It's pretty much unanimous that 1986 was THE year for thrash metal. Metallica's "Master of Puppets", Megadeth's "Peace Sells" and Slayer's "Reign in Blood" were game changers that turned the bands into undisputed kings of the genre. But, in this article, we're showing you albums that prove that 1988 was just as good a year for thrash metal...
Regarding 1986, lets not forget about other gems from that year, such as Dark Angel's "Darkness Descends", Exumer's "Possessed By Fire", Angel Dust's "Into The Dark Past", Kreator's Pleasure To Kill", Destruction's "Eternal Devastation", Nuclear Assault's "Game Over", Possessed's "Beyond The Gates", Onslaught's "The Force"... phew! You get the picture.
However... 1988 deserves it's place in the thrash history as well. It was a year in which even bands who had pushed the genre forward were beginning to become more mature. Newer bands already knew the tricks of the genre and, despite having started a few years later than the first wave, released their own thing in wild style.
Having that said, lets see some of the great GREAT records 1988 had to offer, in no particular order...
Metallica - ...And Justice For All
Megadeth - So Far, So Good... So What!
Slayer - South of Heaven
Advertising - Mosh Like it's 1986 (Mosher Clothing)
Nuclear Assault - Survive
Testament - The New Order
Vio-lence - Eternal Nightmare
Advertising - Thrash Bloody Thrash T-shirt (Mosher Clothing)
Sadus – Chemical Exposure
D.R.I. – 4 of a Kind
Rigor Mortis – Rigor Mortis
Advertising - Thrash Classic Logo T-shirt (Mosher Clothing)
Forbidden – Forbidden Evil
Acid Reign – Moshkinstein
Coroner – Punishment for Decadence
Advertising - Retro Thrash T-shirt (Mosher Clothing)
Flotsam and Jetsam – No Place for Disgrace
Voivod – Dimension Hatröss
Anthrax - State of Euphoria
Advertising - Thrash Metal Maniac T-shirt (Mosher Clothing)
So... what did you think? Did we miss an essential thrash metal album from 1988? Comment below and share with your friends!