What's your favorite Speed Metal album?

looking through the albums listed here, I've come to the realization that I've never really understood the difference between "Thrash" and "Speed Metal".

We used to just use those terms interchangeably in the 80's. Is it really just straight ahead metal played fast?

Like Riot's Thundersteel for example? *edit* - sorry, see Stormspell posted that already.



What about a band like "Wrathchild America", what category would that fit into?

To put it best I would say that firstly, speed metal by and large tends to have the same pacing within a song, as opposed to thrash where the speed maaaay be faster but the pacing is also more jerky, and many stop-starts are typically engaged. Also, the vocals tend to be slightly cleaner in speed metal, and the music a bit more major-key oriented (not so much 'diabolus in musica'). If we were to have some kind of scale of progression, how one genre's aspects can kind of flow into another and something else is made, these related things would go something like: thrash-SPEED METAL-power metal. In other words, we're basically discussing that happy little medium between the two. Now when things get a little more mystical, a little more melodic, and typically a little more progressive as well (speed metal is highly orthodox in approach despite lacking much of the punk influence that thrash takes), that's about the border where we begin speaking of old-school power metal, or US power metal, etc.

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

To put it best I would say that firstly, speed metal by and large tends to have the same pacing within a song, as opposed to thrash where the speed maaaay be faster but the pacing is also more jerky, and many stop-starts are typically engaged. Also, the vocals tend to be slightly cleaner in speed metal, and the music a bit more major-key oriented (not so much 'diabolus in musica'). If we were to have some kind of scale of progression, how one genre's aspects can kind of flow into another and something else is made, these related things would go something like: thrash-SPEED METAL-power metal. In other words, we're basically discussing that happy little medium between the two. Now when things get a little more mystical, a little more melodic, and typically a little more progressive as well (speed metal is highly orthodox in approach despite lacking much of the punk influence that thrash takes), that's about the border where we begin speaking of old-school power metal, or US power metal, etc.

Hm. Okay. Well, I have to admit, I'm rather ignorant, so I don't know what I am talking about. But I'm with detuned, I never really understood the difference. Are we sure we aren't just arguing semantics?

Thrash is rough around the edges where as Speed Metal tends to be more polished in comparison. What both do share are the speed aspect.

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

To put it best I would say that firstly, speed metal by and large tends to have the same pacing within a song, as opposed to thrash where the speed maaaay be faster but the pacing is also more jerky, and many stop-starts are typically engaged. Also, the vocals tend to be slightly cleaner in speed metal, and the music a bit more major-key oriented (not so much 'diabolus in musica'). If we were to have some kind of scale of progression, how one genre's aspects can kind of flow into another and something else is made, these related things would go something like: thrash-SPEED METAL-power metal. In other words, we're basically discussing that happy little medium between the two. Now when things get a little more mystical, a little more melodic, and typically a little more progressive as well (speed metal is highly orthodox in approach despite lacking much of the punk influence that thrash takes), that's about the border where we begin speaking of old-school power metal, or US power metal, etc.

I think you nailed it here!

Quote :

Hm. Okay. Well, I have to admit, I'm rather ignorant, so I don't know what I am talking about. But I'm with detuned, I never really understood the difference. Are we sure we aren't just arguing semantics?

Sure, speed metal, thrash metal and power metal were somewhat intertangeble phrases, but also specific, seperate genres. If you listen to the bands here, like Agent Steel & Powermad, surely you can detect a pattern that seperates them from thrash metal. And power metal bands, like Metal Church and Vicious Rumors have a different style than Metallica and Slayer.

Speed metal is more melodic and thrash is more dissonant.

I think this topic has made it clear that speed metal is generally defined by appalling low budget album covers ;P

Lots of my favorites already mentioned, let me add:

How has this one been forgotten!?

kmorg wrote:

Dave the Boss wrote:

Agreed!

mine also.

Ive only just discovered this band, but Angel Dust, To Dust You Will Decay is becoming a favorite.

I don't have the trained ear that the musicians here have. So, in my mind, I have always seperated the speed from the thrash simply by the vocals. Clean vox = speed, raw or rough vox = thrash. Of course, with everything in life, there will be exceptions. But, that is as technical as my ears go.

UNCLE SAXON wrote:

I don't have the trained ear that the musicians here have. So, in my mind, I have always seperated the speed from the thrash simply by the vocals. Clean vox = speed, raw or rough vox = thrash. Of course, with everything in life, there will be exceptions. But, that is as technical as my ears go.

thats what my understanding is also.

UNCLE SAXON wrote:

I don't have the trained ear that the musicians here have. So, in my mind, I have always seperated the speed from the thrash simply by the vocals. Clean vox = speed, raw or rough vox = thrash. Of course, with everything in life, there will be exceptions. But, that is as technical as my ears go.

I would not go with that notion. Quite simply because some speed metal classics like Vectom or Iron Angel or Backwater have rough, raw type vocals. And those are speed metal classics true and true. Or the first Znowhite record - also no clean vocals on that one.

so then..

what's the difference between 'zno' white and 'snow' white?

Orion Crystal Ice wrote:

so then..

what's the difference between 'zno' white and 'snow' white?

First one is a badass speed(first album+EP)/thrash(second album) band, the second one would be a princess that likes dwarves

Now this album I assume would not be a speed metal album:



But would the song "Fast As A Shark" be considered one?

yes

Zdan wrote:

UNCLE SAXON wrote:

I don't have the trained ear that the musicians here have. So, in my mind, I have always seperated the speed from the thrash simply by the vocals. Clean vox = speed, raw or rough vox = thrash. Of course, with everything in life, there will be exceptions. But, that is as technical as my ears go.

I would not go with that notion. Quite simply because some speed metal classics like Vectom or Iron Angel or Backwater have rough, raw type vocals. And those are speed metal classics true and true. Or the first Znowhite record - also no clean vocals on that one.

I guess the guitar tone is a little different also.

Zdan wrote:

UNCLE SAXON wrote:

I don't have the trained ear that the musicians here have. So, in my mind, I have always seperated the speed from the thrash simply by the vocals. Clean vox = speed, raw or rough vox = thrash. Of course, with everything in life, there will be exceptions. But, that is as technical as my ears go.

I would not go with that notion. Quite simply because some speed metal classics like Vectom or Iron Angel or Backwater have rough, raw type vocals. And those are speed metal classics true and true. Or the first Znowhite record - also no clean vocals on that one.

Like I said, there are obvious exceptions. I just have tried to keep things simple. Simple = unified and metal should be unified not picked apart into a billion different sub-genres just so some band can seem a little more unique.

Great thread, this. I'm a newbie to speed metal and have picked up a plethora of new stuff to discover thanks to this thread.

Thank Christ for online used CD sellers.

That Powermad 'absolute power' album is insane. I'd never even heard of them.

Planchaaaa wrote:

Great thread, this. I'm a newbie to speed metal and have picked up a plethora of new stuff to discover thanks to this thread.

Thank Christ for online used CD sellers.

That Powermad 'absolute power' album is insane. I'd never even heard of them.

They were from my town and used to play out 3-5 nights a week [and opened for, seemingly, every band that came to town.] The bassist was my roommate for a couple of months while he was dating my sister-in-law. The vocalist played a hot pink Flying V that we used to taunt him relentlessly over! haha. They played a reunion show a couple of Halloweens ago and revealed 2 new tunes for an album they were recording. Still waiting......