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

VACANT GRAVE (USA)

This band offer very cool thrash metal akin to Funeral Nation and Revenant (in the more technical parts). The music is aggressive and quite fast, bashing with full force at times, but leaves room for some more technical exploits: the jumpy hectic "Room For 1 More", which comes served with nice, but short leads; the excellent mid-paced instrumental "Graven Scripture", which is the most melodic (except for the wild frantic ending), but one of the best tracks. "Killer Instinct" starts as a ballad, and keeps it going for about 2-min, but after that the guys turn it into a stylish intense death/thrasher, with another cool lead guitar work. "Supernatural Force" is also worth mentioning, which uses the main theme from the cult horror film "Halloween" in the beginning, but later evolves into a more aggressive thrasher, accompanied by a cool melodic section. The performance on the whole album is actually above average, and even the more ordinary immediate tracks come with interesting riffs and tempo changes: check out the last two jumpy, semi-chaotic numbers "Evil deceiver" and "Vacant Grave". The band looked well set to give the fashionable at the time thrash/death mixture the desirable technical twist, but like Revenant they didn't last beyond the obligatory full-length debut.

Eternal Nightmare EP, 1989
Life Or Death Full-length, 1990

My Space

VAE VICTUS (CANADA)

Aggressive fast thrash which bears resemblances to Slayer's "Reign in Blood" and Dark Angel's "Darkness Descends", but the songs here are longer, and at least the leads are more proficient. The problem is with the fuzzy guitar sound, which partially decreases the impact from this otherwise very hard-hitting music. The vocals are quite good, sounding like a cleaner, and a higher-pitched version of Tom Araya, with a pinch of Russ Anderson (Forbidden).

Demo Demo, 1987

VALKYRIA (RUSSIA)

The band's self titled debut is outstanding progressive thrash, rubbing shoulders with Living Death's "Protected From Reality" and Mekong Delta. The very first riffs from the opener "Ravens" will prepare you for a classical music-inspired guitar wizardry, combined with fast, sharp riffage. The tempos stray into all directions, with some parts seeming discordant and too chaotic, also infused with keyboards, which are a bit overused at times; this touch and some fast sections will draw comparisons with the 90's power/speed metal scene, but just when the listener starts to get a bit disappointed, comes a brilliant complex technical passage to save the day. The music is fast-paced, with quite a few straight headbanging moments, and some really aggressive riffs: the instrumental "Valkyria". The singer plays a secondary role here, and his mid-ranged, levelled tone is not really exceptional, making him sound like Wolfgang Borgmann (the first Mekong Delta singer).
Like most of the Russian bands at that time, they got lost, and were back 9 years later with a shocking industrial, Rammstein-like sound (apparently the guys were thinking carefully about their fans during that time as to what musical direction to follow- pun intended, the album title: "Thinkng of You"). For the enormous relief to the metal world, "Mystical Mass" is a glorious return to the magnificent progressive thrash of the debut. It is actually a remastered version of the debut to a point that some tracks you might find hard to recognize, because they come with a better production, and tighter musicianship.
"Popolni Riadu" is a more aggressive, thrashy version of "Thinking of You"; no traces of progressive thrash; apparently the re-release of the debut was made just to add some effortless cash to the guys' pockets, but not intended as a warming up for another progressive thrash opus. The industrial metal fans will be delighted once again, and even the thrash metal ones might find something to like, since the guitars are quite sharp, and the tempo is quite dynamic, but it's obvious that the band have already moved on, with no intentions to open pages long since closed.

Valkyria Full-length, 1993
Thinking of You Full-length, 2002
Mystical Mass Full-length, 2005
Popolni Riadu Full-length, 2008

My Space

VALKYRIE (USA, NJ)

American power metal meets thrash. The American metal scene was full of similar demos back in the 80's: good, energetic music along the lines of Savage Grace, Attacker, early Helstar, etc. with good, proficient solos and catchy, sing-along choruses.

Past, Present,... Demo, 1990

VALKYRIE (USA, TX)

A really good 3-song demo of blistering speed/thrash recalling Viking's "Man of Straw", and Helstar's "Distant Thunder" (please note that this demo precedes both albums with a few years). This is great headbanging music, quite fast, and even technical at times, with vocals which reach for the high notes quite often in a way not too dissimilar to Larry Portelli (Blessed Death). "Reign of Violence" starts with a very popular theme which I still have problems recalling.

Choosers of the Slain Demo, 1986

VALUME NOB (USA)

Based on "Residue And Bones": an interesting but melodic mix of thrash/crossover with a groovy vibe, and stoner/doom; the music resembles a more thrashy version of Phil Anselmo's Down. The bad news is that it stays closer to the doom side, and consequently doesn't create an enjoyable, headbanging atmosphere for the thrash fan. Don't get misled by the title of the song "Brutal Attack": this is the softest track here, being some insipid doomy blues; the rest is just a little bit better.

The Most High EP, 2004
Residue And Bones Full-length, 2006

Official Site

VAMPIRE (GERMANY)

Melodic modern thrash/death, mostly mid-paced, with a gothic shade, occasionally blasting out (parts from "Ballad of the Two-Faced", which has nothing to do with the ballad genre).

Crimson Dominion Demo, 1998

VARGA (CANADA)

On "Prototype" the band play modern, groovy thrash with industrial touches along the lines of later period Skrew, or Prong; not anything special, with some passages which have nothing to do with metal, let alone thrash. "Oxygen" takes a turn miles away from the thrash metal genre.

Prototype Full-length, 1993
Oxygen Full-length, 1995

VASTATOR (CHILE)

Vastator mix traditional metal with some excellent speed/thrash, similar to Agent Steel's "Skertic Apocalypse". The bass work is particularly striking- this guy is one of the finest bass players in the world right now. "Guia Para Odiar a Tu Projimo" is actually a compilation of the band's older material, consisting of demos mostly, and reveals fine speed/thrash, with direct mighty sharp riffs, quite fast-paced, and a singer who sings gruffly, semi-cleanly most of the time, recalling Mark Shelton from Manilla Road, but when he screams, he easily reaches John Cyriis, although this doesn't happen very often. Some of the longer tracks have their quiet, slower sections, but the predominant sound is quite intense, spiced by some more melodic hooks and magnificent bass support.
"The Night of San Juan" is more varied and considerably slower, with some songs carrying a certain epic element, recalling, again, mid-period Manilla Road, and the concentration is not as much on speed anymore. The riffs are heavy, thrashy, but the lack of more energy makes them sound a bit forced. "Mongolian Mea" is a cool reminder of the debut, but there are not too many of the kind; the other attempt in this vein: "Avenger", is more of a nod to the 90's power/speed metal scene.

Guia Para Odiar a Tu Projimo, Antologia 1988-1998 Full-length, 1999
The Night of San Juan Full-length, 2001

Official Site

VECTOM (GERMANY)

"Speed Revolution" will hardly cause a speed revolution, but is a fine slab of the mentioned in the title style. All songs impersonate the genre very well, and this album, along with the early works of Helloween and the Germans Warrant's debut EP, have done a lot to establish speed metal on the European metal scene. Vectom's style is more simplistic and direct, with a clear nod to thrash, and unlike the other two aforementioned acts, they never break the speedy pattern, adding slower, mid-paced numbers. Variety is hardly the key-word, when talking about this album, but this is a good headbanging fun all the way.

"Rules of Mystery", from a thrash metal point of view, is the lesser work; the speed is by all means here, but the guitar sound has become more proficient, and some nice melodic hooks can be heard here and there, plus improved bass performance. The style now resembles Helloween quite a bit, and "Why Am I Alive" finally pauses for a break, being a heavy/power metal number, not even half as fast as the rest of the songs. This is not too bad, by the way, since here there are definitely more diverse, interesting songs, like the excellent "Feelings of Freedom", which is a nice blend of pounding, up-tempo riffage and very fast-paced one. When "Elixir or Death" comes with a more melodic, and slower guitar sound, one can't help, but frown a bit, since the obligatory solitary deviation has already been introduced, and now a second one of the kind would diminish the impact; a situation, saved by the great speed/thrashing "Caught by Insanity" and "Evil Run". The guys looked well set to join the forefront of the speed/thrash metal movement in Europe, but this remained their last legacy to the metal world.

Speed Revolution Full-length, 1985
Rules of Mystery Full-length, 1986

Vibrations of Doom

VELLOCET (GERMANY)

A blend of hardcore and thrash from the early days of the German thrash metal scene; far less impressive than quite a few of their contemporaries. Their second album has nothing to do with thrash, being melodic heavy/power metal.

Captive of Reality Full-length, 1986
Welcome to Dimension Four Full-length, 1988

Vibrations of Doom

VELOCET (ARGENTINA)

Cool power/thrash with a classic edge. The album is a cool mix of heavy, slower and speedy songs, featuring a nice ballad as well ("Almas Negras"). The shorter tracks are direct, intense all-out thrashers ("Autoeliminación", "Como el Tirge"), whereas the longer ones are more laidback, but still deliver the goods, with hard riffs and some cool melodic hooks.

Cuando La Oscuridad Reine Full-length, 1999

Fan Site

VENDETTA (FINLAND)

Early speed/thrash metal along the lines of Vectom and Exciter, with a classic heavy metal number at the end- "Search In The Darkness".

Search In The Darkness EP, 1986

Vibrations of Doom

VENDETTA (GERMANY)

These guys have done a very good job on both their albums and have even managed to sound more original than many of their "colleagues" despite the relative lack of popularity and success achieved by other, less deserving acts. The debut is a sure-handed affair, which actually brought the Bay-Area sound to Germany. "Suicidal Lunacy" is a very strong opener, with its both speedy and pounding guitars, and the genuine semi-technical edge. The band combine more, immediate, shorter songs ("Go And Live... Stay And Die") with some complex, longer ones ("Drugs And Corruption"), which are the lesser side, since their length doesn't match the not very technical, and slightly repetitive nature of the guitar work involved. Fortunately, they're not too many, and the hard-hitting riffage will win anyone in the end.
"Brain Damage" shows the band in a really inspired form once again, but within a short space of time the guys have managed to grow as musicians: the guitar sound is more technical, and the bass work is much more impressive. Separate songs are quite good: the small semi-technical speed/thrashers "Brain Damage" and "Conversation"; the brilliant heavy semi-ballad (too many semi's-pun intended!) "Precious Existence", which rivals any achievement in this field, including the much-vaunted Testament ballads; the great technical instrumental "Fade To Insanity": a smashing mixture of swirling leads and sharp riffs, started with an awesome bass performance: a variation of the Beethoven's "Ode to Joy". After it anything else would sound plain, but the two remaining tracks are quite good, the closing "Metal Law" being a really good small speed/thrash number. The band seemingly had something more up their sleeve, in the technical department, and their untimely disappearance prevented them from making a more lasting impact on the scene.
A short, 3-track demo released in 2003 suggested that something was in the makings in their camp, but it took four long years before it saw the light of day. "Hate" sticks out of the recent old veterans' reunions, being vintage old school thrash metal. Cool modern "updates" ala Annihilator could be heard ("Hannibal, "Rise For Revolution") in the guitar work, but the Metallica-influenced sound which was the base for their early works (the debut, more particularly), is pretty much intact. All songs are nice thrashers, with the possible exception of "Prepare Your Self For Hostility" which is a slower, groovy number.

Go And Live... Stay And Die Full-length, 1987
Brain Damage Full-length, 1988
Hate Full-Length, 2007

Official Site

VENGEANCE (POLAND)

A small (pun intended) demo of 4 tracks of badly produced, mostly mid to up-tempo thrash in the Slayer vein.

Small Thrash Demo, 1988

VENGEANCE (USA, CA)

Quite a good blend of speed, power and thrash, with a bit more aggressive vocals than the ones you might be accustomed to, close to the ones used by Tony Portaro on the first two Whiplash albums. There is a hardcore joke ("Salvation"), too. The style is actually not miles away from Whiplash, mixed with some heavier parts ala early Venom.

Demo Demo, 1987

VENGEANCE RISING (USA)

A Christian thrash metal band. The band's singer Roger Martinez gives the music death metal aura with his growls, and at times the sound also moves towards the death metal side, especially on the first two full-lengths which are also the better ones. "Desruction Comes" is a bit disappointing wiht its sterile sound and mechanic feel, and the last one moves towards very fast and aggressive thrash/death.

Human Sacrifice Full-length, 1988
Once Dead Full-length, 1990
Destruction Comes Full-length, 1991
Released Upon The Earth Full-length, 1992

My Space

VENGEFUL GHOUL (TURKEY)

This new Turkish band offer mid-paced power/thrash with a classic vibe, and a singer, who is also a member of another good Turkish thrash metal act: Electrocute (he both sings and plays the guitar there, whereas on this one he feels comfortable enough just handling the mike), whose delivery recalls Schmier, maybe a bit more throaty. One of the guitarists is a girl, something not very common among the metal fraternity. "Ruinous" breaks the monotony with more intense riffage, and stylish Oriental leads, and remains the best song here.

Premier Fury Demo, 2006

My Space

VENOM (UK)

The fathers of black metal. Venom's sound is characterized by simplistic, basic riffs along the lines of Motorhead. Their real thrash days start with "Calm Before The Storm", and although it is a pretty decent entry, after Cronos' departure, the band drop the ball, and the subsequent three albums are just average at best. In 1997, with the old line-up back together, things have improved considerably, and this is arguably the band's best period music-wise. All three albums are very good power/thrashers, with forceful songs and a heavy, old school sound.

Welcome to Hell Full-length, 1981
Black Metal Full-length, 1982
At War with Satan Full-length, 1983
American Assault EP, 1985
French Assault EP, 1985
Hell at Hammersmith EP, 1985
Japanese Assault EP, 1985
Nightmare EP, 1985
Canadian Assault EP, 1985
Scandinavian Assault EP, 1986
German Assault EP, 1987
Calm Before the Storm Full-length, 1987
Prime Evil Full-length, 1988
Tear Your Soul Apart EP, 1990
Temples of Ice Full-length, 1991
The Waste Lands Full-length, 1992
Venom '96 EP, 1996
Cast in Stone Full-length, 1997
Resurrection Full-length, 2000
Metal Black Full-length, 2006

Official Site

VERBAL ABUSE (USA)

The band started as a pure hardcore band on their first two works before switching to the more fashionable thrash metal later, but retaining their hardcore roots to a certain extent. This is probably the reason why some thrash fans might find their style not too appealing.

Just An American Band Full-length, 1983
Rocks Your Liver Full-length, 1986
Passport - Verbal Abuse of America Live album, 1990
Red, White and Violent Full-length, 1995

My Space

VERDICT (GERMANY)

"Reflections of Pain" offers modern death/thrash metal with some occasional nods to the past; professionally done, but merges with many other similar works. "Generation: Genocide" is by all means the better achievement, with much better and tighter guitar work, faster tempo, which doesn't change much, but creates a steady, monolithic impression. It introduces quite a few classic metal elements, and some tracks carry the fine Death-spirit, coming with good technical riffs ("Confession").

Reflections of Pain Full-length, 2002
Generation: Genocide Full-length, 2005

Official Site

VERDICT DENIED (GREECE)

Excellent technical thrash which will remind you of Scariot's last two releases and the one-album wonder from Australia Bezerker. Great melodies with echoes from Crimson Glory's finest hours, are intertwined with fine technical riffs to raise high hopes for this band's debut full-length which is coming soon.

Promo 2005 Demo, 2005
Promo 2006 Demo, 2006

Official Site

VERISMO (USA)

This fresh new trio enters the scene with a somewhat confusing "marriage" of several styles on their debut: traditional metal, 90's groovy thrash and thrash/crossover. At times this mix works, but often falls flat with the band trying to put all the listed styles into one song creating a kind of disjointed feeling, whereas a concentration on less variety might bring better results. There's certainly a potential here; it just needs to be expressed in a more coherent and less chaotic way.

City of Kings Full-length, 2007

Official Site

VERITATE (SWEDEN)

Based on the "Medical Miracles" demo: this band use a cool touch in the beginning, with the short "The Moonlight Sonata" intro, accompanied by a somewhat clumsy narrative. What follows suit is an effective, albeit uneven mix of doom, power and thrash (which is a loose definition here), with certain progressive ovetones. The singer has a less operatic, but quite cool, dramatic delivery, recalling the dark wave vocals, seldom adhering to some sinister, growling tones. The compositions are long, "courting" doom metal most, but the guitar work is heavy and sharp, reminding of Candlemass" "Nightfall". Nice Oriental melodies and some background keyboards are also included. As a whole this is a work which will please the doom fans above all.

Exploitation of Human Disturbance Demo, 2004
Medical Miracles Demo, 2006

Official Site

VERS'OVER (BRAZIL)

Based on "House of Bones": not bad power/thrash with some progressive overtones. The opening "Prologue" will not raise your hopes very high, being pretty traditional speed/power metal number, but what follows is better. Of course, mixtures like that go along with cheesy moments, like acoustic sections, balladic breaks, sing-along choruses, but there are several thrashy pieces thrown in for good measure: the stomping heavy "Ruins Of Memory" and the excellent album closer "Dead Hour and Twelve Minutes" which with its galloping rhythm will remind you of Deadly Blessing, Attacker, Helstar, etc.

Love, Hate & Everything in Between Full-length, 2000
House of Bones Full-length, 2003
Built Perspectives EP, 2005

VESEN (NORWAY)

If we exclude the ugly album title, what we'll be left with is cool black/thrash metal, quite aggressive, sounding like Absu's "Tara", or if you can imagine a more vicious version of the Japanese trend in the genre (Sabbat, Barbatos, Abigail).

Ugly Full-length, 2005

Official Site

VEX (USA)

The band's style is similar to Bolt Thrower and Benediction, with a certain doze of thrash and some more traditional melodic death metal passages.

Sphereith Demo, 2002

Official Site

VEXED (ITALY)

Fast thrash/black metal of the raw, simple type. Quite enjoyable, by the way; reminds of Razor: their better days, and Slayer's "Show No Mercy". In every full-length the band include a cover version of their idols- Slayer ("Black Magic"), Sodom ("Blasphemer"), Destruction ("Total Desaster"), Kreator ("Pleasure To Kill").

Abyss Of Agony EP, 1999
Blood Upon The Void EP, 2000
Endless Armageddon Full-length, 2001
Nightmare Holocaust Full-length, 2003
Destruction Warfare Full-length, 2004
Hellblast Extinction Full-length, 2006

Official Site

VICE (USA)

Hardcore-ish thrash recalling Carnivore's debut which surprisingly picks up speed in the middle ("Skies of Fallen") which immediately brings to mind Exciter and Dark Angel's debut. "Sweet Suicide", on the other hand, introduces some power metal, but is a clumsy and unconvincing closer to this not very impressive demo.

Demo Demo, 1986

VICIOUS CIRCLE (USA)

Based on "The Art Of Agony", this is a very aggressive mixture of death and thrash metal, quite brutal at times. The tempo is very fast most of the time with almost no changes to make things interesting; only for the extremists.

Cryptic Void Full-length, 1993
Live Long And Suffer EP, 1997
The Art of Agony Full-length, 2004

Official Site

VICIOUS CRUSADE (BELARUS)

A band who manage to combine folk, thrash, black, and death metal together. On the vocal side we have another combination: of rough, semi-death vocals and female, operatic ones. There is a use of instruments like violins, bagpipes, etc. It's hard to point at the most thrashy release- probably "The Unbroken", although it's also quite diverse and folk-ish. The wide variety of styles displayed by Vicious Crusade might not appeal to every thrash metal fan.

Life That Kills Full-length, 1996
Faces Of Vice EP, 1997
The Unbroken Full-length, 1999
Messiah... Isn't it Me? EP, 2001
Forbidden Tunes Full-length, 2002

Official Site

VICTIM YIELD (MACEDONIA)

A very good thrash/death metal band coming from a country which doesn't have many traditions in this field, but this doesn't seem to be a problem for the appearance of quality acts like this. The sound is rooted in the late 80's-early 90's, "accompanied" by a double vocal attack: one of the more hysterical, Jeff Walker-like type, the other being low death metal grunts, not too far from Chris Barnes himself. The music, however, is closer to thrash with nice tempo changes (from slower to mid-paced, to fast) without going into blast beat extremes.

Sentenced To Live Demo, 2005
Voice of Consciousness Demo, 2005

Official Site

VICTIMIZER (DENMARK)

Vintage old school speed/thrash akin to early Destruction, Sodom and Cranium; good stuff featuring two covers: Motorhead's "Ace Of Spades" (but of course!) and Nunslaughter's "In The Graveyard".

Communist Crusher EP, 2003
Rapid Thrashing Violence EP, 2007

Official Site

VIGILANT (HOLLAND)

Based on the "Dramatic Surge" demo, these guys could have found a place under the thrash metal sun easily. Their style fits nicely between the more pounding sharp music of Mandator's "Perfect Progeny" and the sophisticated, intelligent technical thrash of Usurper (Holland). The music is fast-paced without moving into more aggressive waters, despite the clear death metal-ish vocals, recalling Martin Van Drunen's shouts on the first two Pestilence albums. Only three songs (the last one is actually a very good instrumental) provide you with a non-stop riffest which many full-length albums would find hard to match.

Dramatic Surge Demo, 1988
Oppression Demo, 1989

VIKING (USA)

The band's works are on the opposite sides of the spectre. "Do Or Die" is apparently inspired by the aggression unleashed with "Reign In Blood" and "Darkness Descends", but the lack of skills (or clear vision-I don't know what) have made it a very poor man's version of these two. Listening to the sophomore album, it makes it hard to believe that these are the same people playing: "Man Of Straw" is one of the finest achievements of the genre, with its epic atmosphere, much better sound quality and occasionally very technical nature. Still there is speed and intensity aplenty- the opener "White Death", which thrashes aggressively, but in a much more controlled and convincing way than any track on the debut. The follower "They Raped the Land" carries on in the same spirit, as though the guys wanted to show how much better they can deliver this side of the genre. Towards the middle things start getting more complex and slower, with the longer, but still energetic "Winter", and the slightly underwhelming heavy metal track "Hell Is for Children". But things go back to the aggression from the beginning, with the awesome smashing "Creative Divorce". The closing song "Man of Straw" tries to compensate for the relative lack of technical riffs, and pours down some great stylish guitars, again served in a fast-paced, uncompromising manner. Brett Eriksen- the band's guitar player, later was responsible for another very strong release: Dark Angel's "Time Does Not Heal".

Do or Die Full-length, 1988
Man of Straw Full-length, 1989

Vibrations of Doom

VILLAINS (USA)

Death/thrash/black metal with hateful vocals; mid-paced, reminiscent of old Celtic Frost, with some faster passages.

Drenched In The Poisons Full-length, 2007

Official Site

VINLAND WARRIORS (CANADA)

Based on "Oath to My Friend", this band offer cool modern thrash, sometimes with an industrial edge, recalling Ministry and Skrew ("Stand Up for Odin"), at other times nicely speeding up, with energetic melodic, Swedish-styled guitars ("Life"), at others acquiring more melodic, epic tendencies ("I'm a Viking"). This is very enjoyable, diverse stuff, which will delight fans from all fields of metal.
The debut has no ties to thrash, but is a cool melodic punk/crossover effort. "Dear Mother" is more aggressive, but the punk-ish atmosphere is all over. "Fuck You" is again a take on the lighter crossover sound.

Free Your Spirit Full-length, 1997
We Don't Care Full-length, 2001
Action Reaction EP, 2002
Final Battle Full-length, 2004
Dear Mother Full-length, 2006
Fuck You Full-length, 2007
Oath to My Friend Full-length, 2007
Hand In Hand We Stand Full-length, 2008

VIOLATOR (BRAZIL)

Probably the finest Brazilian thrash metal band from the new generation. These guys throw a bridge over the Atlantic ocean and bring together the two big scenes of thrash- the Bay Area and the German one. "Violent Mosh" comes crashing, with 6 tracks of pure classic thrash delight; the guys show skills in both the speedy, aggressive and the slower, heavier department, although the former suits them better. Some stylish, semi-technical riffs could also be heard.
One of the best metal debuts in recent years, "Chemical Assault" is an encyclopaedia of classic thrash at its shining best. It takes no prisoners with its blistering fast-paced delivery. It thrashes like there's no tomorrow, serving some of the most aggressive and fastest numbers in quite a while: "Destined to Die", but when the guys add some more technical riffage, things pretty much hit the top: the brilliant Destruction-like "Brainwash Possession", and the superb instrumental after it: "Ordered to Thrash"; no slow breaks here, this is non-stop assault till the end.

Violent Mosh EP, 2004
Chemical Assault Full-length, 2006

Official Site

VIOLEMOSH (USA)

Aggressive thrash metal reminiscent of Hallows Eve, with some death metal tendencies.

Of The Dead EP, 1989

My Space

VIO-LENCE (USA)

The band came splashing on the scene with "Eternal Nightmare"- a steam-roller like thrash attack which remains one of the ten best thrash metal albums ever. After such an amazing debut, it's always the follow-up which goes away with all the blame for not being as good, and "Oppressing The Masses" falls into that category, too, unfortunately. It's not a bad album at all, just compared to its legendary predecessor it falls flat in almost every aspect; it's slower, more technical and overall more ambitious. Their last effort is their answer to modern groovy thrash, and is their weakest one, despite the presence of some decent, old school headbangers.

Eternal Nightmare Full-length, 1988
Oppressing the Masses Full-length, 1990
Torture Tactics EP, 1991
Nothing To Gain Full-length, 1993
They Just Keep Killing EP, 2003

My Space

VIOLENT ATTACK (PARAGUAY)

By far one of the finest thrash metal albums of 2006 (and arguably the best debut in the field that same year), these guys unleash a full-out speed/thrash attack which will satisfy fans of the speedy side of the German scene (Iron Angel, Toxic Shock, early Destruction) as well as those who like more recent fast players like Cranium and Solitaire. This is very intense and fast music, which never slows down for a single second; a must for those who like their thrash metal fast and aggressive.

The Final Massacre Full-length, 2006

VIOLENT FORCE (GERMANY)

A buried treasure in the German metal underground, Violent Force come up with the essence of German thrash metal combining the more speedy side of the scene (Angel Dust, etc.) with the more aggressive one (Kreator, etc.). There is no speed and intensity spared here- check out the crushing brutal wonder "Soulbursting", or the less-than-2min pure thrashing explosion "Vengeance and Venom"! The songs are graced by some cool, but short leads, which simply can't be too long on a such aggressive recording. "Sign of Evil" in the middle calms down riff-wise, as it is more speed metal-based, sounding like a very undeserved leftover from the early Helloween albums. But after it the brutal delivery comes back, carrying risks for broken necks from the headbanging one might subconsciously fall into, when listening to this. The result is thrashing madness at its uncompromising best, absolutely compelling speed/thrash, which will make your days for a long time; these guys should be much much better known.

Malevolent Assault of Tomorrow Full-length, 1987

My Space

VIOLENT HATE (BRAZIL)

Based on the split, these latecomers on the Brazilian metal scene play very good old school thrash metal with a certain Bay Area-influence (Exodus, in particular) and an interesting dark, brooding sound recalling another Brazilian band- The Mist. "Hand Of A Witch" is a nice "detraction" from the predominant style, moving into a heavier direction ala Celtic Frost.

Curse Of The Evil One/In Between The Truth Split, 1993
Preaching Full-length, 1995

My Space

VIOLENT NIGHT (USA)

Based on the "Thrashed To Death" compilation (which doesn't exactly deserve its violent, scary title), Violent Night's style is based around technical/progressive thrash, which is frequently of a very high standard featuring some really classy numbers- "Gift Of The Nile" is worth mentioning with its magnificent, oriental riffs, which also remain for the less impressive, but faster, more aggressive "The End". The main riff from "Censor Reality", on the other hand, will remind you of Metallica's "Seek And Destroy". The more immediate, speed/thrashing tracks also work quite well: "Lock Horns", and are not deprived of some intriguing sections as well. The only unfocused moment is the heavy, modern-ish "Soldier", which kind of doesn't match the stronger material, presented on the rest of the album. This is great stuff; the fact that these guys are still unsigned, is a mystery.

Gift of the Nile EP, 2005
Thrashed To Death Best of/Compilation, 2006

My Space

VIOLENT PLAYGROUND (USA)

A very appropriately chosen title. The band's sound is a very enjoyable combination of the two styles mentioned in the album title: heavy, slow-ish thrash with blues overtones; will not appeal too much to blues fans, though.

Thrashin Blues Full-length, 1988

Vibrations of Doom

VIPER (GERMANY)

This is one of the first thrash/death metal blends to come out of Germany. The music is mostly fast in the first half, and is quite close to later period Protector ("A Shedding of Skin" and beyond), including the vocals. The second half sounds like a completely different band: it's entirely instrumental (except for "The Break"), quite melodic, a mixture of power and thrash, but a lot better than the first; this is really professional music, boasting some genuinely technical riffs and plenty of intriguing guitar melodies (the aforementioned "The Break" is a masterpiece of technical power/thrash with an Anacrusis flavour). "Thought About Death" is a cool dark take on the famous opera "Carmina Borana". "Beer Here", which closes the album, is a nice idyllic acoustic instrumental, pretty much in spirit with the second half of the album. Apparently this is a collection of two separate works of the band, but it's not very likely this to be a reflection of their demo stage, since the sound quality is crystal clear.

Bringers of Disaster Full-length, 1991

VIRGIN SIN (SWEDEN)

This band's first demo dates back from 1985 which means that they could have possibly been one of the first extreme metal acts to appear in the Scandinavian region, although with a name like this the last thing one would relate this band to, would be thrash metal. But, indeed, their perseverance finally paid off, albeit some 25 years later. What the sound on this first demo was, I have no idea (maybe someone out there could help!?), but on their full-length these guys play some quite average speed/thrash along the lines of early Razor, or early Sodom, with some riffs taken from the NWOBHM-scene.

Make ´Em Die Slowly EP, 1999
Seduction of the Innocent EP, 2003
Brotherhood of Freaks Full-length, 2007

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VIRGIN SNATCH (FINLAND)

Modern thrash metal; although most of the time their music is along the lines of Terror 2000 or Dew-Scented, there is a doze of groove thrown in for good measure to probably attract the Pantera/Machine Head fans. The vocals are of the dual type- shouted, hardcore-ish and clean (which are quite good, by the way- check out "You Know Where" from "In The Name Of Blood") ones.

S.U.C.K. Full-length, 2003
Art Of Lying Full-length, 2005
In The Name Of Blood Full-length, 2006

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VIRGIN WITCH (MEXICO)

This title is actually well-chosen: the guys definitely possess the ferocity of the future death metal performers, and provide 5 tracks of aggressive, fast thrash/death, not miles away from early Death and Massacra. The singer has an awful hysterical, shouty voice, but the music packs a punch, with audible guitars and a cool cover of Overkill's early hit "Fatal If Swallowed", where the singer mysteriously finds a way to adjust his vocals to the style of the song, and even sounds better, distantly recalling Bobby Ellsworth.

Death Metal Demo, 1987

VIRUS (UK)

A band from the inferior side of British thrash metal. Their sound is very fast, brutal with proto-death qualities and little musicianship at display. "Lunacy" started moving things in a better direction with some more technical variations, but the band's split-up left this process unfinished.

Pray for War Full-length, 1987
Force Recon Full-length, 1988
Lunacy Full-length, 1989

Vibrations of Doom

VISCERAL (ARGENTINA)

Based on their self-titled debut, this band do not stray from the established 90's thrash metal laws; they prefer to keep their music mid-paced to slow, with occasional faster sections, and slight shades of Pro-Pain-like hardcore. It's hard to give an example for a real close sound-alike; 90's Overkill mixed with early Pro-Pain, plus a certain doze of groove would probably fit best.

Visceral Full-length, 1998
Arrancado del Sistema Full-length, 2001

VISITÖR (USA)

Very cool power/thrash metal similar to Steel Reign and Attacker. The album opens in a great galloping, intense way with "R.I.P." The predominant tempo is mid-paced, and some guitar melodies are simply amazing, with an Oriental shade ("Visitor", which also boasts some stupendous speedy riffs). The singer has a great emotional, dramatic, clean voice, who handles both the lower and the higher tones with dexterity. "America's Demise" comes towards the middle with some fast, headbanging riffs, followed by an even faster one: "Innocent", which is also graced by some cool technical guitars. A really good album, reminding of the glorious 80's American sound, and pretty much one of its kind at those times.

Visitör Full-length, 1993

VIVID EXPERIENCE (RUSSIA)

A very obscure Russian band, Vivid Experience present us with state-of-the-art technical thrash ala Coroner ,Mekong Delta, and the Russian one-album-wonder Aspid. At times the music takes a more aggresive turn towards technical death (the shorter songs), but these moments are rare. There are the traditional for the genre twisted riffs, complex song structures and weird tunes. There are also fast-paced, more accessible sections, accompanied by superb lead guitars, as well as tracks which "flirt" with the modern sound for a while, before suddenly turn into a head-spinning technical passage. The vocals are low meanish, semi-clean ones, occasionally interrupted by gruff, death metal ones, and are not good, and that's why it comes as no surprise that the music takes a much bigger room on the album, stretching into several excellent pure instrumental pieces. I have no any further pieces of information as to what other releases this band have. A little bit of help in finding out more about them will be very highly appreciated!

Promo 2002

VIXIT (MEXICO)

A good speed/thrash metal act with nods to the German scene- Warrant, Liar, Not Fragile. Some tracks have a hard, thrashy edge, but most of the material is more melodic, kind of preceeding the future 90's power/speed metal scene. Mixtures of this kind were not too common in those days, and Vixit actually deliver the goods quite well. "Reflejo Aspra" is a fine instrumental, closing this enjoyable release.

El Poder del Metal (The Power of Metal) Full-length, 1991

VODU (BRAZIL)

One of the finest bands to ever come out of South America. The band's debut is more speed metal-oriented, with brilliant guitar work, recalling Helloween and their compatriots Viper (their drummer, actually, was also a full-time member of Viper, as well as Volkana). Some of the numbers thrash admirably ("This is not Your World" which could perfectly fit on the Agent Steel debut, for example), suggesting at bigger things to come.
"Seeds of Destruction" is a masterpiece of speed/thrash metal which the Brazilian metal scene is yet to equal. Ths is great smashing music, still quite fast (check out the ultra speed crusher with a crossover flavour "Keep on Fighting"!), which will remind you of Agent Steel's "Unstoppable Force" and Toxik's "World Circus", among other gems. The intensity is only reduced on some parts from the longest, and arguably the best, song: "What's the Reason" which offers some balladic, atmospheric moments, which, however, quickly alternate with awesome fast and heavy riffs.

The Final Conflict Full-length, 1986
Seeds Of Destruction Full-length, 1988
No Way EP, 1989
Endless Trip Full-length, 1991

Vibrations of Doom

VOICE OF DESTRUCTION (SOUTH AFRICA)

South African thrash metal, quite well done at that. They are probably the first metal band there, as their first demos date back from 1988 although the music on them is more hardcore-oriented. In their more thrashy days their hardcore roots are still audible with a wide variety of genres taking part: death, classic heavy metal and quite a considerable amount of doom (the fact that the band's name figures on quite a few doom metal sites is actually well grounded). The mixture, however, works quite well most of the time; a good and an original band.
"Bloedriver" is a very nteresting album, mixind doom/death with some splashing thrashy riffs. The predominant style is doomy and atmospheric, but all of a sudden arrive the blasting thrashers ("Religion", J.M.S.P.") to stir the mood, as well as some short takes on brutal grindcore ("Goodbye")- quite misplaced, if you ask me, having in mind the heavy and serious nature of the music presented here. No other noisy surprises, as the rest is well done atmospheric doom/death.

Voice of Destruction EP, 1995
Bloedrivier Full-length, 1996
Bloedrivier 10th Anniversary Special Edition Full-length, 2006

Official Site

VOIVOD (CANADA)

One of the true auteurs of thrash metal; even on their first two albums, behind the wall of messy noise, sparkles of sheer genius could be sensed. This genius found its complete realization on "Killing Technology"-the band's magnum opus, progressive thrash at its finest. "Dimension Hatross" followed a similar pattern, but it also contained some more weird, abstract stuff which didn't sound quite thrash. This same stuff became the base for a string of albums which had very little to do with thrash metal. With the recruitment of Eric Forrest in the mid-90's Voivod came back on the right track again for two fine technical thrash efforts with a more modern, industrialized sound, but highly effective. The band's desire to play again with the original line-up from the 80's, put an end to the Forrest's spell (another reason was a car accident which put Forrest away from the music scene for a long time) with them, and brought forth Jason Newsted (yeah, that same one!), but the music clings towards the band's non-thrash period (1989-1993), miles away from the high standards set by these greats almost 20 years ago.

War and Pain Full-length, 1984
Thrashing Rage EP, 1986
Rrröööaaarrr Full-length, 1986
Cockroaches EP, 1987
Killing Technology Full-length, 1987
Dimension Hatröss Full-length, 1988
Nothingface Full-length, 1989
Angel Rat Sampler EP, 1991
Angel Rat Full-length, 1991
The Lost Machine / Jack Luminous EP, 1993
The Outer Limits Full-length, 1993
Negatron Full-length, 1995
Phobos Full-length, 1997
Live @ Musiqueplus EP, 2000
Voivod Full-length, 2003
Katorz Full-length, 2006

Official Site

VOLCANO (JAPAN)

Another very worthy band from Japan. Volcano play standout power/thrash with some excellent, at times neo-classical guitar work, courtesy of She-Ja; the man also responsible for the guitars on the Gargoyle albums. The music is not very heavy, it's more on the melodic side, but the musicianship at display is nothing short of stunning (especially the mind-bending solos). "Violent" is the band's most thrashy effort, which spares no speed and high musicianship on great tracks, like the opener "Kill All Of Me" (which comes served with some of the finest leads around) and the aggressive, crushing "Ghost". This strong duo is followed by less impressive, but still good numbers: the speed metal delight "Brain Dance", the modern power/thrasher in the modern day Overkill-vein "Fear Of The Scarlet", the speed/thrasher "Devil-May-Care-Boy", which even picks up a death metal-like aggression for a while. In the middle one will come across some soft heavy metal pieces, one of which is really bad- a pointless mixture of groove and pop-metal, and even a shade of stoner/doom. The exiting two songs are almost identical to the first two: blistering speed/thrash with fabulous guitar performance, more than compensating for the disappointing middle part. The singer is a high-shouter, but not in the irritating, sreechy way, recalling the first Loudness vocalist.
"Davi" starts in a very impressive manner, with the intense thrashing "Absurd", the band's most aggressive achievement. This is quite misleading, though, since what follows is not even half as fast and interesting: power metal-laced songs, again reaching the bottom with some bland modern pop-metalish ones in the middle. "Progress" arrives a bit late to save the day, but is a satisfying fast-paced thrasher. The following "No Way Man" is slower, but is not bad, with up-tempo galloping rhythms. "In The Black" is a long, 7-min semi-ballad, and the next "Barbwire", which is the album closer, tries hard to compensate for the wasted time, with some smashing speedy riffs, exiting the album in a flying thrashy manner. In the long run one can not help, but like the music here, although as a whole this is quite an uneven affair, which paved the way for the band's departure from the thrash metal field, seen in the folowing EP's, which are pretty much in the spirit of the not really good softer compositions which the band used to place in the middle.

Spring of Life EP, 1994
Violent Full-length, 2000
Die Hard EP, 2000
Davi Full-length, 2001
Living Corpse EP, 2004
The Viper's Path EP, 2005

Official Site

VOLKANA (BRAZIL)

Four girls and one guy (on drums). Volkana appeared relatively late on the Brazilian metal scene, but their two albums kept the genre alive there, albeit for a while. The style is typical old school thrash, mostly heavy and mid-paced: more serious and thrashy on the debut, and less striking on the sophomore release, with a clear rock-ish vibe, acquiring some groovy moments from the 90's scene on 'Mindtrips", also with some lighter moments, like the Ramones' cover of "Pet Cemetary" on the debut.

First Full-length, 1991
Mindtrips Full-length, 1994

VOMITORY (GERMANY)

A band from the less impressive side of German thrash metal. Despite some technical pretentions displayed throughout their works, this is just an average blend of classic and modern thrash with some awkward funky passages which will remind you of lesser Mordred. More concentration on the more aggressive side of the band's music (because they definitely have it) would have been better. Actually "Hour of Truth" starts in a cool headbanging fashion with the intense "F.T.A. (aka "Fuck The Army"), but after it the guys introduce more unusual guitar moments, which seldom deliver the goods: "Witches & Demons". The leads are the strongest point, saving both works from sinking; check out "The Bringers of Faith". The more aggressive and straight-forward side of the music works better: "Future Shock".

"Baschlasophobic" again starts with a strong opener ("Warchild", which is not a Running Wild cover; even the funky section on this one is fairly interesting), but later the music loses steam, despite the heavy riff-work, which unfortunately is chaotic and choppy, almost to a jazzy extent. The funky elements are more frequent, and other awkward decisions, like the inclusion of one tender, 7-min long ballad ("A Little Song About Dying"), make this album the lesser achievement of the two.

Hour of Truth Full-length, 1991
Baschlasophobic Full-length, 1993
Rawhead Full-length, 1996

VOMITRON (USA)

This is a side project of Peter Rutcho who graced with his presence great thrash bands like Blistered Earth and Crotalus. The music here is mostly instrumental, and is a brilliant mix of many styles, thrash metal being the main one. The musicianship is on a high level, including heavy, thrashy riffs and nice acoustic passages. There is a certain use of keyboards, but it's tasteful and perfectly suited. There is a very interesting slightly electronic version of the hit "Ghostbusters" with synthesized vocals, and a version of Testament's "First Strike Is Deadly" which sounds so much like the original that I kind of wondered whether there wasn't some mistake, and this song had been somehow added to my version of the album by the person I found it from. A really cool work of non-standard metal; will appeal to fans of many sub-genres.

Vomitron Full-length, 2007

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VON HELSING (USA)

The line-up includes former members of other thrash metal bands: Nuclear Assault and Primal Scream. This demo is a real treasure: the style is excellent speed/power/thrash metal, rubbing shoulders with Agent Steel's debut and Helstar "Remnants of War". The singer has a very powerful voice, a nice cross between Warrel Dane and John Cyriis. The music is intense and fast-paced, but there are some cool slower sections, too. "Fight Zone" is a magnificent speed/thrasher which would easily pass the exam even for "Unstoppable Force".

Demo Demo, 1987

VON SKELETOR (USA)

This is the band where Nick Menza put some more effort outside his engagements with Megadeth. The style on their only demo is a slightly uneven mixture of power, speed and thrash, miles away from Megadeth, recalling Exciter or a more aggressive Motorhead in the faster sections (which are not that many).

Injection of Death Demo, 1991

VOODOOCULT (USA)

This band is a curiosity: Philip Boa, the leader of the electronic pop band called the Voodoo Club, decides to play some metal for a change. Not that only does he decide to do that, but for some mysterious reason he seems to know some of the finest musicians from the metal field (they might have been fans of his band?!) including Shuck Schuldiner (R.I.P.), Waldemar Sorychta (Despair, Grip Inc.), Dave Lombardo and Mille Petrozza. With such a line-up one should expect nothing short of a masterpiece, but apparently Philip Boa has no experience handling metal heroes of this calibre, and the result on the debut is just slightly above average modern power/thrash with no big merits except for the very promising opener in the Grip Inc-vein "Killer Patrol". With an entirely new line-up featuring some more big, although not very distinguishing names: Gabby Abularach (Cro-Mags), Jim Martin (Faith No More), Markus Freiwald (Despair), Boa manages to pull out a much more impressive effort with an aggresive, industrial sound calling to mind Ministry and Skrew. The music is more versatile containing some very wild, bordering on grind-core, pieces ("Death Of A Kung Fu Fighter"). The band finally seemed set to take off, but the project fell apart soon after.

Jesus Killing Machine Full-length, 1994
Voodoocult Full-length, 1995

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VOOR (CANADA)

Both demos show a band who played cool speed/thrash metal reminiscent of Exorcist, but less adventurous, and more aggressive. The vocals are the highlight here, being one of the most extreme ones at that early stage of the genre's development; have definitely been an influence on some death metal singers later: Chuck Schuldiner(R.I.P.), for example, his vocal style used on the early Death albums.

Demo Demo, 1985
Evil Metal Demo, 1985

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VORACIOUS SOULS (GERMANY)

Based on the "No Way Out For You" demo, this band offer power/thrash akin to other German metal acts from around the same time: Tyrant, early Accuser, Risk. The music varies, being straight-forward and speedy at times, but it also moves towards a more technical territory, and some of the guitar lines are really original; but they're not that many to make this music really standout. This is stuff we have all heard many times before and after, and after a well spent headbanging time, there's not a big chance that one will remember much of it.

Captured EP, 1987
No Way Out For You Demo, 1988
Fear Demo, 1990

VORACITY (SWITZERLAND)

Very good heavy thrash reminiscent of Evildead's "The Underworld" and Exhorder's "The Law", so apart from classic riffs, there are some modern ones as well. The tempo is quite energetic, despite the abundant presence of crushing, stomping guitars, and the singer is quite good, with his gruff, but effective voice recalling Phil Rind (Sacred Reich) and Kyle Thomas (Exhorder).

Manipulation EP, 2002

Official Site

VORGUS (SWEDEN)

Based on "Vörgusized", the band play black/thrash influenced by bands like Celtic Frost, Venom and Motorhead (the latter are paid respect with a cover of "(We Are) The Road Crew"). The music is not very aggressive except the Impaled Nazarene cover "Total War - Winter War", which speeds things up a bit.

Vörgus is the Law Full-length, 2001
The Evil Dominator Full-length, 2002
Pure Perkele Full-length, 2003
Vörgusized Full-length, 2004

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VORTECH (FINLAND)

Excellent thrash/death metal with industrial elements; the music is not too far from the industrial masters Skrew, at least on half of the songs. "The Institution" starts very similar to the first two Skrew album: with crushing up-tempo riffage and harsh, semi-whispered vocals; the twist comes in the form of a faster-paced section, recalling the experimentalists The Kovenant. "Terra Ultimatum" is awesome industrial thrash, with an aggressive Fear Factory-like passage thrown in. "Crescent Moon" has shades of Dimmu Borgir-like black in the beginning, before settling down for the smashing thrashy guitars. "Mind Awakening" is a nice technical thrash/deathster, combining abstract sections in the Coroner ("Grin") vein, with some brutal death metal ones. "Apoapsis Mentis" is an ambient industrial instrumental, but is quite cool: "a calm before the storm", the storm coming in the form of the brutal industrial death metal number "Judgement of the Amenti". Another "storm-calm" combination comes later: the superb technical death/thrasher "Sycophant Gods"- which plays the role of the storm, and the pure electro-industrial closer "End Game", which is...well...
"Wasteland" gives preference to death metal and industrial, and consequently leaves thrash behind for most of the time. Still, it is not completely lost, and nice technical thrashy pieces, like "Instigate Hostile Reaction", or the raging death/thrasher "Impulse" are here to save the day for the thrash fan. But it won't be for long, since the rest has no ties to thrash, and the fial result sounds like a mix of early The Kovenant, The Project Hate and Bal-Sagoth, all this mixed on a strong industrial base.
"Deep Beneath" brings back the more technical edge of the debut, which was considerably lost on "Wasteland", but alas, thrash is not given much space. The music is even stronger industrialized, and some gothic shades have sneaked through. Nevertheless, it is a fairly good slab of industrial death metal, and more thrashy numbers, like the nice up-tempo "Retribution" and the closing "So They Rise" sound more like occasional throw-ins, rather than intentional inclusions.

Extinct EP, 2004
Asphyxiation EP, 2005
Conclusion Full-length, 2006
Wasteland Full-Length, 2007
Deep Beneath Full-Length, 2008

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VORTEX OF INSANITY (USA)

A power/thrash metal band founded by two members of Indestroy. The style is not a direct follow-up to their old formation, since it's more modern, slower, and much less impressive. The beginning is quite promising, thouh: the energetic semi-technical thrasher "The End Is Nigh" and the heavy mid-paced "Social Decay", which set the tone for what would follow. "What You Get" is more modern sounding, with an alternative edge. "Immoral Standing" brings back some more aggressive riffage, but after that things go down quickly, with a lot of groove introduced, and slower, less imaginative, samey dragging numbers, which would hardly make the listener to give this below average work another spin. Obviously confused with what they did, the guys put an end to this formation soon after.
Social Decay Full-length, 1994

VORTICE (SPAIN)

Groovy post-thrash, with some cool sharp guitar riffs, but the pace is pretty much the same, a bit choppy, slow-ish, although some maybe unintentional surreal moments strangely remind me of the very cool one-album project Blood From The Soul ("To Spite The Gland That Bleeds"), and even early Treponem Pal. The singer is not the most pleasant, semi-hardcore, semi-death metal shouter.

Human Engine Full-length, 2008

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VREDE (ARGENTINA)

Groovy 90's thrash with a hardcore edge; the music is quite jumpy and choppy, but this is nothing technical. It's not bad at all, and fans of the modern trends will definitely like this, especially those who like mid-period Prong (1989-1991) and Helmet; it even speeds up quite a bit here and there: "El Fluido", which comes with some aggressive death metal riffage. The closer is a sprawling, industrial doomy opus ("Lo Unico Que Tengo"), which is monotonous, and maybe overstretched, and it would appeal even to fans of Godflesh.

Raiz Full-Length, 1995

VULCANO (BRAZIL)

A cult Brazilian metal band, Vulcano lay the foundations of the more extreme side of the South American metal movement along with Sepultura. Their vicious brutal black/thrash has been an influence on hundreds of bands. Their comeback album -"Tales From The Black Book", shows that the band haven't lost their penchant for raw and aggressive music: "bad" habits die hard!

Bloody Vengeance Full-length, 1986
Anthropophagy Full-length, 1987
Who Are The True? Full-length, 1988
Ratrace Full-length, 1990
Tales From the Black Book Full-length, 2004

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VULTURE (HOLLAND)

This is one of the very first Dutch metal bands, with their demos dating back from 1984, where, of course, the style had very little to do with thrash, but is quite enjoyable heavy/power metal. This is one of the best Dutch thrash metal bands ever. "Fatal Games" is a smashing debut drawing resemblances to Forbidden's "Forbidden Evil", among others. The guitars are actually very technical, and cling towards "Twisted into Form" quite a few times. The music is generally fast, topped up by very good high-pitched vocals, close to Russ Anderson (Forbidden again). "No Romance" slows down, but only a little, and comes up with the heaviest guitars on the album, a great number. "Coitus Tormentus (Hard Love)" is a brilliant technical speed/thrasher, the highlight of the whole album, with smashing riffs and leads, which will remind you of the first great acts in the technical genre: Ulysses Siren and Have Mercy. This is a masterpiece which shouldn't be missed by anyone.
"Easier to Lie" is a great effort as well, but is heavier, more aggressive and somewhat more technical, and consequently less immediate. The songs have become longer, and some pieces have this technical, late 80's Metallica charge: "Near Death", which actually works very well. Some tracks surprisingly suggest at future tendencies to come; the heavy, groovy number "Remember Me". Still some songs carry the glorious speedy spirit of the debut: "Kicked From Both Sides", which also comes with some heavy rhythm now and again. "Greater Cause" is an exercise in heavy, crushing power/thrash, which starts as a ballad, and keeps the tempo slow throughout. The band would have made an impact on the 90's scene no less than Pantera or Machine Head with their hard-hitting, proto-groovy sound displayed here, but they were never heard of again.

Fatal Games Full-length, 1990
Easier To Lie Full-length, 1993

VULTURE LORD (NORWAY)

Based on the "Blasphemy" EP, these guys pull out sinister evil black/thrash with semi-whispered horrifying vocals, which are quite effective on the energetic, speedy music. Early Bathory with a more aggressive, thrashy edge, and some aggressive black-ish parts, would be a good description; "Lord of Vice" is a cover of the Brits Deliverance, but here made in a much more aggressive, vicious manner. "The Ride Of Satan" is pure black metal madness, fast and relentless.

Profane Prayer Full-length, 2003
Blasphemy EP, 2006
Desecration Full-length, 2008

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