-ish shade.

Demo Demo, 1986
Staring at My Face Demo, 1987

EMPTOR (NORWAY)

This band's members later took part in the formation of some important Scandinavian black metal acts, among whom was the notorious Erik Brødreskift- the man who committed suicide in 1999, but before that "graced" with his presence bands like Immortal, Gorgoroth and Borknagar. The style here is pure thrash, dark and brooding, but quite speedy, too, along the lines of Rigor Mortis and the Canadians Dissection. Some tracks ("Child Miolester", for example), feature some atmospheric doomy parts, "decorated" by stylish lead guitars, which are actually the highlight of the demo, and are a nice contrast to the otherwise gloomy atmosphere. A very surprising, and a totally unexpected choice for a cover version awaits you at the end: Samantha Fox's "Touch Me"; the guys must have liked this song a lot, since it was released just less than a year earlier; of course it would be difficult to recognize it, as the tempo is fast and intense, adjusted to the predominant style of the demo.

Demo Demo, 1988

ENCHANTER (USA)

Cool power/thrash reminiscent of Deadly Blessing, Liege Lord, and Agent Steel. The tempo is energetic, with sharp riffs and very good leads. The guys like to mix it up with some heavy breaks and acousitc, lead-driven passages (check out "DOL"), which is not bad, but their real power lies in the speedy, galloping tracks- the excellent "Progressive Entrapment".

The Gates of Insanity Demo, 1989

ENCRYPTION (GERMANY)

An interesting band playing progressive power/thrash metal with some Gothenburg-styled melodies. The style clings more towards the classic school, and there are some blast beats here and there, but it might pull back some thrash fans a bit because of the presence of cheesy moments from the 90's power/speed metal scene (mostly in the choruses and the leads).

Perishing Black Light Full-length, 2000

Official Site

END AMEN (GERMANY)

This is a joint effort of the Deathrow mainman Uwe Osterlehner and two members of Psychotic Waltz (Dan Rock and Norman Leggio), featuring also Frank Zappa's Son- Dweezil, as a guest musician, during a tour together that same year. The style is a direct take on Deathrow's more technical period sounding like a mixture of the band's last two efforts (not as great as "Deception Ignored", but decidedly better than "Life Beyond"). The album starts in a magnificent way, with the first three tracks, which are probably the finest thing in which Uwe Osterlehner has ever been involved. Later the album loses steam, but remains compelling enough to be put among the finest thrash metal albums of the 90's.

Your Last Orison Full-Length, 1992

END IT (USA)

Groovy thrash metal with death-ish vocals. The music recalls mid and late-90's Entombed, and the last two Massacra albums. There are some attempts at more up-tempo thrashing ("Better Than God"- which goes even beyond the boundaries of thrash), but they are not that many. Near the end comes the Testament cover of "Nightmare" from the "Practice What You Preach" album.

Meet Your Maker Full-length, 2001

Official Site

END ZONE (RUSSIA)

This band had a short, but very impressive career. Their debut was a really striking first effort, with brilliant very technical guitar work, not too far from later period Death, although here the death metal elements are not too many; this is mostly power/thrash with a strong technical edge and gruff death metal vocals, which are not very pleasant, and do not serve the great music right. The music is mostly mid-paced, with some effective speedy outbursts: "S.O.D.", "Ulterior Solitude". All this is overshadowed by the exquisite instrumental "The Edge of String"- a whirlwind of amazing guitar work! Later you will hear a nice, more technical and atmospheric cover version of Sodom's "Remember the Fallen". Another super technical instrumental follows suit: "Candlestick of Parcass", and then another, which is quiet, semi-acoustic: "The Castle of The Woman of Mine", all this finished with a very original joke song called "Rock'n Roll", which mixes some jolly rock-ish melody with vicious brutal riffs.
"Thalatta et Thanatos" is an all-instrumental album- a fabulous mix of speedy numbers and some slower, classically-influenced ones; relieved from the not very capable singer, the guys unleash a storm of mind-blowing guitar pyrotechnics; two of the instrumentals from the debut are also included, but there are no any changes in them (and there shouldn't be). To the utter shock of the fans, their swansong is a very ordinary, progressive metal offering; no speed, much of the technical flamboyance has been gone, and the new vocals are even worse with their emotionless, alternative blend. It has definitely found its audience, but for thrash metal fans it would have very little appeal.

First Bequest Full-length, 1995
Thalatta et Thanatos Full-length, 1996
Eclectica Full-length, 1998

ENDANGERED FECES

Thrash/crossover with a modern heavy, groovy doze, but also quite dynamic and energetic, without jumping on too aggressive wagons. The songs are longer for the style, 3-4min, and some are full-blooded thrash pieces (the pounding "Cadaver Breath", the nice speedy instrumental "Impale The Wicked", or the smashing Destruction-like "Screaming Mantis"), with some really sharp riffs.

Plethora of Waste Full-Length, 2008

ENDLESS PAIN (ITALY)

A wild mixture of thrash, black metal and hardcore, quite fast and brutal bordering on grindcore at times, reminiscent of another Italian band of recent years- Vexed, but these guys are more vicious and noisy. No trace of Kreator here (allusions made by the band name).

Born in Violence Full-length, 2005

Official Site

ENDLESS TEARS (FRANCE)

This is strange music: there are some thrash riffs, but the concentration is on moody, balladic pieces bordering on dark/gothic wave; only for the romantically inclined thrashers.

Emotion Full-length, 1994

ENDLESS TORMENT (UK)

Based on the "Endless" EP, this is very good technical thrash/death metal, on the heavy side without brutal, ultra fast sections, sounding like a more technical Bolt Thrower mixed with thrash. In the guitar department some moments remind of the great Chuck Schuldiner (R.I.P.), that's why it doesn't come as a complete surprise the cover version of Death's "Symbolic" at the end.

Endless EP, 2003
Of Mankinds Fall EP, 2007

Official Site

ENDLESS TORTURE (SWEDEN)

4 killing carols (pun intended) of first-rate retro thrash is what we have here. "I Am Your Friend" (yes, guys, you are, indeed!) is an intense opener, with great speedy guitars. "The Reapers Ripping Rest-In-Peace Service" offers entertainment of the slower, mid-paced type, but the guitar work remains classy. "Killing Carol" thrashes in the same way as the opener: fast and uncompromising, and the last carol, "Drawn To A Spotless Mind" is a stomping, again not as fast-paced track, with a nice technical edge.

Killing Carols EP, 2007

Official Site

ENDLESSIGHT (CANADA)

Power/thrash metal with blues-ish and doomy parts similar to Agony Column and Violent Playground. Shades of old Black Sabbath can also be heard. This is not hard-hitting stuff, but some mid-paced more intense numbers will make your head bang a bit: the very good instrumental "Unusual Dream".

Shadow Of The Highseas Full-length, 1990

ENDORPHINE (ITALY)

This is an interesting band: their style could be described as modern technical/progressive thrash, a thrashy Opeth, if you can imagine the picture. The songs are complex, sprawling sometimes, recalling the Swedes in many ways; here is also the typical alternation between the death-ish vocals and the cleaner ones. There is some melancholic atmosphere reminding of Katatonia ("My Breath Away"), but the music is hard-hitting most of the time, with nice technical guitars and twists, not very fast, mostly mid to up-tempo.

The Future Seed Full-length, 2004

Official Site

ENDORPHINS (CANADA)

This band do not belong to the technical field like the majority of the Canadian metal bands; typical representatives of the Swedish modern school- think The Haunted, Carnal Forge, etc.

Volume One EP, 2002
Where Evil Lies Full-length, 2006

Official Site

ENEMY INSIDE (AUSTRIA)

There are not too many attempts in the thrash metal field coming from Austria. This is a fusion of contrasting styles: the dominating one is mid-paced 80's thrash, but there are death metal, and classic heavy metal moments. It works well most of the time with quite a few nice headbanging riffs.

Explicit Treatment Full-length, 2006

Official Site

ENEMY IS US (SWEDEN)

This is one of the bands where one of the most hard-working musicians from the Swedish metal scene (Lawrence Mackrory- Darkane, F.K.U., Andromeda, etc.) also takes part. From the aforementioned bands, the sound of this one is closest to Darkane, but is more direct and straight-forward. In other words, we have another Swedish thrash/death metal act, who are a bit more classically inclined than the rest, adhering to some old schol riffs from time to time.

We Have Seen The Enemy... And The Enemy Is Us Full-length, 2004
Venomized Full-length, 2008

Official Site

ENEMY OF THE SUN (GERMANY)

This is the new band of the ubiquitous Waldemar Sorychta (Despair, Grip Inc, Voodoocult), and the hopes immediately are for a return to the sound of the great Despair. Well, this is not exactly the case: this act pull out a firmly modern sounding thrash with a somewhat progressive edge. The closest soundalike from the Sorychta bands is Grip Inc, and most of the songs could fit very well on "Nemesis" or "Incorporated": "Lives Based On Conflicts", "Clearly Surreal", etc. Other songs are quite hectic and jumpy ("Carousel"), recalling Fear Factory. The singer also sounds not too far from the clean tember of Burton Bell (remember GZR). There are some interesting touches, like the inclusion of flamenco guitars on "Feel The Beating". The problem is that there is not enough energy involved, and it's in the second half when the first fast-paced number comes up ("Satisfied by Ego Purposes"). But there are also tracks, which are nothing more than blatant groovy fillers ("Brain Sucking Machine", "Liar"). If this will be Sorychta's full-time occupation for the future, he will definitely have to put more effort to make the music more appealing; now this Grip Inc. rip-off with a slight twist would not hold water for long.

Shadows Full-length, 2007

Official Site

ENEMY UNKNOWN (UK)

Good Bay Area thrash metal in the Metallica, Testament, Exodus-tradition. "Feel The Burn" opens this debut in a nice headbaning fashion, but the rest of the material is mostly mid-paced with heavy smashing riffs clinging towards Metalica's late 80's period and early Xentrix.

Alert Status: RED Full-length, 2005

Official Site

ENEMY WITHIN (UK)

Heavy, mid-paced power/thrash, kind of reminding of the Venom period after the Cronos departure ("Prime Evil"-"The Waste Lands"). There are some crossover elements ("Potential Threat") to be heard, but deviations like that are not too many.

Potential Threat Demo, 1991

ENEMYNSIDE (ITALY)

This is another band for the talents of Francesco Grieco and Davide Scala from the technical thrashers Rainspawn. The style here is less adventurous, but no less impressive, being classic retro thrash with nice guitar work. The tempo is quite energetic throughout, and some modern elements could be heard, including shades of groove ("Your Enemy Inside"). The overall sound is quite close to Paradox's "Product of Imagination" and "Heresy", with similar dual vocal-choruses and hard-hitting riffage. "Peace of Mind" is the only track where the guys slow down (it still contains a fast-paced section), but this is a very pleasant deviation from the pattern, being a cool blend of thrash and some gothic-laden atmosphere ala Paradise Lost (think "Icon" and "Draconian Times") with vocals strongly recalling Nick Holmes himself (there is no change of vocal styles just for the sake of one song here, it's just that it's hard to compare the vocals to Holmes on the faster material). Hopefully this will not remain just a solitary effort...

Let the madness begin... Full-length, 2003

Official Site

ENERGETIC KRUSHER (UK)

This is probaly the most brutal slab of thrash metal to come out of the UK from the heydays of the genre. Fast, short, aggressive thrashers bordering on death is what these guys offer; an obscure, but commendable release.

Path To Oblivion Full-length, 1989

Vibrations of Doom

ENERTIA (USA)

90's Flotsam & Jetsam worship all over. At times you even want to check whether you haven't made a mistake and have put some of the Flots' CD's in the player. Enertia are perhaps more thrashy than the 90's Flotsam, but the song structures and the overall approach are pretty much the same.

Law Of Three EP, 1996
Momentum Full-length, 1997
Flashpoint Full-length, 1999
Force Full-length, 2004

Official Site

ENFORCE (AUSTRALIA)

Technical thrash/death metal sounding like a mix between Kreator's more technical period ("Coma of Souls", "Renewal") and Slayer's heavier late 80's period, with gruff death metal vocals. This is not bad, but the guys have the tendency to complicate their music quite a bit, resulting in some harder-to-swallow moments. "Nuclear War" is a good example of the latter, being a compilation of various tempos and moods, managing to sound both technical and brutal. "As Death Sets In" and "Brutal" are typical aggressive death metal, and are the downside of the album. "Slayer" is a good moderate technical number, and there are times when the music loses the speed and the technicality, settling for mid-paced riffage ala Amon Amarth ("Campfire Night", "N.D.E.F.D.").

Campfire Night Full-length, 2000
Message of Death Full-length, 2003

ENFORCER (CHILE)

Based on the "Violent Speed" demo, these guys play furious speed/thrash metal not too far from the Finns Solitaire. This is very fast, uncompromising music which would also appeal to fans on Necrodeath, early Kreator, and even Impaled Nazarene. This is a demo which richly deserves its title.

Violent Speed Demo, 2003
A Violent Night Demo, 2006

ENFORCER (SWEDEN)

Enforcer is also the pseudonim of the person who founded this band, and this same person is pretty much the new thrash metal guru in Sweden who is also responsible for other underground gems like Oppression, Caustic Strike and Corrupted. This is not too far from what we've heard on the works of the other bands; here the style is also classic speed/thrash metal, but this time it has a more melodic touch reminiscent of Exciter or a more thrashy Savage Grace. This man has so much talent when it comes to thrash that for me it's a sheer mystery how he has been just an underground phenomenon all this time...

Evil Attacker Demo, 2005

My Space

ENGINE OF PAIN (HOLLAND)

Not original, but very well done mix of classic and modern thrash. There are the obligatory influences from The Haunted and the likes, but these guys are more technical and an overall better listen. "Fuel the Engine" introduces the mixture in an awesome way, staying closer to the old school, followed by the thrashing madness "Cycle to Cycle". Later on some modern elements come up, bringing with them some nice melodic leads, which are a delight to listen to, albeit very short, but the sound remains crushing and heavy. The shouty, but not annoying hardcore vocals are sparcely interrupted by some attempts at cleaner singing. Retro thrash returns with the aggressive, Slayer-esque "Man of the Year", and stays until the excellent closing intense, but also technical thrasher "Extreme Fakeover", graced by, again, some superb leads, and very impressive bass work. This is a very promising beginning for one of the biggest hopes of Dutch thrash.

Here is the Pain! EP, 2004
I Am Your Enemy Full-length, 2007

Official Site

ENGORGED (USA)

Although Engorged started their career as a pure death/gring metal act, their seld-titled follow-up introduced a considerable amount of thrash riffage which, along with the more aggressive blast beats and the snarly Jeff Walker-like vocals, made up for quite a potent mix. With death metal being just a memory on their last offering, the band messed it up with some uninspired, cliched thrash which hopefully would remain just a solitary experiment, and the guys would return to the thrash/death metal hybrid where they have already proven their worth.

Death Metal Attack 2 Full-length, 1999
Engorged Full-length, 2002
Where Monsters Dwell Full-length, 2004

My Space

ENRAGED (USA)

Based on "Presence Of Fear", this is a very good old school mixture of Bay Area thrash, Slayer and Sepultura with Phil Anselmo-like vocals. The music is quite fast and intense most of the time, but there are no shades of death metal, or any modern gimmicks; this is pure old school thrash attack. Only seldom does the music loses its edge and slides down to thrash/crossover: "Funny Farm".

Enraged Full-length, 2000
Presence Of Fear Full-length, 2003

ENSLAVED (GERMANY)

Based on "Where Is The Meaning?", this band play very well executed technical thrash/death which combines the best from early Massacra, Pestilence's "Testimony of the Ancients", Loudblast's "Sublime Dementia", Agretator's "Delusions", among others. The album will offer you plenty of stylish technical riffs, as well as songs in different tempos: some brutal pieces: "Your Way", some mid-paced, moody ones: "Death on Wounded Knee", some great exercises in technical play: the instrumental "For a Friend".

Twisted Nature EP, 1993
Where Is The Meaning? Full-length, 1994
Kleine Seele Full-length, 1997

ENTENTE (GERMANY)

This band was formed by the Skeptic Sense guitarist Michael "Mick" Salomon. Well, the music here is not superb technical thrash metal; Salomon and his gang provide us with a good slab of energetic 80's thrash metal along the lines of Anthrax and early Megadeth.

Degree Of Punishment Demo, 2002
Outlined Demo, 2005

Official Site

ENTER VI (AUSTRALIA)

Very good, "updated" classic thrash metal which predates the similarly styled efforts of much more renowned bands like Exodus, Kreator and Onslaught. The music has a somewhat clinical, dry shade which will remind you of late 80's Voivod, but more aggressive and less technical. There are moments where the band sound quite modern ("Passed Realized"), and moments where classic thrash takes over ("Rejuvenation"). The modern production, however, brings the overall sound towards the modern tendencies, but the sharp guitars and the intense riffage (the concentration is clearly on riffs, not on melody) will surely please the listener. Having shown the way it has to be done, this band have gone silent...

Dreams Full-length, 2000

ENTERA ( GERMANY)

Based on their last work, this is modern melodic thrash reminding me of the Germans Perzonal War, but with less Metallica-influences. The sound quality is bad although this is the band's third official release. The singer is clearly not an asset, with his shouty, undeveloped voice. The music is heavy, mid-paced to slow-ish, often interrupted by quiet, balladic moments. The band abandon the thrash metal idea at times, courting power metal, with a gothic twist ("No Winner", "Sanguis Draconis"), and the results are better. "Defluvium" is a cool short track, with some semi-technical guitar work, and a faster tempo, but the following "Fools Game" is a very insipid pop-ish piece, and when the closing "Like A Dream" follows the same pattern, you know that you would hardly give this album another listen.

Crossing EP, 1993
Betrayal Against Time Full-length, 2000
Believe, Fight Or Die Full-length, 2003

Official Site

ENTICE (USA)

This band mix thrash and power metal in a way not too far from Laaz Rockit's "Know Your Enemy", or early Helstar. These guys are perhaps more power metal-inclined, and vary things more with balladic and slower, almost doom-laden passages, but when they feel like thrashing, they really do a very good job (The Church"). Most of the tracks are over the 5-min range, and are quite elaborate, without sounding too technical; it's just that there are numerous tempo changes (some of them maybe not too necessary). The guys have the tendency to start their tracks in a quiet, balladic way, creating a kind of dramatism (which is actually the key-word to describe the band's music), which later develops into a cool power/thrasher of a less ordinary nature. The lead guitar is really striking at times ("Deceiver"), and is given quite a space here, even to the point of a show-off.

Entice Demo, 1989

ENTICER (AUSTRALIA)

What comes up when members of two of the best Australian thrash metal bands (in this case Mortal Sin (but of course!) and Addictive) join forces? Enticer: a 2-song demo of first rate speed/thrash akin to Agent Steel and Deadly Blessing. Busy with their main acts, the guys never found time to make a follow-up to this striking effort.

Reaper Of The Earth EP, 1989

ENTICER (USA)

Power/thrash metal sounding like a more aggressive version of Griffin and Jag Panzer. "Morta Mode" is a nice instrumental piece which shows the band's more technical, and more preferrable side.

Enticed Demo, 1987

ENTOPHYTE (GERMANY)

Entophyte are one of the progressive/thrash metal bands who graced the German metal scene in the early 90's (Depressive Age, Lost Century, Megace, End Amen, etc.). Expect standout technical/progressive speed/thrash with stupendous riffs and an overall aggressive and fast-paced delivery. The vocals are a bit weak, being very melodic, and not powerful enough for the much better music; the singer throws some brutal growls from time to time, but this doesn't improve things a lot. The highlight of the album is the place where he takes a little part: the excellent technical speedster "The War of Khyr". The style is not too far from Depressive Age, but the guys here come up with some really good, proficient leads, and the music here is more hard-hitting and more straight-forward.

End of Society's Sanity Full-length, 1992

ENTOWNIZER (CANADA)

Excellent fast-paced thrash courting bands like Devastation and Sepultura, with some more intense parts ala early Death. The guitars are sharp, semi-technical, the leads are particularly good. The vocals are in the death metal camp reminding of Martin Van Drunen (Pestilence, Asphyx, etc.).

Cycloptical Vision System Demo, 1991

ENTRACURA (HONG KONG)

This is melodic thrash/death, mid-paced, with a slight Gothenburg influence in the guitar sound, dark, gothic-tinged, with even some epic elements inserted ("Odin Battle"). The main vocals are brutal low death metal ones, but there are some semi-clean ones as well, with a somewhat alternative tember, and it would be better if they don't show up too much for the future. This is stuff which would also appeal to gothic and doom/death metal fans.

In The Face Of Hatred Demo, 2007

Official Site

ENTROPIC ORDER (UK)

Quite good classic power/speed/thrash metal with nice solo work spoiled by the indifferent, emotionless vocals. The guys play energetically, inserting melodic hooks whenever they have the chance, and combined with the great leads, make each of the 4 tracks quite good. "I'm Watching You" is probably not on par with the others, being slower and more melodic, partially saved by the more aggressive ending. "Ragnarok" is a full-blooded thrasher, where the singer finally tries something more exciting, in this case a high-pitched shout ala Tom Araya. "Field of Dreams" is mostly power/speed metal, but delivers the goods, although the vocalist does his best to ruin it, producing his worst performance.

King of the Damned Demo, 2006

Official Site

ENTROPY (CANADA)

Progressive thrash metal band. The debut is very strong with long, complex songs, beautiful acoustic atmospheric passages, great technical riffs and some brutal death metal thrown in ("Psionic Dissection"). The band's second effort tones down the technical play opting for a more simplistic modern sound, and is much less satisfying.

Ashen Existence Full-length, 1992
Transcendence Full-length, 1995

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZZARD (USA)

This band were one of the first to pick the angry thrash tunes of Exhorder and Pantera, and although there are still quite a few classic elements, the music is pretty much a "product" of the 90's. The sound is less heavy than the aforementioned bands, and at times has a jolly crossover feel.

One Stands Alone Full-length, 1992

EPEDEMIC (SWEDEN)

A magnificent 4-song EP which crosses the speed/thrash metal heritage of Germany (Angel Dust, Warrant- "Rest in Peace") with the heavier, semi-technical music of early Coroner (the first two albums- "Radioactive"). "Futuredoom" is a magnificent 8-min opus which combines both styles presented here: a feast of stupendous riffs and tempo changes, featuring a stomping doomy beginning, and some great leads.

Futuredoom EP, 1989

Vibrations of Doom

EPIDEMIC (GREECE)

Based on the EP, these guys play some forceful, intense thrash and could have easily become the leaders of the 90's Greek thrash metal scene. But the leaving of the singer (who later formed the gothic/death masters Nightfall) and some frictions with other members of the scene (Flames-who else?; caused by envy?) forced the band to change their name to Descend and take a more death-oriented approach.

Artificial Peace EP, 1991
Industrial Full-length, 1994

EPIDEMIC (USA)

One of the first bands to mix thrash with the more and more fashionable death metal, and this is exactly what the band's debut delivers. "Decameron" takes their aggressive attitude even further incorporating some hardcore elements in the brutal wall of sound. The last album is pure death metal of a very average quality.

The Truth of What Will Be Full-length, 1989
Decameron Full-length, 1992
Exit Paradise Full-length, 1994

My Space

EPILEPSIA (PERU)

A surprisingly good classic thrash metal debut from this not very big on the metal map country; great and catchy stuff. This is music which has its quite a few technical moments which intertwine nicely with the generally fast tempo. Kreator's "Extreme Aggression" is an obvious influence, as well as Toxic Shock's "Change From Reality". There is no mercy, except on the short, 1-min acoustic instrumental "Triste Lugar", which is put in the middle of the album, serving as a kind of an interlude, and is followed for a compensation by the most aggressive number here: "El Antichristo", which contains both brutal blast beats and the most technical guitars. A really impressive debut which brought us some great thrash...again.

Comando de Aniquilamiento EP, 2003
Thrash Again Full-length, 2004

My Space

EPILEPTIC BRAIN SURGEONS (CANADA)

A thrash/crossover band with some quiet, post-punkish and even country numbers, and a more restrained attitude.

Epileptic Brain Surgeons Full-length, 1990

EPITAFIO (VENEZUELA)

Based on the "Dominion" demo, this band play very good technical death/thrash with heavy, but sharp riffs, recalling a more thrash-based Suffocation, and, of course, much less brutal. The music is choppy, mid-paced creating an almost funereal, doom-death atmosphere at times. "Ghost of Conscience" is a superb technical number drawing comparisons with Atheist and Cynic.

Reflections of Pain Demo, 1993
Dominion Demo, 1994

My Space

EPITAPH (SWEDEN)

This band have done a good job to join the death metal cohorts in Sweden in the early 90's (Edge of Sanity, Unleashed, Entombed, etc.). Their style is more of a mixture between thrash and death metal, bringing them also closer to the French scene- Massacra, Agressor. Cool thrashy riffs alternate with fast, aggressive blast beats. With this genre getting more and more popular among the metal fans, it's a pity that these guys never recorded a follow-up.

Seeming Salvation Full-length, 1992

My Space

EPITAPH (USA, CA)

This band are the early incarnation of the Polish technical thrashers Astharoth who moved back to Poland shortly after the release of this demo; it is a display of the band's technical skills, although here the music is more conventional, and decidedly more aggressive. This is dark, heavy thrash with a genuine technical edge, recalling Infernal Majesty's "None Shall Defy", and early Coroner at times. The tempo is predominantly mid-paced, with sparce more aggressive outbursts.

I Am Alive Demo, 1990

EPITAPH (USA, OH)

Based on "A Portrait of Horror" demo, this band come up with very well executed classic thrash sound which recalls some of the greatest American bands from the 80's: Anthrax, Nuclear Assault (mostly in the vocal department), Forbidden, Metallica, etc. The music is quite heavy with meaty, stomping riffs split by some faster, technical ones which would later serve as a backbone for masterpieces like "...And Justice for All" and "Victims of Deception". "A Portrait of Horror" is a magnificent representative of the more technically-inclined side of the band. "Rest in Pieces" is a great thrashy ballad ranking among the best achievements in this field. The impressive musicianship displayed here easily puts to shame many of the more celebrated bands of the time.

A Portrait of Horror Demo, 1987
No Man's Land Demo, 1989

EPITAPHY (SPAIN)

Based on the "Voces" demo, this is modern, groovy thrash/death metal- a poor version of what the French Massacra did on their later period ("Sick","Humanize Human"), but slower, almost doomy at times.

Fire Demo, 1995
Gabino Single, 1998
Promo '99 Demo, 1999
...Y el silencio borro sus nombres Demo, 2001
Voces Demo, 2002
Ecos Demo, 2006

Official Site

EQUIMANTHORN (HOL)

This band was founded by members of Dead Head, including Robbie Woning- the man who hit the drums for the death/doomers Beyond Belief later. The music here is cool, mid-paced thrash which recalls Bathory's "Blood, Fire, Death", including in the vocal department, where the guy really tries some unholy shouts in the Quorthon (R.I.P.) vein.

Clouds of Death Demo, 1989

EQUINOX (NORWAY)

The best Norwegian thrash metal band of the old generation (not that there were many of them back then). Their debut is a sure-handed entry, offering cool energetic thrash, which on the more inspired moments reached out towards the dark, technical style of Metallica's "...And Justice For All" ("Dead by Dawn"). Otherwise the music is of a more simplistic nature, compared to the next releases, although the guitar work is quite impressive- check out the great instrumental "Violin" (there are no violin tunes here).
"The Way to Go" enters the technical thrash arena, but leaves enough room for some straight riffs for the headbangers to enjoy. There's still enough energy involved in the proceedings, which works well combined with the more complex song-structures. "Xerox Success" is a major step forward into a very technical/progressive thrash metal territory, similar to Voivod, and even Mekong Delta. The music is quite hard-hitting, preserving the more energetic moments from the previous efforts, even on the most technical numbers, like "My Sweet TV" and "Nothing at All". Even playful, rock-ish semi-joke tracks like "Now" have a strong technical flair. "Succumb to the Law" is the odd track here, perhaps, being slow and dragging, still "ornated" with some surreal, abstract guitars. This album was the band's crowning achievement, and "Labyrinth" took a logical direction into other sides of metal, still complex, but much more melodic, similar to what Voivod did on "Nothingface".

Auf Wiedersehen Full-length, 1989
Skrell EP, 1990
The Way To Go Full-length, 1990
Xerox Success Full-length, 1991
Nuh! EP, 1992
Labyrinth Full-length, 1994

Vibrations of Doom

EQUINOX (USA)

A 5-song demo of Bay Area-influenced thrash, with touches of more aggressive play ala Slayer. It starts quite promisingly with the good instrumental piece "Waiting for Destruction", which boasts some cool leads and even some technical guitar, but the rest is much less impressive- generic and uninspired thrash, with indifferent, unsteady vocals, and some sparce surprising displays of stylish play, which are a sign that the guys's skills are yet to find a full realisation some time in the future.

Demo Demo, 2006

ERA (BULGARIA)

Having started as a pure heavy metal outfit, this legendary band, one of the founders of the metal movement in Bulgaria, switched onto retro thrash during the 90's, and have done a great job on "Point Of View", paying tribute to the Bay-Area fraternity, as well as Sepultura and Slayer. Some "flirtations" with the groovy sound are inevitable ("Who's Got"), but the rest is heads-down classic stuff, mixing more aggressive ("Preacher") with more laid-back, slower numbers ("Lonesome Loser"). "Sexuality" is a cool attempt at "funk meets thrash", but the guys quickly give up developing it completely, and turn to aggressive thrashing at some point. "Something Wrong" is another attempt, but this time towards more stylish, semi-technical play, and is arguably the best song. "Fuck It" is an energetic punk-ish joke, adding up to the diverse nature of this album.

Studioworks LP EP, 1990
Era Full-length, 1990
Point Of View Full-length, 1994

ERA VULGARIS (IRELAND)

A truly impressive debut of progressive thrash which will remind you of some of the old veterans from the scene: Obliveon, Anacrusis, Coroner, etc. The music is a mix of the modern and the classic sound, and is mostly mid-paced, filled with interesting riffs and time changes. It's certainly not an immediate listen, but it greatly works both as a whole, and as separate pieces, some of which one might want to listen over and over for their sheer brilliance. The shorter tracks, which are only two (3-4min long), are for the more conventionally-inclined thrash metal fans, although there one could also catch some twisted guitar parts. The others are above the 5-min range, and are quite elaborate pieces which never lose coherence, and manage to sound different from each other. The album closer: "Irram", is an epic 11-min instrumental, long on both atmosphere and musicianship. The only irritation would be the occasional hardcore-ish shouts which mix with the basic vocals.

What Stirs Within Full-length, 2007

Official Site

EREBUS (USA)

Very good aggressive Slayer-esque thrash which sounds quite brutal at times, reaching almost death metal intensity ("Crawl to the Altar").

Demo '88 Demo, 1988

My space

EROS (BRAZIL)

Excellent speed/thrash metal in the Germanic tradition; for fans of Angel Dust, Iron Angel and the Exumer's debut. This is full-blooded head-banging attack with some "pauses": the semi-balladic composition "Road to Wisdom", and the heavy stomper "Atomic Messengers" which has a nice speedy thrash/crossover ending.

Road to Wisdom Full-length, 1990

EROSION (GERMANY)

Despite the high quality of each of the band's releases, Erosion remained in the shadow of other, more or less deserving representatives of the German thrash movement. "Mortal Agony" is a stunning debut with its aggressive approach, and nice technical guitar work; fast-paced, intense pieces take turns with some stylish more technical ones. "Aftermath" is an interesting turn towards a much slower, heavy style, which nicely contrasts on the blistering technical speedster "False Prophets", which follows it- the highlight of the album. "Into the Void" is more restrained speed-wise, but is a fabulous display of technical skills- the most technical number here.
"Thoughts" is more thoughtful (no pun intended) and more restrained, but still quite impressive and sharp. It begins in the same take-no-prisoners fashion like the debut, with the furious, but also quite technical "H", and although the speed is preserved at least for the next track "The Scourge", later on the band delve deeper into technical territory, and the sound gets considerably slower, featuring again one very heavy, doomy track: "Nightmare". The guys wake up to nail one more speedy technical instrumental at the end: "Strike", before finishing with the very technical and chaotic "Change".
"III" is not a very radical departure from the band's sound, if we exclude some more direct numbers with a hardcore flavour: "Revenge", "Power Within". The guitars are still technical on the longer and more complex tracks, which actually take turns with the hardcore-ish ones in the beginning, but towards the end the hardcore takes the upper hand. The last song- "Dead Europe", is a monstrous, 13-min doomy opus which would please fans of Saint Vitus, Sleep and the likes.
"Down" comes with a clearly more modern sound, and the guitar work is considerably lighter, but the pace remains fast, with a hardcore shade, this time stronger. The technical riffs are gone completely, and the vocals, which have always been not very pleasant hardcore shouts, this time come with a certain industrial edge, making them even more irritating. Of course, some slow, doomy tracks are present, but the inclusion of big dozes of groove makes them sound a lot less impressive than the similar numbers from the past. Having been released in one of the weakest years in metal history, this album is not a total disaster, like quite a few other efforts (Invocator, No Return, etc.), but is far from a worthy exit for the band from the music scene.

Mortal Agony Full-Length, 1988
Thoughts Full-Length, 1990
III Full-length, 1992
Down Full-length, 1995

Official Site

EROTIKILL (USA)

A perfectly acceptable piece of speed/thrash from the last stage of the classic thrash metal period, energetic and profesionally done. The guys don't spare energy and some of the songs are quite speedy (the last two), but most of the time the sound has this stomping, heavy quality recalling Nasty Savage's "Indulgence", or Wargasm's "Why Play Around".

Virgin Speed Full-length, 1990

ESCABIOS (ARGENTINA)

Based on "Altering The Future" (despite the Death-allusions which this title brings, the music has not much to do with this band), Escabios play thrash/death metal which surprisingly is not influenced by their Brazilian counterparts, but opts for a sound which brings to mind early Pestilence, the Germans Morgoth, maybe Massacra in the better moments, with a more thrashy attitude. There are blast beats scattered throughout, as well as some slow, almost doomy sections, and some signs that the album was released in the 90's after all, ala Pantera and Exhorder (but not many). The last song is a cool cover of Dead Kennedys' "Holiday In Cambodia".

Necesidad Extrema Full-length, 1992
Altering The Future Full-length, 1994

ESCADRON (HOLLAND)

A very well produced demo featuring some cool, slightly technical old school thrash. If we exclude the metalcore vocals, all the rest is done with style and gusto; one of the young talents from the Dutch metal scene. "In Order To Survive" is a great way to start this short demo: intense technical thrasher, with some stylish melodic hooks. "You Will Be..." is more ordinary, and never speeds up beyond the mid-tempo. "Black Heart Wounds" returns the technicality and the speed, and is another smashing piece. "Way of Life" carries on in the same vein, introducing a stomping heavy middle section. "Sworn Defeated" is a ball of fury, reaching the top aggression-wise, adding some sparce blast-beats to the overall very good picture.

Demo Demo, 2005

Official Site

ESCAPE (UK)

A mixture of the Slayer heavier, late 80's period and the groovy 90's thrash of bands like Pantera and Machine Head. This is hard-hitting, crushing music aggravated by the strong vocals in the Phil Anselmo-vein.

A Living Faith Full-length, 2003

Official Site

ESDRELON (BRAZIL)

Esdrelon play thrash metal mixed with some more aggressive death metal parts (the vocals also fall in that category) and an epic atmosphere reminding of the power/speed metal scene of the 90's. This is far from a mish-mash: the mix works fine as a whole, and the side elements do not detract from the hard-hitting thrashy nature of the songs. This is an interesting style which needs further development, and hopefully this is what would happen on the band's later works.

Your Truth EP, 2005

ESOTERIA (SWEDEN)

Thrash metal with gothic atmosphere. There is a mixture of very good clean vocals and death, semi-whispered ones. A slight keyboard tune could be heard in the background,too. Septic Flesh meets thrash metal- what do you think about that?

Insert reality into drive A: Demo, 2003
Demi/Mond Demo, 2004
Setting sails for the future... Demo, 2004

Official Site

ESTIGIA (SPAIN)

One of the better bands from the not very prolific Spanish thrash metal scene. The sound is energetic classic thrash with some excellent riffs. "Insubmission" is a very good debut, featuring some up-tempo Bay-Area thrash, with nice deviations from the more standard approach, in the form of the excellent instrumental "Dissident"; the rest is cool headbanging material, straight and direct. Despite the big, 7-year gap between the two works, "Trip to Nowhere" carries on in exactly the same vein, providing another fine portion of headbanging retro thrash.

Insubmission Full-length, 1989
Trip to Nowhere EP, 1996

Vibrations of Doom

ESTIGMA (PERU)

Good thrash/death metal with a classic late 80's-early 90's sound. There is a lot of variety offered here: fast death-y numbers, some up-tempo galloping thrashers, some slower atmospheric, almost "gothic"-sounding ones. The vocals are on the death metal side with a slight hardcore shade.

The Bloodstained God EP, 1997
The Bloodstained God Full-length, 1998

Official Site

ESTUARY (USA)

Thrash/death metal obviously influenced by the Swedish scene- think Arch Enemy, Dark Tranquillity, etc., with a bit more brutal vocals than what generally comes along with this style. This band are far from mere copiers; on the contrary: they manage to come up with some nice technical guitar passages and melodic solos which, combined with the faster, aggressive sections (which sometimes are really fast!), makes their works a really worthwhile listen.

Riding the Tides of Malice EP, 2002
To Exist And Endure Full-length, 2004
The Craft of Contradiction Full-length, 2007

Official Site

ETERNAL (COSTA RICA)

This new band, coming from a not very likely for metal place, offer retro thrash with long songs, which are not technical, but the tempos within them change frequently, the predominant one being up-tempo. The guitar work is quite good, straight-forward, with some occasional more stylish decisions, mostly in the lead department, where often do the guys hit the top. They have to compensate for the awful, raspy, undeveloped vocals, which would sound harsh even on a Mayhem (Norway) album.

Eternal EP, 2007

Official Site

ETERNAL AGGRESSION (USA)

A 3-track demo of very good American speed/thrash akin to Anvil Bitch and Destructor; these guys are a tad more aggressive, and the singer tries some high-pitched wails ala John Cyriis at times, which work quite well ("Mayhem" actually speeds up admirably, also recalling Agent Steel).

Beyond the Crypt Demo, 1988

ETERNAL AUTUMN (SWEDEN)

Based on "From The Eastern Forest": this band offer a mix of atmospheric, Gothenburg-influenced death metal, and a little bit of straight-forward classic thrash. "The Ashes of the Witch" is, on the other hand, a typical pagan black. The rest is more energetic, mixing the aforementioned styles in a not very convincing way, and the band's desire to court other genres along the way (black metal, gothic, etc.) makes things only more confusing, reaching its culmination on the 16-min long "Eternity in Vengeance", which is a mish-mash of many styles; you'll get lost there. On the folllowing "Statues" the guitar sound gets so melodic, that you might want to hear some Ratt, or Motley Crue, to liven up. "7,2" is a nice little thrasher, which comes at the end, but too late to save the day.

The Storm Full-length, 1998
From The Eastern Forest Full-length, 2000

Official Site

ETERNAL DECISION (USA)

The band's debut has a decidedly Metallica-influenced sound (resemblances in the vocal style, too), mixed with modern groove, bringing it closer to the Black Album, rather than the Metallica works of the 80's, and the overall impression is quite good with heavy riffs and tracks which do not stick to one another, but have their own "face". On the follow-up they recruited another singer to probably leave the Metallica-tag behind, and by adding some more modern elements (think Pantera, Machine Head), the final result is not as satisfying.

Eternal Decision Full-length, 1996
Ghost in the Machine Full-length, 1999
E.D. III Full-length, 2002

Official Site

ETERNAL DEVASTATION (BRAZIL)

Excellent fast-paced death/thrash metal with a classic flavour. Although having taken their name from a Destruction album, their sound is more along the lines of bands like Defleshed and Ravage. The guys thrash with gusto and conviction, producing a very fast and sharp sound, which at times threatens to fall apart, but doesn't: "Into Christian’s Mind". Every song is a gem of aggressive, speedy thrash, as the death metal elements play a secondary role here. Even the longer tracks, like "Sober’s Sacrifice" and "Hunting Priest", which closes on 6-min, are fast and relentless (this is actually the most brutal piece, with shades of death), with a short Slayer-esque slower mid-section. This is explosive uncompromising classic thrash at its best, and although the Brazilian metal scene has been producing similarly styled acts in heaps for the past few years, these guys have no reasons to worry that they will be soon forgotten, even if they don't release anything else after this one.

Slaughterhouse Full-length, 2006

Official Site

ETERNAL DIRGE (GERMANY)

Based on "Morbus Ascendit", this band come up with quite cool technical thrash/death metal, reminiscent of Pestilence's "Testimony of the Ancients" and Death's "Human". The music is closer to thrash metal than those two albums, but the approach is virtually the same: nice technical guitars, not very brutal sound, except on a few occasions ("The Decadence Within"); the guys nicely change tempos all the time, and the music twists and turns making this album a really enjoyable experience. There is some sparce, but very effective use of keyboards, creating a great haunting atmosphere.
"Khaos Magick" increases the presence of keyboards which stifles a bit the guitars, and the technical riffs have been reduced for the sake of somewhat epic sound not miles away from Bal-Sagoth. The music has shifted more towards death metal, and whereas this album is also long on atmosphere and interesting moments, it might not appeal as much to thrash metal fans as the great debut.

Morbus Ascendit Full-length, 1992
Khaos Magick Full-length, 1996
My Sweet Satan EP, 1996

ETERNAL NIGHTMARE (HOLLAND)

The sound quality of this demo is bad, but the music isn't: cool speed/thrash crossing Whiplash's debut with early Destruction; the singer has an interesting, semi-clean deep voice (interrupted by occasional high-pitched screams ala early Warrel Dane) which, combined with the fast, simplistic guitar work, work quite well.

Total Tear Up Demo, 1990

ETERNAL PURGATORY (CANADA)

A 2-track demo of instrumental classic thrash, slightly reminiscent of another Canadian instrumental band- Mastery, but with longer tracks, and a somewhat epic atmosphere. The music of these guys is more technical, and not as fast and aggressive; the intro to "Unleash Roman Steel" will remind you of Metallica's "Sanitarium".

The Outhouse Demo Demo, 2005

My Space

ETERNITY BLACK (USA)

With three members of the legendary Helstar present, expectations were raised very high for this band, especially after James Rivera messed it up with "Multiples Of Black". The higher the expectations, the bigger the disappointment. Well, at least mine was big; no shades of Helstar whatsoever; some groovy power/thrash, strictly from the modern school, with the obligatory groovy parts and all esle, is on offer here, and if the bewilderement wasn't so big, I would have probaly found something (but not much) to like here. If you approach this band with an open, unprejudiced mind, you might stumble upon a winner to some extent, as the music is not completely without merits.

Eternity Black Demo, 2005
Demo 2006 Demo, 2006

Official Site

ETHEREAL SCOURGE (AUSTRALIA)

This band are representatives of the Christian metal scene. The style at display here is quite unique: the songs are mixtures of mid-tempo death metal, crunchy, semi-technical thrash, and even doom/ gothic. There are no many headbanging moments, but the quiet, melodic breaks, on the other hand, are aplenty, including several short acoustic instrumentals. "Estranged from the Womb" might make you move around, with more energetic thrashy riffage, but tracks like the doomy, slow "Earthshaker" are also present, to make sure that you won't die with headbanging (pun intended). "Giver of Life" is good gothic thrashy number, which would also stand well on Paradise Lost's "Icon". The vocals are gruff, semi-death, reminiscent of Mathias Lodmalm (Cemetary).

Judgement & Restoration Full-length, 1997

EUCRASIA (ARGENTINA)

Based on the "Engendrado Por El Odio" demo, these guys refuse to lay to rest the 90's trends, and play heads-down groovy thrash ala Pantera, Machine Head, mid-period Sepultura, etc. The exception is the aggressive, proto-death number "Traidor", which is a pleasant deviation with its sharp riffs and headbanging tempo.

Traicionera relidad Full-length, 1998
Campos de Batalla EP, 2005
Engendrado Por El Odio Demo, 2007

EUDOXIS (CANADA)

The EP is enjoyable speed/thrash similar to Exciter and (but better) early Razor. By the time the full-length saw the light of day, the music has lost its immediate quality, and has taken a turn towards a more ambitious song writing. The sound is heavy, technical similar to Heathen's "Victim Of Deception". Despite the lengthy songs, the music never drags and remains interesting the whole time. "Reflections Of A Lost Past" is a marvellous instrumental close to Metallica's "The Call Of Chtulu". This is one of the better thrash metal albums before the genre's demise.

Attack From Above Single, 1986
Open Fire Full-length, 1991

Vibrations of Doom

EURE ERBEN (GERMANY)

This band are actually the continuation of the thrashers Darkness who split up in the early 90's to reform in the new millennium, apparently encouraged by the revived interest in thrash metal worldwide. The lyrics are entirely in German. The opener is one of Darkness' greatest songs sung in German: "Faded Pictures", and the fourth one is another hit from the past: "Burial at Sea"; they are the most aggressive, and best, tracks on the EP. The others are not too far behind, especially the good headbanger "Staatsfeind", but listening to the old material will probably fill you up with memories of the past, which will overshadow the music, so you might have to give it another listen to appreciate the newer stuff.

Eure Erben EP, 2006
Eure Fäuste EP, 2007

My Space

EVERSOR (ITALY)

The band's debut demo and the full-length offer decent, somewhat avantgarde thrash reminiscent of Voivod late 80's period ("Dimension Hatross", "Nothingface"), but less technical and not as ground-breaking. This is thrash metal from the more melodic side of the genre, but contains a few intriguing moments if you can stand the slightly alternative vocals and the not very sharp guitar work.

Condition of Death Demo, 1988
The Cataclysm Full-length, 1989
Live of Brutality Demo, 1990
Psychopathic intentions EP, 1991
World of iIllusions EP, 1995
World Of Illusions Single, 1995

EVICTION (USA)

Pretty ordinary crossover/thrash; kind of reminding of the very early humble beginnings of Suicidal Tendencies with some thrash riffs thrown in to keep it floating. The crossover/thrash scene knows better bands.

The World Is Hours Away Full-length, 1990

My Space

EVIL ANGEL (FINLAND)

Based on the EP, these guys play old school black-ish thrash similar to modern-day acts like Vexed, Suicidal Winds and Nocturnal; Evil Angel are perhaps a bit more brutal and faster. "Unholy Fight For Metal" introduces a more brutal sound and slightly increases the presence of black metal and blast beats, but tracks like "Fire in the Pentagram" and "Infernal Hell" are good thrashers, and the album still preserves its appeal to the thrash metal fans.

Metal Onslaught EP, 2003
Unholy Fight For Metal Full-length, 2007

Official Site

EVIL ARMY (USA)

With its rapid-fire approach and short songs this album reminds me of Hirax and Phantasm; good old school speed/thrash metal. This is fast and intense stuff, with some jollier crossover songs thrown in ("Wrong Approach", "Watch Me Fall"); some of the tracks are actually longer, going over 3-min, but the delivery is the same; the title of one of the songs says it very well: Relentless Assault.

Evil Army Full-length, 2006

Official Site

EVIL BLOOD (CROATIA)

Based on the compilation, this band have apparently started with some heavy/power metal akin to early Laaz Rockit, before moving onto speed/thrash reminiscent of early Destruction and Sacrifice. Both styles are handled with style and gusto, and despite the muddy sound quality, the high level of musicianship is undeniable. Later the band moved to London where they changed their name to Lord of Darkness. Either the way of life (or the response to their music) must have disillusioned them, and they moved again, this time to Scotland which caused another name change- Djinn.

The Best of Djinn/Evil Blood 83'-86' Best of/Compilation, 1986
Midnight in Sodom Demo, 1989

Official Site

EVIL DIVINE (USA)

Based on the sophomore album, Evil Divine play atmospheric thrash/death of the modern-type, mid-paced, but with some more aggressive, fast black-ish moments and a nice short orchestral instrumental- "Polarity". Most of the songs are 6-8 min long, but the tempo changes quite often and keeps the listener interested.

Feathers Have Fallen Full-length, 1998
Dawn Before the Dawn Full-length, 2004

Official Site

EVIL MACHINE (ITALY)

A good modern thrash/death metal mix, with more technical guitar work reminding of Darkane and Non-Human Level. The songs are long, the shortest being 6.5-min, and the tempo is energetic, without speeding too much. "The Eye Inside" shifts from this description, being a slower, atmospheric number, accompanied by some gothic-styled guitars, and clean vocals (the main ones are low-tuned, brutal death metal).

Visions Demo, 2004

Official Site

EVIL OFFERING (CHILE)

Powerful classic thrash reminiscent of Nuclear Assault both in the vocal department and in the hardcore-tinged riffs, so expect mostly fast music with straight-forward riffs. The Chileans are more thrashy, and their songs are longer, although there is no much variety in the approach. "We Bring Your Death" is a big improvement over the demos, with even longer, thought-out songs, and more interesting, technical riffs.

Evil Offering Demo, 2000
Massacre En Antofagasta Demo, 2002
United by Thrash and Beer Split, 2004
We Bring Your Death EP, 2004

EVIL SINNER (BELGIUM)

Competent, but not really impressive entry into the thrash metal genre from Belgium of the more aggressive type, similar to their compatriots Cyclone's debut and the Germans Assassin. It's not all-out speed all the time, by the way, and their better side is the heavier, slower one ("Death to You"), where the band sound more stylishly. The problem is that tracks of this kind are only the already mentioned one; the rest is brutal thrashing, bordering on proto-death quite a bit.

Evil Sinner Full-length, 1989

Vibrations of Doom

EVILDEAD (USA)

Evildead rose from the ashes of Agent Steel when two members of that band (Juan Garcia and Karlos Medina) decided to continue their career, but in a different mode. Their first offering is aggressive thrash bordering on hardcore- quite impressive. There's no speed to spare here; this work is a nice companion piece to the released 3 years earlier "Reign in Blood" and "Darkness Descends", although some songs, like "Annihilation of Civilization" and "Future Shock" offer a nice deviation into heavier, more restrained delivery.
"The Underworld" tones down the aggression, showing the other, more technical and serious side of the band, and is almost equally as strong. "The Hood" thrashes in a way similar to the debut, but "The Underworld" is a display of a more controlled and technical example of the same. "Process Elimination" comes with a lighter, crossover-vibe, and "Welcome to Kuwait" is a nice attempt at more technical thrash, with some really cool, Coroner-like riffs. The last song is a cool cover of the first real speed/thrash metal number in music history: Scorpions' "He's a Woman, She's a Man" (in this case, the guys preferred to slow down, instead of making it on lightning speed, like Helstar). Like the guys' previous formation, this band didn't last long.

Annihilation of Civilization Full-length, 1989
Rise Above EP, 1989
The Underworld Full-length, 1991

My Space

EVILDOER (SWEDEN)

These guys are typical representatives of the modern thrash/death hybrid founded by The Haunted. Evildoer are perhaps heavier, faster and with a more aggressive, bordering more frequently on death metal, attitude.

Terror Audio Full-length, 2005

Official Site

EVILE (UK)

A promising young band who offer to the hungry thrash fans some really good Bay Area thrash metal-Testament, Exodus, etc. The demo has a very high sound quality and "Russian Roulette" is not an Accept cover, like I used to think, but is another headbanging thrasher with some tasteful, Alex Skolnick-like guitar work.
Finally the band's long-awaited full-length debut is out now, and it fulfills all the promises given with their previous releases. The Bay Area influences (early Testament above all) are still there, but this time the band add some Slayer-like aggression ("Thrasher", "Schizophrenia") to produce a very powerful and potent sound.

All Hallows Eve EP, 2004
Hell Demo Demo, 2006
Enter the Grave Full-length, 2007

Official Site

EVOCATOR (USA)

A good thrash metal demo, not too far from Devastation's "Signs of Life", maybe not as fast, with some heavy, slower atmospheric passages, and some cool attempts at more technical play ("Psychotic Overdose", "17 Minutes of Anarchy").

Hold the Hands of Time Demo, 1990

EVOKED CURSE (FINLAND)

Based on the "Fantomania" Split, this band come up with catchy black-ish thrash, in the vein of their neighbours Bewitched and the Portuguese Alastor. This is energetic, fast-paced music, occasionally more brutal sounding ("Necrotrooper", which also features a slower, stomping passage ala Celtic Frost). "Lidérces Alom" is a cool cover of the Hungarian black metal legends Fantom, to whom the whole split is dedicated (there are two more bands featured inside).

Outburst Of Hell Demo, 1999
Altar Of Sodomy Demo, 2000
Cursed Unholy Mausoleum Demo, 2002
Merciless Revenge Demo, 2004
Fantomania Split, 2007

Fan Site

EVOKED DOOM (GERMANY)

It's amazing how much brutal metal has been buried unheard, and forgotten. Based on the second demo, this band come up with some of the most vicious and aggressive sounds put on vynil in the 80's. This is very fast and brutal music, with a certain proto-death taste, but the musicianship is surprisingly good for such an obscure release, featuring a very nice atmospheric intro with a cool guitar melody, recalling the Ennio Moricone scores for the Sergio Leone spaghetti westerns, with a nice twist at the end.

Dead Rehearsal Tape Demo, 1985
Demo Demo, 1986

EVOL (USA)

Based on the demo, this band play speedy thrash metal with shades of hardcore here and there. At times the sound picks up a lot of aggression coming close to Evildead's debut.

Demo 1989 Demo, 1989
Experiment In Fear Full-length, 1992

EXCEL (USA)

A thrash/crossover band with a style reminiscent of Suicidal Tendencies (members of Excel later joined Cyco Myko- Mike Muir's new band). Excel's sound also shares some of the angry D.R.I. attitude, and is a bit more on the hardcore side.

Split Image Full-length, 1987
The Joke´s On You Full-length, 1989
Seeking Refuge Full-length, 1995

Official Site

EXCIDIUM (SWITZERLAND)

Excidium offer on their only album quite intriguing, dark technical thrash with some strange chants and death-ish vocals. The sound is modern, but there are many interesting moments and tempo changes to keep the listener concentrated. There are the odd death blast beats and the sprawling, doom melodies, too.

Innocent River Full-length, 1995

EXCITER (CANADA)

This legendary Canadian act were the first ones there (along with Anvil, of course) who tried their hands on more extreme music. Their debut was a very cool energetic speed metal effort, sounding like a more aggressive version of the rock'n roll boogie of Motorhead. It wasn't as impressive as the superior debuts of their US counterparts Slayer, Metallica and Anthrax, but the guys very soon came very close to these high standards, with the fabulous "Violence and Force"- one of the best achievements of the whole Canadian metal scene, an unforgettable combination of furious speed/thrashers and smashing heavy riff-monsters. It was hard to believe that the band would be able to top this work up, and they didn't bother to do that, but acquired a more melodic approach on "Long Live the Loud", which still retained the speedy sound, and was quite a good follow-up. "Unveiling the Wicked" took a more radio-friendly turn, increasing the number of slower, more melodic tunes, and sounded too mainstream for the hard-core fans. Seemingly falling behind the top speed/thrash metal acts at that time, the band decided to relieve Dan Beehler- both the vocalist and the drummer until that point, from his vocal duties, and added a new member, leaving Beehler to concentrate on his drumming. Carrying the band's name, "Exciter (O.T.T.)" indeed sounded like a new beginning: it had not much to do with the band's older works; it was a combination of power metal, and a bit of speed and thrash, sacrificing the energy of the past for a more serious, thought-out song-writing. This was by no means a bad album, but at the same time was hardly what the audience expected, and was met with a wall of indifference.
This logically led to the band's split-up, but 4 years later they apparently decided to give themselves another chance, with "Kill after Kill", which saw Beehler taking over the mike again, and the guys bringing back the blistering style from their early days; this effort came close to the visceral power of "Violence and Force" on its best moments, and was a big slap in the face to those of their colleagues who had, at that point, given up the classic speed/thrash idea. Unfortunately this was not a very well chosen time, as the tastes were changing fast then, and the interest in the 80's speed/thrash movement was fading quickly. The guys parted again, only to return again in 1997, this time without Beehler; "The Dark Command", similar to the 1988 one, tried to bring something new, and admirably succeeded to elevate the band's music to a higher level, relying not only on direct speed metal anthems, but adding more complex arrangements and more varied guitar work. This album restored the faith in the band, who looked well-equipped to lead the thrash resurrection of the late 90's. But they lost inertia once again, and when the next release was out, it offered simple, direct, and less impressive speed metal numbers, which owed more to the Judas Priest's "Painkiller", than to the dark, potent sound of "The Dark Command". It still was not a failure, but was left without a follow-up, with the guys separating for an upteenth time.
"Thrash, Speed, Burn", despite its pompous and promising title, is hardly the band's best achievement. It has the necessary energy and speed/thrashy riffs to keep the fan entertained, but the approach is a bit samey, not miles away from "Blood of Tyrants". "Crucifixion" and "Evil Omen" try to break the one-dimensional delivery, but are not as convincing as the heavy, pounding tracks from the past (remember "Pounding Metal" and "Delivering To The Master" from "Violence and Force"!). When thrash metal lives through its second golden period, Exciter need yo do more to find a place on the front row, if they don't want to be overtaken by both their old colleagues and the ones who grew up with their music.

Heavy Metal Maniac Full-length, 1983
Violence & Force Full-length, 1984
Feel the Knife EP, 1985
Long Live the Loud Full-length, 1985
Unveiling the Wicked Full-length, 1986
Exciter (O.T.T.) Full-length, 1988
Kill After Kill Full-length, 1992
The Dark Command Full-length, 1997
Blood of Tyrants Full-length, 2000
Thrash, Speed, Burn Full-length, 2008

Official Site

EXCRUCIATION (SWITZERLAND)

Based on the "Last Judgement" EP, the band mix some raw thrash ala early Sodom and Kreator with heavy, crushing riffs in the Celtic Frost-vein. "Angels To Some, Demons To Others" comes after a very long break, and it shows a completely different band; the guys have apparently lost interest in thrash metal, and traces of the genre are nowhere to be found. This is pure doom, quite well done, along the lines of Paradise Lost ("Shades of God", "Icon") and Cemetary ("Black Vanity", "Sundown"), but without any ties to thrash metal whatsoever.

Last Judgement EP, 1986
Arise EP, 2005
Angels To Some, Demons To Others Full-length, 2007

Official Site

EXDEMENTIA

Excellent thrash/death metal with a slight technical edge bringing to mind Necrodeath and the French Massacra. The music is energetic and fast for most of the time, and the guitar work is just great. The sound is closer to thrash (only "Enslaved By The Deranged" is the song where death metal dominates), but the vocals are strictly in the death metal field, and of the dual type: the main ones are low growls (very comprehensible, by the way), and the others are higher-pitched rasps. The songs are short (2.5-3min), but the catchy and memorable riffs make them really great musical experiences. There is not much known about this band, but the high quality of the material makes them really worth tracking down.

Thou Shall Repulse Full-Length, 2007

EXECRATE (USA)

This is quite fast and aggressive thrash in the tradition of Kreator's "Pleasure to Kill" and the Swedes Merciless' debut. This is pure speed (with some parts from "Nuclear Death" being the exception), with no variety, but energetic and done with gusto.

Terminate in Violence Demo, 1986

EXECRATOR (USA)

Based on "The Rage From Within": exquisite progressive thrash metal with a dark, unique sound, not fast, even doomy at times, and with great haunting, predominantly semi-clean, mid-ranged vocals, but they vary, becoming much more aggressive and sinister, and are always on track with the music. The songs are complex, featuring some fast moments, soon interrupted by groovy ones, which in their turn come replaced by more technical (but not much) ones, and all of a sudden start the leads, which are short, of the less melodic variety. The aggression sometimes goes beyond the one which comes along with such style ("Darkest Hour"), but the headbangers will be delighted. The guitar sound is dark, brooding, creating a really eerie, doomy atmosphere- quite a unique one, maybe recalling the Swedes Pathos' works, but this one is heavier. The guys are experts at ballads, too- a great short piece is included here: "Rage From Within".

The Rage From Within Full-length, 2000
Hideous The Mind Full-length, 2001

Fan Site

EXECUTER (BRAZIL)

Executer came late on the scene, but their debut was a very worthy slab of classic speed/thrash metal, with cool nods towards Kreator's more technical period (1989-1990). "You'll Come Back Before Dying" wastes no time, thrashing fast and forcefully, accompanied by vicious, snarly vocals, coming as a more brutal version of Schmier. "No Destiny" continues the assault, but "Rotten Authorities" softens a bit, with stomping heavier riffs, influencing the following "Flight To The Other Side". Rest assured that this is just a deviation, and "Money" is another more intense thrasher, and from then until the end there are no pauses anymore- just fast, heads-down thrashing. Failing to make many heads turn, especially when the tastes were changing fast at those times, the band split up.
The thrash metal revival of recent years brought them back, with "Psychotic Mind". This album shows the band ready to do some major damage once again; the guitars are more technical now, with a tighter and more compact sound. The delivery is more aggressive, with a touch of death metal even: the great smashing opener "Lost Angels", which could have been well fit into Death's "Spiritual Healing". "Suffering And Pain" is a more temperate, thrashing piece, with a Bay-Area flavour, which pretty much sets the tone of the remaining songs, some of which are graced by more interesting, technical moments: "Message To The Weak Ones", "Chaos Memories".
"Welcome To Your Hell" could be considered the band's finest hour; the guitar work is great, with meaty sharp riffs; the vocals return to the mean snarls from the debut (on the previous one they have acquired a more standard death shape). The music is again closer to the German school: the explosive opener "And The Rottenness Goes On..." and most of the songs. There are the obligatory calmer numbers ("13", "Lead Years", both of which are ended in a faster, intense fashion), as well some longer, more complex ones ("The Big Black Abyss", which slows down, and is heavy and mid-paced, "Cause And Effect", which is fast-paced, with smashing semi-technical riffs). The bonus track: "Power, Thrashing, Death", is a cool cover of the Whiplash immortal hit from "Power & Pain".

Rotten Authorities Full-length, 1991
Psychotic Mind Full-length, 2003
Welcome To Your Hell Full-length, 2006

Official Site

EXECUTION (FRANCE)

One of the French death/thrash metal bands who sprang up in the early 90's. The music is more thrash metal-based than the rest of the pack, but less aggressive and not as good, with some not very successful attempts at more complex, almost progressive song-writing which is quite a waste, except for some really stylish leads.