 | Blog author: Alex Stojanovic Hello folks! So, it's been a minute since we did a list of some sorts. However, this list is a little bit different compared to the individual lists that we normally do. Myself and a few of our new contributors decided to have some fun, and make our own Top 10 lists of our favourite thrash albums of the 2010s, and then debate over our picks to create the ultimate Top 10 list of the best thrash albums of the 2010s. |
Given that we are all huge thrash fans, this one really picked our brains, simply because the 2010s produced an abundance of incredible thrash albums. When it came time for the debate, part of it was easy, because we found that we mostly picked the same albums by certain bands. Of course, there were some albums that were only voted for once, which made for an interesting point in the debate. You can see our individual lists below after reading the ultimate list we compiled. We hope you enjoy reading our ultimate Top 10 Thrash Albums Of The 2010s list.
LIST COMPILED BY:
Alex Stojanovic / Derek Solomos / Alex Irwin / Thomas Oake / David Catanus
Alex Stojanovic / Derek Solomos / Alex Irwin / Thomas Oake / David Catanus
10. SODOM - Epitome Of Torture (2013)
In the 2010s, Sodom released three albums: In War & Pieces (2010), Epitome Of Torture (2013) and Decision Day (2016). Only two of us picked Sodom albums, but they both ended up being Epitome Of Torture, and we were all in agreement, as the album made all of our lists of favourite albums from 2013. To us, we feel that this album contains Tom Angelripper's finest vocal performance, and some of the best songs the band has written in a long time. Songs like "My Final Bullet", "Stigmatized", "Shoot Today, Kill Tomorrow", "S.O.D.O.M.", "Katjuschka" and "Tracing The Victim" are all standout tracks with their compelling riffs and thrashy hooks. Without a doubt, one of Sodom's best albums.
In the 2010s, Sodom released three albums: In War & Pieces (2010), Epitome Of Torture (2013) and Decision Day (2016). Only two of us picked Sodom albums, but they both ended up being Epitome Of Torture, and we were all in agreement, as the album made all of our lists of favourite albums from 2013. To us, we feel that this album contains Tom Angelripper's finest vocal performance, and some of the best songs the band has written in a long time. Songs like "My Final Bullet", "Stigmatized", "Shoot Today, Kill Tomorrow", "S.O.D.O.M.", "Katjuschka" and "Tracing The Victim" are all standout tracks with their compelling riffs and thrashy hooks. Without a doubt, one of Sodom's best albums.
09. DEATH ANGEL - Relentless Retribution (2010)
In 2009, things were looking rickety for Death Angel after losing Andy Galeon and Dennis Pepa, as well as trying to balance home life and the band, and they were on the brink of collapse. However, they regained their strength, welcomed Will Carroll and Damien Sisson into the band on drums and bass, and in 2010, they released one of their finest albums, and the first album of what would be their third overall rise to power: Relentless Retribution. All the albums they released up to this point with the current lineup have all been in the 2010s. For us, it was a tough battle between Relentless Retribution and The Dream Calls For Blood because they were both tied in our individual picks. They're both neck and neck in terms of quality, but we felt that Relentless edged Dream Calls by a hair due to the fact that it has a bit more variety, especially with tracks like "Claws In So Deep", "Truce", "Into The Arms Of Righteous Anger", "River Of Rapture", "Absence Of Light", "Opponents At Sides", "I Chose The Sky" and "Volcanic". It's no wonder why both the band and the fans hold this album in such high regard.
In 2009, things were looking rickety for Death Angel after losing Andy Galeon and Dennis Pepa, as well as trying to balance home life and the band, and they were on the brink of collapse. However, they regained their strength, welcomed Will Carroll and Damien Sisson into the band on drums and bass, and in 2010, they released one of their finest albums, and the first album of what would be their third overall rise to power: Relentless Retribution. All the albums they released up to this point with the current lineup have all been in the 2010s. For us, it was a tough battle between Relentless Retribution and The Dream Calls For Blood because they were both tied in our individual picks. They're both neck and neck in terms of quality, but we felt that Relentless edged Dream Calls by a hair due to the fact that it has a bit more variety, especially with tracks like "Claws In So Deep", "Truce", "Into The Arms Of Righteous Anger", "River Of Rapture", "Absence Of Light", "Opponents At Sides", "I Chose The Sky" and "Volcanic". It's no wonder why both the band and the fans hold this album in such high regard.
08. ANTHRAX - For All Kings (2016)
Since reuniting with Joey Belladonna in 2010 right before the Big Four shows, Anthrax has had a massive resurgence in popularity and relevance, with touring a lot more frequently, playing bigger venues, and releasing two of the finest albums of their careers: Worship Music (2011) and their latest For All Kings (2016), both of which proudly sit alongside Spreading The Disease, Among The Living and Persistence Of Time. When it came to our votes, four of the five of us picked Anthrax albums, and it was a tie between Worship and Kings with two votes each. However, once again, For All Kings edged Worship Music by a hair because we all agreed that it had a slightly better collection of songs, but it's another one of those scenarios where both albums are neck and neck in terms of quality.
Since reuniting with Joey Belladonna in 2010 right before the Big Four shows, Anthrax has had a massive resurgence in popularity and relevance, with touring a lot more frequently, playing bigger venues, and releasing two of the finest albums of their careers: Worship Music (2011) and their latest For All Kings (2016), both of which proudly sit alongside Spreading The Disease, Among The Living and Persistence Of Time. When it came to our votes, four of the five of us picked Anthrax albums, and it was a tie between Worship and Kings with two votes each. However, once again, For All Kings edged Worship Music by a hair because we all agreed that it had a slightly better collection of songs, but it's another one of those scenarios where both albums are neck and neck in terms of quality.
07. MEGADETH - Dystopia (2016)
After a very turbulent couple of years, with the release of the pretty lackluster album Super Collider in 2013, family tragedies in both Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson's personal lives with the losses of Ellefson's brother due to cancer and Mustaine's mother-in-law due to Alzheimer's, as well as losing Shawn Drover and Chris Broderick simultaneously at the end of 2014, all the anger and frustration from these events set Mustaine on fire once again. He knew that playtime was over, and it was time to get serious again. He brought in Kiko Loureiro into the band on guitar, as well as Chris Adler to record drums. The result is Dystopia, a phenomenal return to form that recaptures the energy they last had on Endgame. With tracks like "The Threat Is Real", the title track, "Fatal Illusion", "Death From Within", "Post American World" and "Poisonous Shadows", it's no wonder why this album was such a success, and it earned the band their first-ever Grammy win for the title track after 12 nominations. On the flip side though, this would unfortunately end up being the last album to feature David Ellefson after his recent dismissal due to his recent online controversy, which we won't get into, but we hope that he's okay, and he gets his life together again soon.
After a very turbulent couple of years, with the release of the pretty lackluster album Super Collider in 2013, family tragedies in both Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson's personal lives with the losses of Ellefson's brother due to cancer and Mustaine's mother-in-law due to Alzheimer's, as well as losing Shawn Drover and Chris Broderick simultaneously at the end of 2014, all the anger and frustration from these events set Mustaine on fire once again. He knew that playtime was over, and it was time to get serious again. He brought in Kiko Loureiro into the band on guitar, as well as Chris Adler to record drums. The result is Dystopia, a phenomenal return to form that recaptures the energy they last had on Endgame. With tracks like "The Threat Is Real", the title track, "Fatal Illusion", "Death From Within", "Post American World" and "Poisonous Shadows", it's no wonder why this album was such a success, and it earned the band their first-ever Grammy win for the title track after 12 nominations. On the flip side though, this would unfortunately end up being the last album to feature David Ellefson after his recent dismissal due to his recent online controversy, which we won't get into, but we hope that he's okay, and he gets his life together again soon.
06. EXODUS - Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010)
While Rob Dukes was in the band, Exodus released some of the heaviest material of their career. There's no denying that. Just listen to Shovel Headed Kill Machine (2005), The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A (2007) and Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010) for proof. The production, the riffs and the vocals all speak for themselves. Exhibit B was released at the start of the decade, and it would unfortunately be the last album to feature Rob Dukes before they reunited with Zetro in 2014. However, it is one of Exodus' finest and heaviest offerings in their discography, especially with tracks like "The Ballad Of Leonard & Charles", "Downfall", "Beyond The Pale", "Burn, Hollywood, Burn" and "Nanking". For me, it's my favourite of the two Exhibit albums, and my favourite of the Dukes era.
While Rob Dukes was in the band, Exodus released some of the heaviest material of their career. There's no denying that. Just listen to Shovel Headed Kill Machine (2005), The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A (2007) and Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010) for proof. The production, the riffs and the vocals all speak for themselves. Exhibit B was released at the start of the decade, and it would unfortunately be the last album to feature Rob Dukes before they reunited with Zetro in 2014. However, it is one of Exodus' finest and heaviest offerings in their discography, especially with tracks like "The Ballad Of Leonard & Charles", "Downfall", "Beyond The Pale", "Burn, Hollywood, Burn" and "Nanking". For me, it's my favourite of the two Exhibit albums, and my favourite of the Dukes era.
05. WARBRINGER - Woe To The Vanquished (2017)
Between 2013 and 2016, Warbringer went through a lot, with several lineup changes and stuff behind the scenes that nearly brought them to the brink of destruction. However, when they solidified their lineup, they recorded Woe To The Vanquished, which is undoubtedly one of their finest offerings, and their best since Worlds Torn Asunder. Many fans seem to agree, because it was one of the most talked-about metal albums of 2017, which was such a strong year for metal. To some degree, it can be considered a comeback album. Even though the band never broke up, when you consider everything they went through before this album, the "comeback album" tag seems appropriate. Songs like "Silhouettes", "Remain Violent", "Woe To The Vanquished" and "When The Guns Fell Silent", have already turned into Warbringer classics that can proudly sit alongside tracks like "Total War", "Severed Reality", "Living In A Whirlwind", "Living Weapon" and "Shattered Like Glass".
Between 2013 and 2016, Warbringer went through a lot, with several lineup changes and stuff behind the scenes that nearly brought them to the brink of destruction. However, when they solidified their lineup, they recorded Woe To The Vanquished, which is undoubtedly one of their finest offerings, and their best since Worlds Torn Asunder. Many fans seem to agree, because it was one of the most talked-about metal albums of 2017, which was such a strong year for metal. To some degree, it can be considered a comeback album. Even though the band never broke up, when you consider everything they went through before this album, the "comeback album" tag seems appropriate. Songs like "Silhouettes", "Remain Violent", "Woe To The Vanquished" and "When The Guns Fell Silent", have already turned into Warbringer classics that can proudly sit alongside tracks like "Total War", "Severed Reality", "Living In A Whirlwind", "Living Weapon" and "Shattered Like Glass".
04. OVERKILL - Ironbound (2010)
The first half of the 2010s seemed to be one of the strongest periods for Overkill. Starting the decade off with Ironbound, they then followed it up with The Electric Age in 2012, and White Devil Armory in 2014, and then came The Grinding Wheel in 2017, and they ended the decade with The Wings Of War in 2019. Between the five of us, I was the only one that didn't have an Overkill album on my list, but everyone else did, so it was a no-brainer to add it to the final list. Of the five albums Overkill released in the 2010s, we all agreed that Ironbound and The Electric Age are the two strongest of the bunch, but it turned out to be the only Overkill album picked. Rightfully so, especially with strong tracks like "The Green & Black", "Ironbound", "Bring Me The Night", "The Head & Heart" and "The SRC".
The first half of the 2010s seemed to be one of the strongest periods for Overkill. Starting the decade off with Ironbound, they then followed it up with The Electric Age in 2012, and White Devil Armory in 2014, and then came The Grinding Wheel in 2017, and they ended the decade with The Wings Of War in 2019. Between the five of us, I was the only one that didn't have an Overkill album on my list, but everyone else did, so it was a no-brainer to add it to the final list. Of the five albums Overkill released in the 2010s, we all agreed that Ironbound and The Electric Age are the two strongest of the bunch, but it turned out to be the only Overkill album picked. Rightfully so, especially with strong tracks like "The Green & Black", "Ironbound", "Bring Me The Night", "The Head & Heart" and "The SRC".
03. EVILE - Five Serpent's Teeth (2011)
The Infected Nations touring cycle for Evile was met with an extremely rough beginning, due to the fact that they just released that album, and all of a sudden, bassist Mike Alexander passed away. However, they toured all throughout 2010 in support of the album, but I can only imagine their feeling going into album #3 with new bassist Joel Graham. However, Five Serpent's Teeth proved to be an album of triumph after going through a period of uncertainty. This was another album that got 4 out of 5 votes. We all agreed that this is Evile's most diverse offering, with great thrashers such as "Five Serpent's Teeth", "In Dreams Of Terror", "Eternal Empire", "Origin Of Oblivion" and "Long Live New Flesh", and great groove-oriented numbers like "Cult", "Xaraya" and "Centurion". Of course, you can't forget the incredible ballad "In Memoriam". That track in particular means a lot to all of us, because we dedicate it to anyone in our lives that we lost. Definitely an underrated gem of the decade.
The Infected Nations touring cycle for Evile was met with an extremely rough beginning, due to the fact that they just released that album, and all of a sudden, bassist Mike Alexander passed away. However, they toured all throughout 2010 in support of the album, but I can only imagine their feeling going into album #3 with new bassist Joel Graham. However, Five Serpent's Teeth proved to be an album of triumph after going through a period of uncertainty. This was another album that got 4 out of 5 votes. We all agreed that this is Evile's most diverse offering, with great thrashers such as "Five Serpent's Teeth", "In Dreams Of Terror", "Eternal Empire", "Origin Of Oblivion" and "Long Live New Flesh", and great groove-oriented numbers like "Cult", "Xaraya" and "Centurion". Of course, you can't forget the incredible ballad "In Memoriam". That track in particular means a lot to all of us, because we dedicate it to anyone in our lives that we lost. Definitely an underrated gem of the decade.
02. KREATOR - Gods Of Violence (2017)
There's no way you can talk about the top thrash albums of the 2010s, and not mention the two albums released by Kreator. Those being Phantom Antichrist (2012) and Gods Of Violence (2017). Kreator was another one of the bands that all five of us voted on. Kreator seemed to reach a new level of quality with the these two albums. Over the course of the cycles for the two albums, Kreator's popularity, especially in Europe seemed to surge to greater heights. They began headlining even bigger venues, getting higher slots at festivals, and getting some of the best record sales of their career. When Phantom Antichrist came out, people were wondering how in the hell were they going to top it. However, they managed to come out with an album that both matched it for some, and topped it for the others. Gods Of Violence is some high-class thrash metal, and it will continue to be hailed by the hordes (pun intended) as one of Kreator's best. A no-brainer for the 2010s.
There's no way you can talk about the top thrash albums of the 2010s, and not mention the two albums released by Kreator. Those being Phantom Antichrist (2012) and Gods Of Violence (2017). Kreator was another one of the bands that all five of us voted on. Kreator seemed to reach a new level of quality with the these two albums. Over the course of the cycles for the two albums, Kreator's popularity, especially in Europe seemed to surge to greater heights. They began headlining even bigger venues, getting higher slots at festivals, and getting some of the best record sales of their career. When Phantom Antichrist came out, people were wondering how in the hell were they going to top it. However, they managed to come out with an album that both matched it for some, and topped it for the others. Gods Of Violence is some high-class thrash metal, and it will continue to be hailed by the hordes (pun intended) as one of Kreator's best. A no-brainer for the 2010s.
01. TESTAMENT - Dark Roots Of Earth (2012)
Choosing the album that would get the number one spot proved to be a real challenge for us, because there were several albums that got a lot of votes between all five of us. However, with no voices raised, heated arguments, name-calling, and careful dissecting, we all came to a full agreement that Testament's 2012 masterpiece Dark Roots Of Earth was the worthy contender of earning the crown as our pick for the best thrash album of the 2010s. Testament was another band that all of us voted on, but only one of us picked Brotherhood Of The Snake. When Testament came roaring back with The Formation Of Damnation in 2008, the album was so well received, it put them back on the map, and brought them a whole bunch of new success that they didn't experience since the 80s and early 90s. They got on some of the biggest tours of their career, and toured behind the album for four years straight. Then, when it came time for the follow-up, everybody was wondering how they were going to top that album. However, in 2012, they released Dark Roots Of Earth, which is a flawless collection of extremely well-crafted songs, full of variety, world-class songwriting and performances from everybody, and stellar production from the great Andy Sneap. It also furthered to the success they were experiencing from Formation, earning them the highest chart positions of their career, high record sales, more tours with the biggest bands in metal, and the music video for "Native Blood" winning the award for Best Music Video at the American Indian Film Festival. How incredible is that? With all that success, combined with the quality levels of the album, it's no wonder why we all shared the same feelings about this album, and we knew that the combination of all those elements was worthy of catapulting Dark Roots Of Earth to the top spot on our list of the Top 10 Thrash Albums Of The 2010s.
Choosing the album that would get the number one spot proved to be a real challenge for us, because there were several albums that got a lot of votes between all five of us. However, with no voices raised, heated arguments, name-calling, and careful dissecting, we all came to a full agreement that Testament's 2012 masterpiece Dark Roots Of Earth was the worthy contender of earning the crown as our pick for the best thrash album of the 2010s. Testament was another band that all of us voted on, but only one of us picked Brotherhood Of The Snake. When Testament came roaring back with The Formation Of Damnation in 2008, the album was so well received, it put them back on the map, and brought them a whole bunch of new success that they didn't experience since the 80s and early 90s. They got on some of the biggest tours of their career, and toured behind the album for four years straight. Then, when it came time for the follow-up, everybody was wondering how they were going to top that album. However, in 2012, they released Dark Roots Of Earth, which is a flawless collection of extremely well-crafted songs, full of variety, world-class songwriting and performances from everybody, and stellar production from the great Andy Sneap. It also furthered to the success they were experiencing from Formation, earning them the highest chart positions of their career, high record sales, more tours with the biggest bands in metal, and the music video for "Native Blood" winning the award for Best Music Video at the American Indian Film Festival. How incredible is that? With all that success, combined with the quality levels of the album, it's no wonder why we all shared the same feelings about this album, and we knew that the combination of all those elements was worthy of catapulting Dark Roots Of Earth to the top spot on our list of the Top 10 Thrash Albums Of The 2010s.
HONOURABLE MENTIONS (No Order)
| SAVAGE MESSIAH The Fateful Dark (2014) | DESTRUCTION Day Of Reckoning (2011) | METALLICA Hardwired...To Self-Destruct (2016) |
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INDIVIDUAL LISTS
| ALEX STOJANOVIC 01. Savage Messiah - The Fateful Dark (2014) 02. Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth (2012) 03. Kreator - Gods Of Violence (2017) 04. Evile - Five Serpent's Teeth (2011) 05. Anthrax - Worship Music (2011) 06. Death Angel - Relentless Retribution (2010) 07. Onslaught - VI (2013) 08. Megadeth - Dystopia (2016) 09. Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010) 10. Warbringer - Worlds Torn Asunder (2011) | THOMAS OAKE 01. Kreator - Gods Of Violence (2017) 02. Testament - Brotherhood Of The Snake (2016) 03. Anthrax - For All Kings (2016) 04. Metallica - Hardwired...To Self-Destruct (2016) 05. Overkill - Ironbound (2010) 06. Destruction - Day Of Reckoning (2011) 07. Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010) 08. Sodom - Epitome Of Torture (2013) 09. Slayer - Repentless (2015) 10. Death Angel - Humanicide (2019) |
| DEREK SOLOMOS 01. Warbringer - Woe To The Vanquished (2017) 02. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist (2012) 03. Power Trip - Nightmare Logic (2017) 04. Death Angel - Relentless Retribution (2010) 05. Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010) 06. Evile - Five Serpent's Teeth (2011) 07. Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth (2012) 08. Megadeth - Dystopia (2016) 09. Anthrax - Worship Music (2011) 10. Overkill - Ironbound (2010) | ALEX IRWIN 01. Kreator - Gods Of Violence (2017) 02. Exodus - Blood In, Blood Out (2014) 03. Sodom - Epitome Of Torture (2013) 04. Death Angel - Dream Calls For Blood (2013) 05. Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth (2012) 06. Evile - Five Serpent's Teeth (2011) 07. Anthrax - For All Kings (2016) 08. Overkill - Ironbound (2010) 09. Destruction - Day Of Reckoning (2011) 10. Warbringer - Woe To The Vanquished (2017) |
DAVID CATANUS
01. Forbidden - Omega Wave (2010)
02. Death Angel - The Dream Calls For Blood (2013)
03. Warbringer - Woe To The Vanquished (2017)
04. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist (2012)
05. Evile - Five Serpent's Teeth (2011)
06. Angelus Apatrida - Cabaret De La Guillotine (2018)
07. Xentrix - Bury The Pain (2019)
08. Megadeth - Dystopia (2016)
09. Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth (2012)
10. Overkill - Ironbound (2010)
01. Forbidden - Omega Wave (2010)
02. Death Angel - The Dream Calls For Blood (2013)
03. Warbringer - Woe To The Vanquished (2017)
04. Kreator - Phantom Antichrist (2012)
05. Evile - Five Serpent's Teeth (2011)
06. Angelus Apatrida - Cabaret De La Guillotine (2018)
07. Xentrix - Bury The Pain (2019)
08. Megadeth - Dystopia (2016)
09. Testament - Dark Roots Of Earth (2012)
10. Overkill - Ironbound (2010)
There you have it, folks! That is our list of the Top 10 Thrash Albums Of The 2010s. Feel free to post your lists in the comments below. This was an extremely fun thing to do, so you can bet your bottom dollar we will be doing more of these collaborative lists. If you have any ideas for lists we should do, sound off in the comments, and let your voices be heard for what categories should be next.
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