Despite the rift between punks and metalheads in the late 70s and 1980s, it was only a matter of time before both genres collided in a storm of rage and fury. Whether punks wanted to admit it or not, their favorite hardcore bands were just as influenced by Black Sabbath as they were Black Flag. And whether metalheads wanted to admit it or not, the rising crop of thrash bands owed just as much to Bad Brains as they did Judas Priest. Some thrash bands chose to focus more on the punk side of lyrics and riffs, leading to the birth of crossover thrash. Today we examine the Top 10 albums that had the biggest hand in this hyperactive hybrid. Read on and thrash on!
10. Killing Time – Brightside (1989)
For better or worse, the NYHC scene cemented the hardcore sound and ethos as we know it. Tough guy vocals, breakdowns, and oversized hoodies have been the norm for 30 years. However, some of these bands beefed up their sound with the addition of thrashy mosh riffs. One such band was Killing Time. A friend of mine turned me onto these guys a couple years ago and I couldn’t help but wonder, “Where have they been all my life?” Brightside is the embodiment of crossover. It’s punk enough for the punks and metal enough for the metalheads. What more could you ask for?
9. Cryptic Slaughter – Money Talks (1987)
No other album on this list captures the anger and hatred towards the Reagan administration better than Cryptic Slaughter’s Money Talks. With good ol’ Ronnie’s 8 year reign coming to a close, these four kids from California unleashed an all out assault of neck snapping riffs and politically conscious lyrics. Topics range from the PMRC (“Freedom of Expression?”) and capitalist greed (“Money Talks”), to the drug epidemic (“Wake Up”) and the war machine (“American Heroes”). Sadly, these topics continue to have a chokehold on America some 34 years later. At least we’ve got the perfect soundtrack to such insanity.
8. Corrosion of Conformity – Animosity (1985)
Before hitting the big time as the Lynyrd Skynyrd of Generation X, Corrosion of Conformity were a fierce crossover thrash band. While the lyrics were just as overtly political as Cryptic Slaughter, there was an uneasiness to COC that added an edge. Their riffs oozed in anxiety, similar to My War era Black Flag. As uncomfortable as Animosity can get at times, its unrelenting attitude is enough to keep any punk or metalhead on the edge of their seats, listening until the end.
7. Judge – Bringin’ It Down (1989)
Metal purists beware! While all the albums and bands on this list owe their existence to punk, no other album on here leans harder on punk than Judge’s Bringin’ it Down. I was debating excluding it from this list altogether. However, the riffs are just too damn metallic and mosh friendly. Judge’s influence in the development of hardcore cannot be overstated. While Minor Threat may be the godfathers of the straight edge movement, it was Judge who singlehandedly invented the chunky riff based sound that has since become characteristic of straight edge hardcore. Many of these acts would in turn become pivotal in the development of metalcore, but that’s another list for another day. Perhaps, Top 10 Metalcore Albums That Don’t Suck? We’ll soon see.
6. D.R.I. – Dealing with It! (1985)
D.R.I. gained almost immediate infamy with the release of 1983’s Dirty Rotten EP. They were so much faster than the other hardcore bands of the day, the titles “fastcore” and “thrashcore” were coined just to describe their sound. By the time they released their debut full length, Dealing with It!, D.R.I. were incorporating metal riffs inspired by Slayer and Metallica. They’d continue to go down this metal path with each subsequent release, but it’s Dealing with It! that can only be described best of both worlds. Plus, “I Don’t Need Society” is one of the greatest songs of all time.
5. S.O.D. – Speak English or Die (1985)
S.O.D. is like your middle aged uncle. He says a lot of racist shit, but you love him anyways. All joking aside, one can argue that this tongue in cheek Anthrax offshoot was more groundbreaking to the development of metal than Anthrax themselves. Heck, “Milk” features one of the earliest known blastbeats in extreme music. No wonder Charlie Benante wants royalties every time Napalm Death releases an album! Furthermore, you’d have to be comatose not to thrash to “Milano Mosh” and “United Forces”. Speak English or Die is crucial crossover in all its offensive glory.
4. Leeway – Born to Expire (1989)
Next stop, Mosh City! For how infectious the riffs on Leeway’s Born to Expire are, it’s criminal they aren’t better known in thrasher circles. Frontman Eddie Sutton has about as close to a melodic voice as you could get in crossover. The end result is what Anthrax might have sounded like had they tried their hand at a crossover with Joey Belladonna instead of Billy Milano. “Snitches get stitches!” indeed.
3. Agnostic Front – Cause for Alarm (1986)
Rule of thumb: If an album opens with the lyric “Killing’s my business and business is fine.”, it’s going to rule. That’s the case with Agnostic Front’s second album, Cause for Alarm. After cementing themselves as the kings of New York hardcore, Roger, Vinnie, and company threw their rabid fanbase a curveball. AF had gone metal! This would have been career suicide for any other punk band of the time. For AF, they gained new fans along the way and won permanent respect in the metal community. AF would continue playing the crossover style for one more album (1987’s Liberty & Justice For…) before returning to their punk roots in the 90s.
2. Cro-Mags – The Age of Quarrel (1986)
Hardcore is all about empowerment. Speaking from personal experience, I don’t think there’s any hardcore album that makes me feel more empowered than Cro-Mags’ debut, The Age of Quarrel. Much like D.R.I., they’d get thrashier as time went on. However, it’s The Age of Quarrel that represents the idea of “crossover” better than just about any other album, period. Half punk ethos/vocals, half metallic riffs/intensity, it’s also the finest moment of the band’s career. There’s a reason why Cro-Mags’ setlists lean so heavily on this album.
- Suicidal Tendencies – Lights…Camera…Revolution (1990)
Back when I was in junior high, there were two thrash albums I played just about every other day: Slayer’s South of Heaven (1988) and this. 13 year old me just couldn’t get enough of the slamming riffs coupled with Cyco Miko’s sarcastic, yet witty lyrics. Almost 22 year old me still can’t get enough. I recently scored an original vinyl press of this one for Christmas. Upon putting it on the turntable, I found myself swinging my elbows and thrashing around like it was 2012 all over again.
Personal bias aside, Lights…Camera…Revolution is hands down Suicidal Tendencies’ finest hour. The only other album that comes close is the raw hardcore power of their self titled debut. While Join the Army (1987) and How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can’t Even Smile Today (1988) are classics in their own respect, Lights…Camera…Revolution really showcases Suicidal in peak musical and songwriting form. It’s the golden standard that every crossover band since has attempted to reach and failed. And that is why it’s the greatest crossover thrash album of all time.
Honorable Mentions
- Attitude Adjustment – American Paranoia (1986)
- Carnivore – Retaliation (1987)
- Nuclear Assault – Game Over (1986)
- Power Trip – Nightmare Logic (2017)
- Wehrmacht – Shark Attack (1987)
The Age of Quarrel is obviously an amazing record, I would argue that Best Wishes is their finest hour though.
D.R.I. and Heart Attack both recorded “blast beats” prior to ’85.
Hence why I cited “Milk” as “one of the earliest”. Other early examples would be Siege and Deep Wound. Might have to do a Thrashcore/Fastcore themed list in the future!
Hell I was thinking Cryptic Slaughter was blasting back then too