I am not a huge Metallica fan but Hell Awaits is a terrible album apart from the brilliant title track. I still prefer many other Thrash bands to Metallica though and agree that they are talked about far too much.

A belated update.

Sepultura really were a special band and not just because they came from Brazil. They came from poverty to really ingratiate themselves into the European scene in the late 80's especially and they did this whilst still sounding relatively unique with an energy that was missing from many of their counterparts at this time because Sepultura REALLY wanted this.

Music really was a way out of their lifestyle and they put everything they could into their music. Although known usually for the albums Roots and Chaos A.D, it is in their 2nd and 3rd albums that they really found their sound, recording both albums in difficult financial circumstances.

From album No. 2 Schizophrenia:

From album No. 3 when they signed to a European label even though the production was marred by mishaps:

Excellent as usual, man. Do you have Schizophrenia handy?

I'm not usually one to get into it over which Thrash band deserves the most glory BUT I do feel that Beneath the Remains is a better album than almost all of the albums made by the big4.

Darn right! Their first six records match up against anyone. The more I listen to Schizophrenia as well the 1st record and EP Morbid Vision/Bestial Devistation, plus the groove metal monster the Roots is, the more I think they are best metal band ever. The musical territory they covered over that span is staggering to say the least.

I without doubt, think they are probably the best heavy metal band that ever existed. I`m talking the Max Cavalera era here and not the Derrick Green era. Their transformation from a thrash metal outfit into a groove metal one, was the stuff of legend and their incorporation of Brazilian tribal beats something so unique. The fact that they are from a third world country, really showed their anger meant something and a lot of their songs were based around the injustices in their own country Brazil.

Their music often combined breakneak thrash to slower gut wrenchingly heavy Sabbath grinds. Max Cavalera`s voice was far more than a growl, and its mind blowing power was almost like an instrument in itself with its rhythmic thrusts.

If I had to name the 20 greatest heavy metal albums ever released. "Roots" would occupy the number one spot. I`ve still yet to hear something that can top this in sheer power & quality and I listen to a loooooot of metal albums, so this is no idle boast.

The seminal line-up was:
Max Cavalera-Guitar/Vocals
Andreas Kisser-Guitar
Paulo Jr-Bass
Igor"Bonecrusher"Cavalera-Drums

All I can say is F**K me...........This is what metal should sound like.

Haha - people really, really like Sepultura. I do too. I shouldn't have limited my comments about Beneath the Remains to only the big4. Should have said it's a better album than most if not all Thrash albums of its time.

I think "Beneath the Remains" is one of the best thrash albums around but not the best. I think the best of Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica may just edge it. My comments about Sepultura, were that they were the best metal band overall based on their discography between 1988-1996. A run of five classic metal albums, that match the classic Black Sabbath run of five classic albums in the 70`s.

Then there is the five classic albums by Pantera, but I won`t go on about how great those were, given how unpopular Pantera are amongst metal fans on this forum.;)