[For Beginners] Start Here! A Collection of Classic Thrash Metal Songs

Blood for BloodMachine Head

Blood for Blood

“Blood for Blood,” a track from American heavy metal band Machine Head’s debut album Burn My Eyes, released in 1994.

From the band’s inception, this song has embodied their fusion of thrash metal’s aggression with groove metal’s heaviness.

It’s a piece that makes you want to experience its raw, raging energy firsthand.

Robb Flynn’s screams, the rhythm section charging forward like a heavy tank, and the razor-sharp, chugging guitar riffs combine to devastating effect.

It’s not just sheer intensity, though—you’ll also want to pay attention to the tight musicianship that runs through the entire track.

Do so, and you’ll fully grasp the magnitude of the impact they had on the scene.

Metal ForcesOnslaught

Metal Forces

“Metal Forces,” featured on the British thrash metal band Onslaught’s classic 1986 album The Force.

It’s a landmark track that steered them from the raw initial impulse of hardcore toward a sharper, more aggressive thrash metal sound.

A torrent of sound over six minutes, where distorted guitar riffs entwine with blisteringly fast drums.

The breathless progression will have you clenching your fist before you know it.

This one song may well have propelled them to the forefront of the UK thrash scene.

Re-recorded multiple times and beloved for years, it’s a track truly worthy of being called a classic.

The ExorcistPossessed

The Exorcist

The Exorcist by the American band Possessed is known as a classic that forced open the doors to the death metal genre.

Many listeners might think, “It’s so extreme I hesitate to even play it!” From an eerie intro that evokes a famous horror film, it suddenly shifts into a shocking barrage of storm-like guitars and beastly roars.

The sound fuses the breakneck rush of thrash metal with a demonic atmosphere, which can be overwhelming at first.

But it’s precisely this unparalleled ferocity that is their true essence.

For now, don’t overthink it—just surrender yourself to this flood of sound.

I Saw Your Mommy…Suicidal Tendencies

I Saw Your Mommy…

“I Saw Your Mommy.

.

.

,” a track from Suicidal Tendencies’ 1983 debut, by pioneers who fused hardcore and metal.

It’s a quintessential crossover thrash song where the speed of hardcore punk meets the aggression of thrash metal.

The lyrics are extremely shocking and have stirred controversy for their extremity.

Despite the intensity, at its core lies the straightforward, breakneck drive characteristic of skate punk.

Many listeners are captivated by the unique madness born from the collision of its ferocious lyrical world and energetic sound.

Experience this dangerously alluring sound for yourself.

Alison HellAnnihilator

Annihilator – Alison Hell [OFFICIAL VIDEO]

They are a pioneering Canadian thrash metal band and an indispensable part of any discussion of heavy metal history.

Listen to the title track from their 1989 debut album, Alice in Hell, and you’ll see they stand apart from run-of-the-mill thrash.

Anchored by Jeff Waters—the multi-instrumentalist at the band’s core with a wide-ranging talent—you can fully enjoy their freakishly technical brand of thrash metal, driven not by sheer speed but by meticulously crafted ensemble performance.

Randy Rampage’s highly distinctive vocals from this era may be a love-it-or-hate-it element, though.

.

.

Chalice of BloodForbidden

FORBIDDEN – Chalice of Blood (OFFICIAL LIVE VIDEO)

Among the bands from the American West Coast known as the Bay Area thrash metal scene—like Exodus and Testament—this is one of the most representative.

It’s also known for having featured Robb Flynn, who would later form Machine Head, in its earliest days, and he’s credited as a songwriter on the track being introduced here.

As you can hear on this song from their 1988 debut album, Forbidden Evil, it’s quite unusual for the thrash metal genre: the soaring, power-metal-style high-pitched vocals jump out at you, which will surprise many listeners.

The technical playing and dramatic song structures also make it thoroughly engaging and undeniably cool!

RevolutionLazarus A.D.

Lazarus A.D. – Revolution (OFFICIAL VIDEO)

Lazarus A.

D.

is a band that epitomizes the thrash metal scene since the 2000s.

Their talent drew attention in Japan as well, and their very first visit to the country was a major stage: LOUD PARK 09.

This track is included on their major-label debut, The Onslaught, and it’s a bona fide classic—simply cool, packed with the vibrant appeal of their youth.

Razor-sharp guitar riffs, a drum performance brimming with precise, busy technique, and a melodic solo woven with twin-lead harmonies—every element is top-tier.

Although this was the heyday of metalcore and they were hailed as the new generation of thrash, they sadly disbanded following the death of their drummer.