1. Megalomania 2. Desert Storm 3. Is It A Human 4. Depression 5. Masquerade 6. Delusion

In a blind test it would be very hard to guess that Panacea were hailing from Germany, as the sound of this band must be as close to typical American thrash metal of the late eighties and early nineties as reasonably possible. Is It A Human? is a full-featured package of some very crunchy thrash metal, a mixture of both high-speed and stomping variety, and production-wise there is little left to wish for. It just plays almost exactly in the way you would expect to hear, and with some more original and memorable songs this album could have been a direct rival to its counterparts from the other continent. In its current form Panacea's sound is rather neat but not much of it truly stands out. Whether or not this lack of inventive touches should be considered a serious drawback, at least formally Is It A Human? is about as good as it can be without really catching fire and letting it loose.

1. Seeds Of Hate 2. Satan Shall Return 3. God's Death 4. Empire Of Violence 5. Rotten Church 6. Mutilator Of Bodies 7. Megaforce 8. F.O.D.

You can be sure that a band had a strong impact in the local scene when newer groups faithfully repeat the same style. This was obviously the situation with Vulcano in Brazil, as Panic's Rotten Church follows the musical approach of their predecessors to the letter. The album is equally raw and forceful in such way that it could be a part of Vulcano's discography with very little difference. Maybe Panic sound slightly more frantic and better produced (probably due to their more famous countrymen's generally bad production values than any actual technical edge on this album), but essentially there is very much common in these bands' efforts. This is not a complaint, though, since Rotten Church is not too bad for such a genre-savvy effort. It definitely sounds familiar and all, but if you're into the style then this album is probably just as good as anything.

1. Best Before End 2. Hannibal The Cannibal 3. Twilight In Samarra 4. No York, No York 5. Fuck & Die 6. Only The Strong Survive 7. Equal People 8. Time To Die 9. Noise Kills 10. Shoobydahbydoobah

With their second release Panic seemingly managed to drop the most blatant Vulcano influences from their sound. Best Before End couldn't still be awarded high points for originality, as the album represents even more typical and basic thrash metal than Rotten Church. Only this time it is more difficult to point out any direct references. Most of the time the music plays in a non-distracting way, and as far as presentation goes, Panic sound almost as good as anyone in the same level. At their best the band combine elementary pounding riffage with roaring vocals into a fair thrash metal onslaught, far from memorable but still very adequate. With nothing that would particularly annoy you, Best Before End is just a safe bet with no surprises of any kind.

1. Opening Theme 2. Paradox 3. Death, Screaming And Pain 4. Product Of Imagination 5. Continuation Of Invasion 6. Mystery 7. Kill That Beast 8. Pray To The Godz Of Wrath 9. Beyond Space 10. Wotan II

Paradox were a good example of some more polished German speed/thrash metal. Their debut Product Of Imagination is a bit rough around the edges, though. While the album contains a lot of stylish touches, it sounds somewhat unorganized and incoherent and the music feels like it's lacking some clear direction. Certainly the band are quite listenable and all, but their output on this album is undeniably missing some edge. Although the general tempo is pretty fast, most songs here sound rather restrained and lack some intensity as well, especially in vocals. Some of the more mellow overtones can actually get quite irritating after a while. Maybe the band had not yet refined their style to the maximum - now many tracks sound rather pointless and fail to really impress. Paradox had a fair start and all, but based on this album only there wouldn't be much to write about this band.

1. Heresy 2. Search For Perfection 3. Killtime 4. Crusaders Revenge 5. The Burning 6. Massacre Of The Cathars 7. Serenity 8. 700 Years On 9. Castle In The Wind

With their second album Paradox created a true magnum opus. Heresy is an ambitious concept album with a theme of historical crusades. Compared to the band's debut, the songwriting has improved considerably and the songs have a remarkably consistent feel to them. The more polished elements are now incorporated much more smoothly in the high-speed tracks and the result is highly stylish yet reasonably intense. The opening title track is probably the most massive piece on this album and plays like a strong, cool wind, whereas Crusaders Revenge is an example of more straightforward but effective fast tracks. It is true that not all of the material is equally memorable and some of this album tends to leave the listener a bit cold in the long run, but at its best Heresy provides some of the more ambitious and stylish music ever created in the genre.

1. Decade Of Sorrow 2. Collision Course 3. Rearrange The Past 4. Path Of Denial 5. Saviour 6. Blamed For Nothing 7. Prostitution Of Society 8. Shattered Illusions 9. Sadness 10. Overshadowed 11. Dynamite

Having been away from the scene for a long while, Paradox immediately got back to the right direction with their comeback album. Collision Course appears like a direct sequel to Heresy, as if the break of eleven years between these two albums never took place - that's how accurately the new release implements the band's traditional style of speed/thrash metal with strong melodic touches. You may notice something of a regular formula put into effect, as every second track is a fast thrasher like never before and the rest is more of a mid-tempo kind. Despite the long years of absence the new Paradox play like in the old days, and one could only imagine that this is something Metallica might sound like today if the whole embarrasment of the nineties had not happened to them. With a massive length of almost one hour, Collision Course is a proof that Paradox still have something fresh to offer.

1. Intifadah 2. Special Operations Executive 3. Powers Of Old 4. Inhuman(e) 5. Arctic Sleep

For friends of technical thrash metal, the debut release of Paralysis must be a nice find. Although the band's music is not completely of unheard quality, Arctic Sleep has a flavor of its own. The riffs are often tricky in a way that tends to resemble Target or even Mekong Delta, and the vocals range between medium and high at ease, far from the most distracting style. What Paralysis may lack in comparison to some of their counterparts is more emphasis on actual memorable hooks, but their fast-paced riffwork still has its good points. As the songs flow smoothly in quite a uniform manner, this album should sound very coherent and even stylish to average ears. Even though Arctic Sleep could use some more substance, one can compare it to a brief cool breeze after a long presence of stale air.

1. Intro 2. Narcotic Religion 3. Non-Existant 4. Terminal Agony 5. The World & I Obey 6. Critical Condition 7. As The Walls Close

Pendemia's Narcotic Religion can be categorized as one of the long-lost cult albums of its time, deservedly or not. Musically this is not the hottest platter around, and the sound quality on the whole is only moderate at best, with rather cheap sounding, buzzing guitars. Quite often this band manage to appear like a poor man's Vio-lence, in particular due to the whiney vocals that have a notable resemblance to Sean Killian's unmistakable style. However, the original remains vastly superior in all aspects, and despite being fairly rough around the corners Pendemia's music lacks a definitive edge. Certainly this album is something of a collector's item, but it should be noted that after the initial spin on the turntable it may eventually end up gathering dust in the shelf.

1. Get Out 2. Hate 3. Eros Abused 4. Happy Beer's Day 5. Through The Screen 6. All Bitches 7. Suicidal Army 8. One Night 9. P.E.N.E.T.R.A.T.O.R. 10. Birds

On the surface, Penetrator's Beyond Your World might initially seem a bit funky, but there are no real hints of anything unusual in the music. That is, until you are introduced to the playful female vocals that almost sound like an antithesis of common thrash metal antics. With occasional moments of amusing cooing, laughs, and generally an off-kilter approach, the vocal delivery is easily the most striking aspect of this recording - at least it certainly gives the band's style an original touch. For other than that, there is virtually nothing worth a special mention on this album. It is adequately produced and the riffs are satisfactory, but the lack of distinction and real notable hooks keeps the result down to the nominal level. Only the singing is something bound to catch your attention for real and without a doubt.

1. Intro (Wreck) 2. Rotten Dogs 3. Mephistopheles 4. Metal Not Dead 5. Astharoth 6. Bloody Guillotine 7. Powerstage 8. Dimensions Of Death 9. Pentagram 10. Deceptive Bells 11. Los Magandos

There is not exactly an abundance of Turkish thrash metal albums out there, therefore Pentagram's debut release deserves a hail for its origins alone. Not only that, but the music is not too bad at all. With a sharp and crisp sound especially for guitars, plus a laudably fast performance, this album is simply a likeable example of its genre. While most of these songs may appear somewhat unexceptional in the long run, there is an undeniable enthusiastic, even fresh feel to them. In this case, the lack of truly memorable pieces does not actually hamper the result in a critical way as it still sounds better than many other more original releases actually do. While Pentagram admittedly could have done better in the songwriting department, the finished product carries some nice appeal of its own.

1. The Story 2. Stop War (Under W.E.) 3. Domination 4. Perpetual Sacrifice 5. Fatality Night 6. Walking To Destroy 7. More Than Animal 8. This Is The World 9. Walk Strong 10. Get A Life

At the first sight Perpetual's offering can certainly raise curiosity, as this must be one of the less known releases in the vast and saturated field of thrash metal. One needs to be careful not to expect anything special, though - as it turns out, Everything Will End is quite an ordinary product, no matter how you look at it. It must be said that there is some substantial quality in the band's heavy and stomping sound, but their music does not always flow in the best possible way and some of these songs can get rather tedious. Again, this album is not really bad but it would have appeared unexceptional already in the late eighties, even more so when released at this late point of time in the genre. Although Perpetual's output is technically fine and all, it can leave an average listener pretty indifferent in the long run.

1. Malleus Maleficarum / Antropomorphia 2. Parricide 3. Subordinate To The Domination 4. Extreme Unction 5. Commandments 6. Chemo Therapy 7. Bacterial Surgery 8. Cycle Of Existence 9. Osculum Infame 10. Systematic Instruction

Although Pestilence were probably better known for their contributions to death metal, Malleus Maleficarum alone makes them one of the most important thrash metal exports from Netherlands as well. The band's debut release is full of impetuous thrash metal with a way more grim sound than on average. While not nearly as extreme as his later style, it's Martin Van Drunen's harsh voice piercing through the guitar wall that adds to the distinctive feel of this album by a notable factor. While the constantly fast and heavy performance creates an effect that is almost comparable to being crushed by a freight train, the album as a whole is somewhat one-dimensional at times, with many songs appearing to follow the same patterns. Then again, this is one of the rare occasions where the music can be called both brutal and stylish at the same time, with no slightest signs of ridicule. As one of the more consistent albums of the time, Malleus Maleficarum maintains notable quality throughout.

1. Do You Think 2. The Seeds We Plant 3. Towards The Pearly Gates 4. I Will Devour 5. The Judas Touch 6. A Winterday's Thought 7. Lethal Toy 8. Closed Eyes 9. On The Beach

Apparently deriving their inspiration from more complex grounds, Phalanx managed to produce an album with a fairly professional style. The Judas Touch is a varied piece of German speed/thrash metal with a tendency to experiment with tempo changes and technical song structures. The first half of this album appears stronger than the second, mainly due to the better focused approach on the first few tracks. Despite some complex touches, the tracks flow rather effortlessly but with enough power to satisfy most requirements for heaviness and speed. While the quality of this album varies from track to track and the result could have used a bit more energy at times, Phalanx could have also done a lot worse than this.

1. Stones Are Cold 2. The Fool Lead The Blind 3. Your Obligation 4. Life In Pain 5. People With Power 6. Complete Deafness 7. I Hate You More.. 8. Someones Elses Words 9. Master Of Disaster 10. Brainkilled 11. Undress Your Soul

Except for their weird name, Physical Attraction did not fail to deliver some typical thrash metal antics. The Fool Lead The Blind sounds more refreshing than your usual offering at first, especially the opener Stones Are Cold is a snappy presentation with a slight punkish feel, whereas the title track is an awesome heavy stomper with occasional speed bursts. After that, however, most tracks tend to sound the same though maybe not quite as monotonous as to completely shake off the initial positive impression. In some ways Physical Attraction's style has a slight resemblance to bands like Cerebral Fix - although they do not really sound too much alike, there's something similar in the band's attitude. At least The Fool Lead The Blind can boast a few genuinely catchy moments of its own, which is not a common treat indeed.

1. Intro 2. Unholy Lie 3. Worlds Grave 4. Burn 5. Human Fear

Piranha's mini album may be one of the more sought-after items from the old scene, therefore it is a pleasant find that the contained music bears at least some value on its own. The tracks on Worlds Grave mostly employ an almost constant high tempo, and combined with a rough low vocal tone the band's sound would be close to monotonous if it weren't for a few short cinematic intros and passages that nicely add to the antique feel of this album. While the whole thing is certainly not of unheard quality, even less capable of providing any notable long-time appeal, Piranha deserve some merit for trying to make their music stand out by adding some small distinctive touches. This kind of scheme might not be enough to support a full-length album, but on Worlds Grave it works out to a fair degree.

1. Toxic Choke 2. Day Of Darkness 3. In The Pit 4. Cannibal Attack 5. Mark Of The Eagle 6. Holding Cells 7. Mentally Insane

It would be nice to be able to say something positive about Toxic Choke - after all, it is evident that Pitiful Reign put some real effort into their first full-length release. Unfortunately, the total lack of thrills does not give much chance for that. This recording completely manages to avoid any genuine tricks, falling into the category where it doesn't really matter which album is playing in the background as long as it sounds like thrash metal - a situation where it is actually only better if the music is not distinctive in any way, like it happens here. Some parts of Toxic Choke just kind of plod along, and while the band at least try to speed up every now and then, it always ends up sounding average and dull. This is an item for those individuals who wish to have a complete collection of all thrash metal albums ever released, most others might prefer to pass on it.

1. Visual Violence 2. Human Coleslaw 3. D.I.V.E. 4. Fatality 5. Malevolence Of The Butcher 6. Rapid Deployment 7. Pushed To Prime 8. Thrash, Boobs And Zombies

A good thing about a total bore of an album is that usually you can only improve from there, and fortunately Pitiful Reign didn't disappoint in that aspect. The band's sophomore effort Visual Violence is radically less tiresome and more dynamic than Toxic Choke, and while it would be an exaggeration to call this release an extraordinary piece of thrash metal, it is really pretty enjoyable. The music is much better produced, having something of a fresh tint, and with some particularly cool songs like the title track and Fatality you are far more likely to consider listening to this album also outside a mere background setting. With a more consistent and even sleek style this time, the impression is simply convincing enough. Take it as a sign of natural development or just a welcome correction for a previously dull direction, but Visual Violence is quite a fine album.

1. Even A Sailor Can Go Wrong 2. I Recall Evil 3. Conscience 4. Lights 5. The Other Shore 6. Strubesnittersangen 7. The 5 Minute Adventure 8. Introseduction 9. Poottah

One can only wonder what kind of thrash metal band would choose Pixie Killers as their name. Then again, this can serve as a hint of One Size Fits All being slightly more varied than the most standard products in the scene. The sound is fairly heavy and convincing, the vocals are more versatile than the norm, and there are occasional signs of thinking outside the box. Unfortunately many songs (and the album as a whole) are a bit too long as far as their average strength is considered, and the repeated pounding can sometimes become awfully dull. Many of these tracks could have turned out better if their length had been trimmed down by a couple of minutes or so. The most memorable detail here must be some particularly twisted humor in the lyrics of songs like Even A Sailor Can Go Wrong and Poottah. Although there are some promising ideas on One Size Fits All, it seems that this album could have used more work to improve the experience.

1. Intro - Hellfire At The Airbase 2. Euthanasia 3. Beyond The Walls Of Sleep 4. I Am The Grass 5. Traitor

On one of the better days it can happen that you get to spot a little known but surprisingly nice album like Poison Asp's Beyond The Walls Of Sleep. This short recording is all about heavy speed/thrash metal done mostly in the right way. While not really innovative, the music is more than sufficiently energetic and it is evident that the band were not afraid to break a sweat. On a couple of occasions you can sense a certain Megadeth-like tint and not only due to the vocals, but this is by no means a dominating factor in the band's sound. Although Beyond The Walls Of Sleep is not to be mistaken for true classics, there is some persistent kind of sleeper hit quality to it that becomes obvious already after a couple of listens.

1. Gate Of Madness 2. Black River 3. Modern Warfare 4. Devil's Henchman 5. Massive Overload 6. Absolute Pollution 7. Ruined Planet 8. Manic Depression 9. Elimination By Radiation 10. Deceiver 11. Open The Void

Pollution's debut album is as unsurprising as it gets. Modern Warfare is firmly middle-of-the-road thrash metal in all aspects - the speed is adequate, most riffs are satisfactory in a functional sense, and the lyrics deal with some of the most typical topics in the genre. After all this, it should not come without warning that the result is nearly indistinguishable from a load of other albums of the same kind. It is not even necessary to give any special mention to the very appropriate production as pretty much every band can have the same nowadays. The presentation is fairly good and all, and there are no distracting features that would actually hamper the listening experience. It's just that the outcome does not stand out in any notable way.

1. Three Hills 2. Depression 3. Inner Space 4. Writing On The Wall 5. Wheels Of Sansara 6. You've Learned Your Lesson 7. Prophet 8. Ziita 9. Shooting Star 10. Strutter (bonus)

Coming from Switzerland, Poltergeist would later wander into some more mellow directions in their music, however, the band's debut remains a rather thrashy effort. Depression is a fast and fairly heavy album of unsurprising speed/thrash metal. Somehow the music feels a bit restrained as if the band clearly could have put more energy into it. The result is not terribly bad though undeniably very generic and hardly memorable. Incidentally, vocalist Andre also sang on Destruction's Cracked Brain which, despite its somewhat ordinary nature, sounds more distinctive than this album. Even with no particular faults in the music, Poltergeist's delivery on Depression is really nothing that wouldn't have been heard countless times before and after this album.

1. We Are The People 2. Behind My Mask 3. Act Of Violence 4. Grey 5. Delusion 6. Drilled To Kill 7. Make Your Choice 8. Chato's Land 9. Still Alive 10. Driftin' Away

Poltergeist's second album Behind My Mask starts off with some adequate intensity and speed, very similar to its predecessor, but it soon introduces more diverse elements in the band's sound. Unarguably the output is more varied than on the band's debut, but whereas Depression at least maintained some decent speed throughout the album despite its occasional dullness, this second effort gets just too sluggish at times. It doesn't help the result that even with some stylistic development the music has not essentially improved over the debut album, actually almost the opposite. On this album Poltergeist still sound as unconvincing and forced as ever, and even though the tracks flow seemingly easily, listening to this thing is far from a pleasant task. One album of this kind from Poltergeist is already more than enough.

1. The Exorcist 2. Pentagram 3. Burning In Hell 4. Evil Warriors 5. Seven Churches 6. Satan's Curse 7. Holy Hell 8. Twisted Minds 9. Fallen Angel 10. Death Metal

With their debut Possessed essentially created the base for the most extreme subgenre in metal, death metal. Even when compared to releases from Exodus and Slayer in the same year, Seven Churches is brutal and extreme beyond belief. The album features the heaviest thrash metal combined with proto-death metal vocals and a production so raw that I'm sure this album just doesn't appeal to everybody. While the massive wall of sound is a little short on finer details, there is some interesting guitar work throughout the album and the pummeling riffs demonstrate some of the great power the band had. Although I'm not exactly won over by Possessed's early style, Seven Churches is an essential release already due to its influential status in the old scene.

1. Intro 2. The Heretic 3. Tribulation 4. March To Die 5. Phantasm 6. No Will To Live 7. Beyond The Gates 8. The Beasts Of The Apocalypse 9. Seance 10. Restless Dead 11. Dog Fight

While Possessed's debut could be considered a prototype of death metal, the follow-up album Beyond The Gates is a lot more complicated than that and ultimately makes a fine example of enthusiastic thrash metal with sinister overtones. The classy intro to Heretic gives way to a splendid amount of relentless guitar attacks, and the only bigger drawback must be a certain monotone feel of the vocals. However, the great energy and strong guitars in particular make the music rather enjoyable after all. While the songs mostly follow the same themes as on Seven Churches, you cannot fail to notice the band's development towards more ambitious grounds. From today's perspective the dark atmosphere of Possessed's music on this album easily matches and surpasses many other slicker productions of the time.

1. Confessions 2. My Belief 3. The Eyes Of Horror 4. Swing Of The Axe 5. Storm In My Mind

Possessed's final mini album The Eyes Of Horror is basically a dose of no-nonsense thrash metal with slightly death-ish vocals. The production is notably better than before, sufficiently clear and heavy in the right way. Like earlier, while the riffs are not exactly too complex, most of them are fairly inventive and quite memorable. Basically the style of these tracks is a bit more straightforward than on Beyond The Gates but still not as raw as on Seven Churches. Maybe The Eyes Of Horror lacks a few highlights of its predecessors, but on the other hand the quality of music is more consistent and technically this release is the best the band put out. Although there is some special nostalgic feel to Possessed's style, it also has some permanent merits that should be enough to convince you of the importance of these albums in the genre.

1. Terminator 2. Hunter Seeker 3. Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment 4. Blind Leading The Blind

Powermad's approach to speed/thrash metal was more refined than on average, their style carrying some close resemblance to Intruder with medium to relatively high-pitched vocals. The band's mini album The Madness Begins is well produced and performed, but it does not really contain anything that could be called too exciting or interesting. While the songs are of rather easy listening kind, there are no real memorable riffs or catchy hooks to speak of. Although Powermad could crack up the speed in a fairly satisfying manner, somehow the whole presentation seems only superficial at best. The last track Blind Leading The Blind is closer to the more effective and streamlined style of the follow-up release Absolute Power, but on the whole this album is a bit too bland. With three original songs and one Ramones cover, The Madness Begins was basically just a teaser of the things to come.

1. Slaughterhouse 2. Absolute Power 3. Nice Dreams 4. Return From Fear 5. Test The Steel (Powermad) 6. Plastic Town 7. B.N.R. 8. Failsafe 9. Brainstorms 10. Final Frontier

Powermad's full-length release Absolute Power is something of a mixture of straightforward thrashing and some more varied elements. The production is very professional and makes the band sound great, helping to cover some lack of originality in songwriting. Personally I like the vocals that have a lot more variety and power than in your average band. Without any doubt Powermad were at their best with fast thrashers like the title track and Test The Steel (Powermad). But although most tracks are pretty decent, the blatant hard rock piece Nice Dreams is quite terrible to say the least. Surely it's extremely catchy and all, but based on this one track only you'd have a hard time believing that the band could actually play fast and heavy, too. Nevertheless, despite a few shortcomings Absolute Power builds up enough momentum to make a fair mark in the scene history.

1. It's Over 2. Force Of My Hate 3. Dead By Drugs 4. Attack Against Gnomes 5. Rotten Angel 6. Gods 7. Punishment 8. Brain Outburst 9. Rabb-it 10. Angels Cry 11. This World

Although Prestige didn't play the biggest role in the Finnish metal scene, they were fairly productive and remained faithful to their original style with three full-length albums of pure thrash metal. The band's debut album Attack Against Gnomes is musically not too interesting, with some rather generic riffs and not much originality to speak of. Although the production is almost decent, some other aspects make the band sound quite amateurish when compared to many others in the scene. The vocals in particular could have used some more work. Like said, the music on this album is not that impressive and doesn't hold your attention too long. Except for the amusing cover art, Attack Against Gnomes falls into the group of rather forgettable releases.

1. Species To Pieces 2. Maggots 3. Help The Science 4. I Don't Wanna Play With Teddy 5. Selling The Salvation 6. Prestige 7. Bed Time Story 8. Miserable Life 9. Sexual Education 10. Naughty Granny 11. Violence (Makes No Sense)

Prestige's second album Selling The Salvation is more of the same rough thrash metal in the vein of the band's debut, with little originality except for some particularly humorous lyrics. Despite the production being very decent, the band have an awfully homespun sound, which is partially due to the unrefined vocal delivery. This is not overly annoying, but the difference to many other bands is easy to hear. Musically this is far from groundbreaking, pretty generic and uninspiring. The tracks are rather energetic though somewhat hindered by the mentioned shortcomings in the output. All this makes Selling The Salvation just a typical minor thrash metal album, more interesting for its status as a collector's item than the actual music.

1. Parasites In Paradise 2. Will This Ever End? 3. Crack Children 4. Sniff 5. Barbarella 6. Offender 7. That Makes Me Sick 8. Too Greedy 9. From The Cradle To The Grave 10. Hop 2, 3, 4 11. Break The Ice 12. Thursday The 12th 13. Lack Of Sanity 14. I Ain't The One

Prestige's last release Parasites In Paradise is even slightly faster and more intense than the previous albums, some of the most frantic tracks bordering on thrashcore. This is only a good thing as technicality never was a strong point for this band. With some clarity lost from the production and a general unpolished feel, the sound of this album is not very professional. While the music is a little more convincing than on Selling The Salvation, it doesn't catch much of your attention as the riffs are still fairly undistinctive and forgettable. Again, the best points of this album are the lyrics in songs like Barbarella and Thursday The 12th that are rather funny in a specific dumb way. Musically it's nothing to lose sleep over, and in the end Parasites In Paradise is just slightly above the level of the band's older releases.

1. State Of The State 2. War And Sin 3. Last Breath 4. Scream Till You Bleed 5. Kill The Light 6. Poisoned 7. Ignorance Is No Excuse 8. Megaton 9. Mr. McCreedy 10. Shot On Sight

While not exactly a ground-breaking recording by any means, Primal Scream's Volume One is not the most typical album in its genre. Featuring a specific variation of rolling speed/thrash metal, this release is not too catchy or anything, but there is a certain street-credible feel to this thing that puts it slightly ahead of many more generic albums. With a natural rich and "live" production quality, Primal Scream's outburst of music is free of technical shortcomings which helps the listener receive it in the way as originally intended. Although these songs will hardly leave a mark in the hall of classic tunes, the band's performance deserves an honorable mention. In all its simplicity, Volume One is decent enough to leave a fairly good taste in your mouth.

1. More Dirty Than Any Trash 2. Licking To Mary 3. Thrashic Violence 4. Alcoholic Dementia 5. Tune Of The Maniac 6. Profanator 7. Libido Clerico 8. 666 Days To Follow 9. Praise The Vice

If Mexican thrash metal was to reach worldwide recognition some day, Profanator would make a fine representative in the front row. While Libido Clerico can be hardly compared to any old classics in the field, it is head and shoulders above many of its contemporaries, boasting a warm and throbbing sound texture that gives an emphasis to the band's energetic and devoted performance. Despite their seemingly ordinary elements, tracks like Tune Of The Maniac and 666 Days To Follow are such forcible thrashers that they should raise the bar for any band who still intend to survive the competition. If there was one flaw in this album, it could be the lyrical content which is focused on sex, drugs and thrashing with no deeper message whatsoever, but at least the theme is consistent and the band fully stick to it. With Libido Clerico you don't need to worry about having just one or two standout tracks, as the whole album shares the same kind of solid quality.

1. Overture 2. When Insanity Calls 3. Lying Prophets 4. Agony Within 5. Empty Life 6. Risen From Hell 7. Paradigmatic Reality 8. Evilution 9. Nameless 10. The Game (Is Violence) 11. Legacy Of Ashes

With their roots reaching twenty years back in time, Prophecy cannot be put into the category of latecomers in the scene even though their first official release has certainly been very long in the making. Only based on its sound alone, Legions Of Violence fits into the genre without the slightest problems. All things considered, comparisons to Testament's original style would not be too far off. Alternating almost equally between fast thrashing and slower stomping moments, the overall tone is consistent and classy but occasionally also sort of tedious, not least due to some dry feel in general. While the outcome sounds fully professional, it does not necessarily carry the same kind of youthful energy as some of the most vigorous releases in the scene still do. If you take this restriction into account then Prophecy's offering can be quite sufficient.

1. Dreams Illusions Hallucinations 2. Like A May Morning 3. Me And My 4. A Rather Charming Day In A Jolly Brutal World 5. ...And The Mood Was Quite Cheerful 6. Teenage Pizzaface 7. Greetings From The Sandman

Nothing short of a cult release, Protected Illusion's Sandman's Store is easily more powerful than most albums out there. Already the intro of the first song is somewhat unordinary, but you are guaranteed to be fully awaken at the latest when the vocals kick in. Whatever you think of the vocal style, this must be some of the most dedicated howling ever recorded in the old times. When the rest of the band is not exactly holding back either, the outcome is fierce enough to blow the cobwebs away for good, not to mention a casual twist of humor that one can observe. In comparison to the norm, the sound quality is quite raw and hollow, but that sort of adds to the violent energy that this recording contains. There are way too many thrash metal albums that practically make no impression of any kind, but you can be certain that Sandman's Store is not one of those.

1. Intro 2. Misanthropy 3. Holy Inquisition 4. Agoraphobia 5. The Mercenary 6. Kain And Abel 7. Holocaust

Protector must have been one of the heaviest German thrash metal bands in their early days, with a certain death-ish tip audible in the music. Misanthropy is a totally shattering experience, the first couple of tracks attacking the listener with such intensity that you'll have a hard time trying to recover afterwards. Although the style starts to slightly repeat itself near the end, the short length of this mini album just ensures that there are no filler tracks, resulting in a truly fierce pack of thrash metal. Though most tracks on this album are by no means exceptionally well-done or even original, it is simply one of those releases where everything clicks. The great energy involved is not the least of the factors contributing to the convincing outcome. Misanthropy still remains one of Protector's strongest releases to date.

1. Delirium Tremens 2. Apocalyptic Revelations 3. Golem 4. Germanophobe 5. Protector Of Death 6. Operation Plaga Extrema 7. Megalomania 8. Only The Strong Survive 9. Omnipresent Aggression 10. Space Cake (bonus)

Protector's first full-length release Golem continued in the vein of Misanthropy, being a collection of the heaviest thrash metal with some genuine fast riffs and low growling vocals that often border on death metal. This album has the most frantic opening track Delirium Tremens which pretty much crushes the listener right at the start. There are some mid-tempo tracks later on, too, but the band were clearly most effective when putting out fast thrashers like the mentioned opener or Megalomania, for example. Not all songs are that memorable, but the album on the whole has some definite style. (The CD bonus track Space Cake is incredibly silly, though.) Overall, Golem is a fairly good thrash metal album though not quite as uncompromising and energetic as Misanthropy.

1. Capitascism 2. Sliced, Hacked And Grinded 3. Nothing Has Changed 4. The Most Repugnant Antagonist Of Life 5. Quasimodo 6. Urm The Mad 7. Decadence 8. Atrocities 9. Molotov Cocktail

Protector's third release showed their increased leanings towards death metal. Though there are still many thrashing moments here, Urm The Mad is slower and more plodding than the fairly energetic Golem. This combined with a rougher production and deep growling vocals gives the album an absolutely depressive and hopeless feel. A few faster tracks sound seriously formulaic in comparison to previous releases whereas many of the slower pieces are a bit too tedious to work well. Occasionally, like on the extremely dark and grim Nothing Has Changed (probably one of the most depressing songs ever written), the harsh style sort of works although these moments are rare indeed. While Golem still had some genuinely fresh energy and attitude present, Urm The Mad is nowhere near the same level.

1. Intro 2. Humanized Leviathan 3. Subordinate 4. Mortal Passion 5. Kain And Abel

With Leviathan's Desire Protector went back to the style of high-speed extreme thrash metal. While just a mini album, this release admittedly packs a notable amount of energy into its short length. After the plodding Urm The Mad these songs simply sound a lot more vivid, with vocals at least as gruff as previously if not even more - a direction that you must either love or hate. Remaining similarities to the band's old recordings are mirrored by the revised version of Kain And Abel which seamlessly fits the mood of the completely new tracks. On the downside, all these songs sound very samey and not too memorable, which doesn't make it too tempting to play this one very often. Although by no means a significant release on its own, at least Leviathan's Desire was a proof of Protector's ability to continue creating forceful music in one form or another.

1. Intro 2. Mortuary Nightmare 3. A Shedding Of Skin 4. Face Fear 5. Retribution In Darkness 6. Doomed To Failure 7. Thy Will Be Done 8. Whom Gods Will Destroy 9. Necropolis 10. Tantalus 11. Death Comes Soon 12. Unleased Terror 13. Toward Destruction

A Shedding Of Skin was another dose of Protector's lethal thrash metal, now getting more refined and punctual step by step. Most of these tracks ravage onwards at extreme speed while featuring enough of small hooks and twists to keep you interested. The ripping Mortuary Nightmare lays down the rules for the whole album, and although it is true that many tracks tend to sound similar to each other, it's the consistent feel of quality that adds to the final impression in a positive way. Except for a couple of more plodding pieces, there are no excessive tedious moments that would seriously hinder the result. While A Shedding Of Skin is hardly novel with its carefully selected mixture of thrash and death metal influences, few other bands could carry out this kind of approach better than Protector.

1. Twist Of Faith 2. Lifeforce 3. Cold Is This God 4. Thoughts Of Winter 5. Remain Blind 6. Cycled Souls

As an early pre-incarnation of Prototype, a more progressive group to come, Psychosis still followed closely in the vein of the established thrash metal movement on the US west coast. Based on Lifeforce, the band's sound was very professional though even dry at times, and while the riffs are not exactly the most distinctive around, this mini album sports a high level of consistency. While the style is refined enough to avoid direct comparisons, it is safe to say that the music of Psychosis bears a close resemblance to Metallica and the like. The biggest drawback must be due to some lack of striking characteristics, as most tracks here do not stand out as much as one might prefer (for a better example, Cold Is This God is an excellent piece, though). On the other hand, this also ensures that Lifeforce takes a lot of listening before you grow too familiar with it.

1. Top Gun 2. Democratic Terror 3. Delirium Tremens (Tremendous) 4. Challenge Cup 5. Rigor Mortis 6. Welcome To Crablouse City 7. Dreamworld (Goodbye, Mary Ann) 8. Loser 9. Don't Get Infected

At the first listening Pyracanda's debut doesn't sound too interesting. Even though Two Sides Of A Coin starts to appear a bit better when given more time, it is still not among the better German thrash metal releases. Pyracanda's sound is something like a rougher version of Despair's style with many small variations here and there and generally some good elements that just never seem to be able to evolve into whole impressive songs. Now the band are somewhat left behind by their generic, occasionally even dull sound. Of the individual tracks Top Gun has some potential and a couple of others are semi-interesting, but even these exceptions do not save Two Sides Of A Coin on the whole from sounding only average at best.

1. At The Abyss 2. The Dragon's Cult 3. Shut Up 4. Two Sides Of A Coin 5. Soulstrip 6. 18 Degrees 7. Montezumas Revenge 8. Bad Conscience 9. Senile Decay 10. Thorns

After their undistinctive but at least fair debut, Pyracanda might have done better continuing in the same vein and trying to tighten their act. Instead, the band's style became less intense and more dull on their second album. Thorns is somewhat more refined than Two Sides Of A Coin, which shows not only in some more mature sound but also a notable lack of energy in many places. While the band's debut album was at least fairly consistent thrash metal, this follow-up sounds rather tired and even more generic. With too many plodding tracks around, including the experimental lightsome Soulstrip, this album is unfortunately too similar in style to the lesser works of Despair and Poltergeist in particular. Thorns is simply not something one would enjoy listening to on a regular basis.