Thrash Metal Genre

Thrash metal is another genre of the metal music community. It fits under the category for fat riffs, beats and aggression. Having loud singing and distortion with lots of bass have been know in thrash metal. "The Big Four" created the thrash metal genre. Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth are the four bands that fit into this category. Starting in the late 70's and early 80's these pioneers began sculpting thrash metal as we know it today.

Beginning in the late 1970's and early 1980's there was a huge wave of British metal music bands. Expanding from punk rock and hardcore metal, thrash metal found its own style and technique. Putting together more complex and long guitar solos, adding some deep distortion, double rick bass drums and aggressive vocals is thrash metal.

A common practice for thrash metal bands is having complex intros, solos and outros in their music. Shredding was one technique these bands would use when playing complex quick speed solos. Musicians would shred their guitars using techniques like pull-offs, hammer-ons, tapping, phrasing, tremolo, sweep picking. This new techniques and style of play was a great thing for the metal community.

Metallica, Anthrax, Overkill and Slayer all released albums in 1984 that opened up thrash metal music to society. Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Overkill all made something new for thrash metal, either making their music heavier, faster or louder. Thrash Metal was on the rise after this, the metal community had brought it in and it started to grow.

Through the years and into the 1990's there was a change in music and bands. Most of the same bands were still leading sales and album releases for thrash metal, but things had changed from where they started. With Metallica new albums "Load" and "Reload" released, the thrash metal they were know for turned into a heavy metal or hard rock. Megadeath took a different style on their new albums, "Countdown to Extinction" was toned down from their earlier albums.

Into to the year 2000 thrash metal has become very low in popularity. Gama Bomb, Municipal Waste and Evile are some bands that are still pumping out the thrash metal. With new bands coming out in trash metal, Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth still lead the way. Thrash metal will always be a recognizable metal genre because of what it changed in music. The fast riffs, solos and techniques used in thrash metal are being used today in all metal genres.

Additional Reference
Metal Music News
Nu Metal Music Genre
What is Nu Metal?