Best of the NON-Big Four Thrash Metal Bands
 

The Big Four are great, but there are just so many unsung bands that get far less recognition than they deserve.

Just keeping the poll to ten bands for brevity's sake. One or two people might vote Sodom or Destruction, but I doubt they'll do anything but split votes from bands that actually have a shot. Feel free to riff on your non-poll fav bands though.

They're not the most consistent band, but Exodus were one of the bands that really started my thrash obsession back in high school, and they've been kicking my ass ever since. Love most of their old work, their new albums have some of the best moments in modern metal, and Gary Holt is just metal as ****. So they get my vote.

Sodom should be on that list. Without them, I'd probably go with Death-Angel, but Testament and Kreator are tied for a close second.

Edit: Morbid Saint and Sacred Reich should be on the list too.

Like I said, I wanted to keep it at ten bands, but Sodom were definitely on the shortlist. As far as Morbid Saint and Sacred Reich go: Morbid Saint only had one album (also why SOD aren't on there), and Sacred Reich went downhill after one full-length and an EP.

Testament. I went on a bit of a long Testament listening venture a while ago and it was fantastic. Everything i've heard from them has been awesome. The rest on this poll aren't bad either so it was hard to choose just one.

I voted for Sepultura, but I think that's partly for nostalgic reasons. I saw them play at their peak just after Chaos AD was released, the first metal gig I'd been to. To say that my mind was blown into individual atoms would be an understatement.

Nuclear Assault because I said so.

I like Sepultura a lot but they shouldn't be on this list since their best material (i.e. Chaos A.D.) isn't thrash.

A.) We actually agree on something for once. Chaos A.D. is by far their best album.

B.) Regardless, they were still a thrash metal band until that album. I forget who it was that refused to call any band/album/whatever thrash just because the band didn't play thrash anymore, but we're not that guy.

I went with Testament because I've always been a pretty big fan and they kill it live. I always thought that they should've been affixed to the big four group.

They were, but not one I'd rate above Sodom or Morbid Saint.