New Wave of Thrash Metal

TheseGoTo11 wrote:

Now there's new stuff to listen to and I can give my Lights Camera Revolution album a rest sometimes! I've been listening to Havok a lot the past month, and Im glad something like 'Time Is Up' exists nowadays. That album is a Thrash monster.

Now here lies the problem on New Wave Thrash Bands...ONLY A FEW SELECT BANDS CAN REALLY PULL IT OFF , since the resurgence I can only name 10 or so albums that are deemed memorable and has a consistent replay value.

NWOTM sounds so 'tired' these days I could barely listen to it anymore, while oldschoolers like Kreator and Sodom keeps me excited whenever a new album is on the works.

NEW Municipal Waste album out now !!!

'The Fatal Feast'

Bludvera's new release, Terrorform EP (2012)

I wouldn't call this a "new wave" of anything. That implies that innovation is going on but there is nothing new being created here. It's a an homage, sometimes even a rehashing of the great thrash bands of the 1980's. This is more of a thrash revival. Heavy metal in general is going through a renaissance where the great hard rock and metal bands of the 70's and 80's are cited as classic influences. If you started a band in 1985, Iron Maiden and Metallica were probably influences, but the bulk of your sound/style would likely be drawn from the "old school" rockers like Purple, Sabbath, and AC/DC. We're seeing the same thing happen now, only what's considered "old school" now dwells in the grave of the 80's!

Andy wrote:

I wouldn't call this a "new wave" of anything. That implies that innovation is going on but there is nothing new being created here. It's a an homage, sometimes even a rehashing of the great thrash bands of the 1980's. This is more of a thrash revival. Heavy metal in general is going through a renaissance where the great hard rock and metal bands of the 70's and 80's are cited as classic influences. If you started a band in 1985, Iron Maiden and Metallica were probably influences, but the bulk of your sound/style would likely be drawn from the "old school" rockers like Purple, Sabbath, and AC/DC. We're seeing the same thing happen now, only what's considered "old school" now dwells in the grave of the 80's!

No "new wave" simply means "the next generation of". The NWOBHM wasn't exactly new at first. It spun off of the first wave of 70's bands. The new wave of thrashers just need to start branching out and finding their own sound. I think some bands, like Evile, have started doing that. It's less of the thrash-for-thrash-sake vibe and move emphasis on songs. Havok figured that out early on. Other bands like Fueled by Fire and such have yet to really do that. They still see it as all-out-speed and wearing white high-top and denim vests, but in the end the most successful and memorable thrash bands developed a sound and style all their own.

Andy wrote:

I wouldn't call this a "new wave" of anything. That implies that innovation is going on but there is nothing new being created here. !

That same logic could apply to probably 99 % of the NWOBHM scene. If you'd like to imply something, the innovation came when certain people combined the NWOBHM with punk.Thus giving us 'thrash".

I am sure you can find a defintion of "new wave" that fits the context of what you're saying, but it doesn't really apply in this instance.. The "new wave" relevant to present day thrash refers to something that came afterwards. Which coincides with the original "New Wave Of British heavy Metal" term. Because......if the dude in Sounds never would of coined that particular phrase, we'd not have any "new wave of anything" today. My understanding of the original phrase/term refers more to "new" as present than "new" as being innovative.

James B. wrote:

My understanding of the original phrase/term refers more to "new" as present than "new" as being innovative.

That's my view as well. The "first wave of British Heavy Metal" was Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Budgie, Led Zeppelin (arguably), Uriah Heep; all bands that started in the late 60s.

S.D. wrote:

James B. wrote:

My understanding of the original phrase/term refers more to "new" as present than "new" as being innovative.

That's my view as well. The "first wave of British Heavy Metal" was Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Budgie, Led Zeppelin (arguably), Uriah Heep; all bands that started in the late 60s.

Also first wavers, but started in the early 70's; UFO, Judas Priest, Motorhead...

ultmetal wrote:

S.D. wrote:

James B. wrote:

My understanding of the original phrase/term refers more to "new" as present than "new" as being innovative.

That's my view as well. The "first wave of British Heavy Metal" was Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Budgie, Led Zeppelin (arguably), Uriah Heep; all bands that started in the late 60s.

Also first wavers, but started in the early 70's; UFO, Judas Priest, Motorhead...

Sort of. Priest didn't release an album until 5 years after these bands. Motorhead didn't get an official release until 1977 (though they recorded in '76, unreleased until 1980). UFO changed sounds drastically before settling on their hard rock sound.

I would consider those bands to be "between" those movements.

EmoElmo wrote:

NEW Municipal Waste album out now !!!

'The Fatal Feast'

I didn't like some of their lyrical content in the last one, but it was easily overlooked as it was a great album. Looking forward to hear a new one.

S.D. wrote:

ultmetal wrote:

S.D. wrote:

James B. wrote:

My understanding of the original phrase/term refers more to "new" as present than "new" as being innovative.

That's my view as well. The "first wave of British Heavy Metal" was Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Budgie, Led Zeppelin (arguably), Uriah Heep; all bands that started in the late 60s.

Also first wavers, but started in the early 70's; UFO, Judas Priest, Motorhead...

Sort of. Priest didn't release an album until 5 years after these bands. Motorhead didn't get an official release until 1977 (though they recorded in '76, unreleased until 1980). UFO changed sounds drastically before settling on their hard rock sound.

I would consider those bands to be "between" those movements.

True, but most of the "New Wave of British Heavy Metal Bands" were influenced as much by Priest and UFO as they were by Purple and Sabbath. (Not to mention Wishbone Ash, Thin Lizzy & Scorpions, though the later two are not British but still highly influential on that scene.) UFO were performing songs like "Doctor Doctor" and "Rock Bottom" as early as '73 with Schenker on guitar. They were all part of that first wave that influenced the second wave. The new wave really were bands started around 1978 through 1983 or so.

True that Motorhead were late-comers to the first wave. Their popular records were released in 77, 78, 79, at the end of the first wave, though their biggest record ("Ace of Spades") would be 1980 during the boom of the second wave.

I don't care what it's called, or if it's the same old thrash riffs from the 80's, or some new, cool thrash riff never heard before. I want the bands to keep cranking it out.

mlotek wrote:

Bludvera's new release, Terrorform EP (2012)

That's pretty cool! Thanks for sharing.

Another GREAT Album !!!! This one's pretty impressive, you guys need to check this one out (unfortunately no YouTube preview ATM) ... the samples are superbly-crafted late-eighties goodness with top-notch songwriting... paying homage mostly to early Iced earth and Forbidden

Canada's WEST OF HELL

[youtube]<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="https://www.youtube.com/v/vqN2jp4sMIc?version=3&feature=player_detailpage"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="https://www.youtube.com/v/vqN2jp4sMIc?version=3&feature=player_detailpage" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="360"></object>[/youtube]

EmoElmo wrote:

Another GREAT Album !!!! This one's pretty impressive, you guys need to check this one out (unfortunately no YouTube preview ATM) ... the samples are superbly-crafted late-eighties goodness with top-notch songwriting... paying homage mostly to early Iced earth and Forbidden

Canada's WEST OF HELL

Samples?

Temple of Blood wrote:

EmoElmo wrote:

Another GREAT Album !!!! This one's pretty impressive, you guys need to check this one out (unfortunately no YouTube preview ATM) ... the samples are superbly-crafted late-eighties goodness with top-notch songwriting... paying homage mostly to early Iced earth and Forbidden

Canada's WEST OF HELL

Samples?

I don't think there are any. All the ones I found were less than a minute each (even on their myspace page).

Temple of Blood wrote:

EmoElmo wrote:

Another GREAT Album !!!! This one's pretty impressive, you guys need to check this one out (unfortunately no YouTube preview ATM) ... the samples are superbly-crafted late-eighties goodness with top-notch songwriting... paying homage mostly to early Iced earth and Forbidden

Canada's WEST OF HELL

Samples?

This would be them I guess...



No vocals?

EmoElmo wrote:

...paying homage mostly to early Iced earth and Forbidden

If they pay homage to anyone it is Artillery (By Inheritance circa). Decent band though

Quote :

No vocals?

Appears not. I'll wait til they get a vocalist before I make any final judgement (though musically, not that bad).

DallasBlack wrote:

Temple of Blood wrote:

EmoElmo wrote:

Another GREAT Album !!!! This one's pretty impressive, you guys need to check this one out (unfortunately no YouTube preview ATM) ... the samples are superbly-crafted late-eighties goodness with top-notch songwriting... paying homage mostly to early Iced earth and Forbidden

Canada's WEST OF HELL

Samples?

I don't think there are any. All the ones I found were less than a minute each (even on their myspace page).

There is already a full length album 'scene' release (10 songs), very easy to find just ask Mr Google If I'm not mistaken the album is due May 5th

DallasBlack wrote:

Quote :

No vocals?

Appears not. I'll wait til they get a vocalist before I make any final judgement (though musically, not that bad).

Here is the full sample off track # 5

The way I look at this NWOTM is simply thus:

At the very foundation of the sound, the absolute basis, for about 99% of the bands considered NWOTM is Thrash influenced directly from Thrash. This is why the scene is more comparable to the early 90s than the early/mid/late 80s. They are NOT in the same realm of the 80s bands musically, influence, and in their song writing. Because the 80s bands, whether it be Metallica, Exodus whatever mid 80s Thrash metal band you can name, because the early bands, and the ones that stuck regardless of what anyone may think were NOT going around listening to other Thrash. They might have heard them, shared a stage with them, thought they were cool, but they weren't the basis for their song writing and certainly weren't the basis on what style of music they were going to play.

Then come the late 80s and early 90s. Where you had unfathomable amounts of Thrash bands coming up because they were listening to strictly Thrash and deciding that's what they were going to play. This is also why when you listen to a random late 80s early 90s Thrash band, a number of them are unmemorable and expendable.

Now, in the 21st century, you have the EXACT same phenomenon happening. The Bonded By Bloods, Hatchets, Merciless Deaths, whoever, are completely saturated in Thrash metal, sure they have other likes and interests, but they made a conscious decision to play Thrash music, much like the bands of the early 90s. This compounded with the fact that literally thousands of them sprung up almost simultaneously, results in pretty much an identical scene/dynamic of the early 90s, where the newer Thrash bands are there but are forgettable save a handful and we still are looking forward to the releases of the giants.

I mean, some of these bands, the newer cats, are 4 to 5 albums in and have not done much memorable stuff. This is also a product of the 21st century recording aspect, but I think it's much more due to the fact that a majority of these bands base their sound off strictly Thrash rather than something else, much like the more memorable acts of the original scene did.

Thrash influenced Thrash does not result is anything more than Thrash, at a basic, uninspired blueprint example of the style, which is nothing to write home about. It's a logical continuation of where the scene would have gone had the 90s bands had an outlet and ability to record like we do today, but I can't say I would've liked it all that much.

EmoElmo wrote:

DallasBlack wrote:

Quote :

No vocals?

Appears not. I'll wait til they get a vocalist before I make any final judgement (though musically, not that bad).

Here is the full sample off track # 5

I think I liked it better without the vocals

I'd buy that West Of Hell just for the cover art alone. I kinda dig the sample too.