Exodus, they never really got the credit they deserved for there time. I honestly think that there should've been a top 5 including Exodus. Bondend by Blood is a thrash masterpiece.

I can understand completely where you are coming from regarding your liking for later works of certain bands. After all they were your formative years for these bands and mine was 10 years earlier and it's obvious that we will regard those albums we first heard in high regard.

I did (and still do) stray from Thrash a lot listening to Speed, Death and some Black Metal and back then the bands were generally more entrenched within those genres and then years later the boundaries become blurred which was inevitable.

A few people have said that the new Overkill album is really good so I will have to give it a listen. I didn't think much of the new Heathen album though. It wasn't bad but it failed to grab me for some reason.

I voted Dark Angel

A couple days ago I thought, hey! I need more thrash! So I was searching the forums and I found a great sampler under the beginners guide to.... thread. Now "No One Answers" is probably my favorite song right now, it's definitely replaced caffeine in my life thats for sure.

I'm not really big on the standard thrash metal sound, so with this in mind, where do I start with Voivod?

I'd say Nothingface (1988) but I think jackhammer is more knowledgeable in their discography than me.

I know most of their discography pretty well. Start with "Killing Technology" and then listen to "Dimension Hatross" and "Nothingface" The last two their best albums imo. Be aware though, that this group is very distinct to the rest of the thrash groups on the list, and at times their sound is nearer to prog rock than to your typical thrash sound.

Recommended listening from the list, also some of these albums are not really thrash as the groups had evolved their sound:

Kreator- Extreme Agression, Coma of Souls, Cause For Conflict, Outcast

Testament-The New Order, The Ritual

Exodus-Bonded By Blood, Force of Habit

Voivod-Killing Technology, Dimension Hatross, Nothingface

Overkill-The Years of Decay, Horrorscope, The Killing Kind

Sodom-Agent Orange

Sepultura-Morbid Visions, Schizophrenia, Beneath the Remains, Arise, Chaos A.D, Roots

Anacrusis-Manic Impressions, Screams and Whispers

Destruction-The Least Successful Human Cannonball

Dark Angel-We Have Arrived

Solid list. A few alternatives too.

Overkill- Under The Influence is a great album
Testament- How could you forget their debut The Legacy :(
Voivod- Angel Rat is really good and they did an album with Jason Newsted a few years back called Katorz which is well worth a listen.
Sodom- Persecution Mania is a little more rough around the edges with a less than stellar production but still a good listen.
Anacrusis- Suffering Hour which was their debut still has a certain charm to it.
Destruction- Eternal Devastation is usually held up as their sound.
Dark Angel- Darkness Descends for me :)

Although it's not entirely in keeping with the thread, other bands worth checking out are :

Kublai Khan
Napalm
Mekong Delta
Flotsam and Jetsam (Jason Newsted's first band)
Artillery
D.B.C
Sabbat

who all made albums that were not the usual Thrash sound and branched out a little more.

Special mention to Blind Illusions Sane Asylum that gave us both Possessed and Primus in later years and was probably the longest gestating Thrash album out there.

I think you're the only other person I've met who has even heard of Kublai Khan.

I've heard of them, not a big fan though.

Wouldn't Motorhead be on this list. Correct me if I'm wrong.