Once the kings of the Bay Area metal scene (widely accepted as the birthplace of thrash), Exodus were unceremoniously demoted from their post with the arrival of Los Angeles' Metallica in 1982. Sadly, with a little more luck, the group may have occupied the role of, say, Slayer as the purest purveyors of ultra-thrash, but while they continued to... [+] Read More

Once the kings of the Bay Area metal scene (widely accepted as the birthplace of thrash), Exodus were unceremoniously demoted from their post with the arrival of Los Angeles' Metallica in 1982. Sadly, with a little more luck, the group may have occupied the role of, say, Slayer as the purest purveyors of ultra-thrash, but while they continued to be perceived as a major influence by younger bands and proceeded to carve out a career of their own over the next decade, Exodus were ultimately fated to be the ultimate also-rans of the genre they helped spawn.


Formed in 1981 by singer Paul Baloff, guitarists Gary Holt and Kirk Hammett, bassist Geoff Andrews, and drummer Tom Hunting, Exodus were heavily influenced by Motörhead and New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands like Iron Maiden and Raven, whose lessons they combined with the raw, do-it-yourself aesthetic of the prolific Bay Area punk scene to create thrash metal. Their 1982 demo, Whipping Queen and Death and Domination, became wildly popular on the all-important underground tape-trading circuit and solidified their standing as the Bay Area's first thrash champions. They lost their numero uno standing a year later, however, when core member Kirk Hammett defected to Metallica, who then raced ahead of all competitors in their mission to bring thrash to the world. Undaunted, Exodus drafted guitarist Rick Hunolt and replaced bassist Andrews with Rob McKillop before signing with Torrid Records, for whom they recorded their Bonded by Blood debut in 1984. A would-be landmark of the genre, the album languished unreleased for over a year due to business problems, and by the time it was finally released by Combat Records in 1985, its impact had been severely dulled by the quick evolution of their peers.


These hardships also led to the ousting of vocalist Baloff, who was replaced by ex-Testament singer Steve Souza in time for 1987's disappointing Pleasures of the Flesh -- an inconsistent album that did nothing to advance Exodus' cause. Incessant touring served to strengthen the band's new lineup though, and 1989's meticulously conceived Fabulous Disaster was a critical triumph, bringing the group to its commercial peak. The successful world tour that followed brought another dramatic setback, however, when drummer Hunting was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat that first sidelined then forced him to quit the band at tour's end. Still, Exodus were on a roll, and their momentum led to a new contract with Capitol Records. They rushed back into the studio with former Anthrax drum tech John Tempesta to lay down tracks for 1990's Impact Is Imminent. But the absence of a competent producer and a rushed, carelessly assembled collection of songs resulted in the album's utter failure, squandering the group's recent accomplishments and pretty much finishing off its chances of greater success. Longtime bassist McKillop left soon after (replaced by Mike Butler) and despite the renewed quality of 1992's Force of Habit (their most diverse album), the members of Exodus would go their separate ways soon thereafter.


Then, ten years after his departure from the band, Paul Baloff rejoined most of the classic Bonded by Blood lineup for a series of gigs in 1997. A live album entitled Another Lesson in Violence was issued by Century Media to memorialize their homecoming show in San Francisco, and the band continued to perform sporadically over the next few years until tragedy struck. Baloff suddenly passed away on February 2, 2002, after suffering a massive stroke and slipping into a coma three days earlier. The reunion die was cast however, and after mourning their fallen friend, Exodus's "semiclassic" formation of Holt, Hunolt, Hunting, McKillop, and a returning Steve Souza began working on what would become the band's sixth studio album: 2004's Nuclear Blast-released Tempo of the Damned. ~ Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Flotsam and Jetsam initially showed a lot of promise within thrash metal circles and, though they've continued to record over the past 15 years, their talent and professionalism never quite translated into significant sales or mainstream recognition. Formed in Arizona by vocalist Eric A. K., guitarists Michael Gilbert and Edward Carlson, bassist... [+] Read More

Flotsam and Jetsam initially showed a lot of promise within thrash metal circles and, though they've continued to record over the past 15 years, their talent and professionalism never quite translated into significant sales or mainstream recognition. Formed in Arizona by vocalist Eric A. K., guitarists Michael Gilbert and Edward Carlson, bassist Jason Newsted, and drummer Kelly David-Smith, Flotsam and Jetsam were part of the second wave of thrash bands. After signing with Metal Blade Records, they recorded their rough, but ambitious 1986 debut, Doomsday for the Deceiver, which betrayed a huge Metallica influence. Ironically, the metal giants would soon recruit Newsted to replace bassist Cliff Burton, who had recently died in a tragic tour bus crash.

In another strange twist, Flotsam and Jetsam then signed with Metallica's label Elektra, for whom they recorded their second album, 1988's No Place for Disgrace, with new bassist Troy Gregory. Despite losing their principal lyricist and an important songwriter in Newsted (who was kind enough to leave a few contributions behind), the album managed to improve slightly upon their first and featured an interesting cover of Elton John's "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting." Though the band supported the record by touring relentlessly, all their efforts barely made a dent in the now crowded thrash scene.

Switching to MCA, the band issued three more albums (1990's When the Storm Comes Down, 1992's Cuatro, and 1995's Drift) which sold progressively less and added little to their original thrash metal recipe. Bassist Gregory departed to join Prong after the first of these and was replaced by Jason Ward. Finding themselves back on Metal Blade, the band finally broke the mold (too little, too late) and recorded their most original album in 1997's High, the last to feature Gilbert and David-Smith. 1999's Unnatural Selection featured their replacements, guitarist Mark Simpson and drummer Craig Nelson. ~ Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Canadian thrashers Annihilator are the lifework of guitarist Jeff Waters, who founded the band in his native Vancouver in 1984 -- just as the speed metal revolution was getting underway further to the south in the San Francisco Bay Area. Due in large part to this geographical isolation, Annihilator as a band phased in and out of existence over... [+] Read More

Canadian thrashers Annihilator are the lifework of guitarist Jeff Waters, who founded the band in his native Vancouver in 1984 -- just as the speed metal revolution was getting underway further to the south in the San Francisco Bay Area. Due in large part to this geographical isolation, Annihilator as a band phased in and out of existence over the next few years, with only Waters as a constant factor, but when the driven guitarist's homemade demos finally made it into the hands of Roadrunner Records, the band's career was ready to begin.

Released to positively wild public and critical acclaim at the height of the thrash metal boom, Annihilator's 1989 debut, Alice in Hell, was an unqualified triumph and epitomized the state of the art in terms of thinking man's thrash metal, but it was hardly a band effort. Indeed, though they are pictured on the sleeve alongside Waters (who wrote, produced, and played guitar and bass on the entire album), vocalist Randy Rampage (formerly bassist with legendary Vancouver hardcore band D.O.A.), drummer Ray Hartmann, bassist Wayne Darley, and second guitarist Anthony Greenham were little more than hired guns. Not surprisingly, both Rampage and Greenham were gone by the release of the following year's Never, Neverland (replaced by the equally improbably named Coburn Pharr and Dave Scott Davis, respectively), the beginning of a revolving door policy that would elevate Annihilator's musician turnover to Spinal Tap heights.

In any event, though not quite as inspired as its predecessor, Never, Neverland did decent business and the band's latest lineup capitalized by touring relentlessly behind it. A three-year delay and more lineup changes preceded 1993's Set the World on Fire, however, and the album's shocking move to adopt more traditional metal and commercial hard rock sounds wound up alienating most of Annihilator's fans, sending their popularity into a tailspin. Roadrunner issued 1994's Bag of Tricks compilation and promptly dropped the band, which quickly resurfaced with a new deal and several albums on Music for Nations (1994's King of the Kill, 1996's Refresh the Demon, 1997's Remains) but never again enjoyed anything similar to their original success -- despite Waters' retreat to thrashier terrain. Released in 1999, Criteria for a Black Widow reunited the guitarist with both Roadrunner and old singer Rampage, but subsequent albums like 2001's Carnival Diablos, 2003's Waking the Fury, and 2004's All for You marked a return to Annihilator's unpredictable musical about-faces and personal musical chairs. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Nearly as much as Metallica or Megadeth, Anthrax was responsible for the emergence of speed and thrash metal. Combining the speed and fury of hardcore punk with the prominent guitars and vocals of heavy metal, they helped create a new subgenre of heavy metal on their early albums. Original guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Spitz were a formidable... [+] Read More

Nearly as much as Metallica or Megadeth, Anthrax was responsible for the emergence of speed and thrash metal. Combining the speed and fury of hardcore punk with the prominent guitars and vocals of heavy metal, they helped create a new subgenre of heavy metal on their early albums. Original guitarists Scott Ian and Dan Spitz were a formidable pair, spitting out lightning-fast riffs and solos that never seemed masturbatory. Unlike Metallica or Megadeth, they had the good sense to temper their often serious music with a healthy dose of humor and realism. After their first album, Fistful of Metal, singer Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello joined the lineup. Belladonna helped take the band farther away from conventional metal clichés, and over the next five albums (with the exception of 1988's State of Euphoria, where the band sounded like they were in a creative straitjacket), Anthrax arguably became the leaders of speed metal. As the '80s became the '90s, they also began to increase their experiments with hip-hop, culminating in a tour with Public Enemy in 1991 and a joint re-recording of PE's classic "Bring the Noise." After their peak period of the late '80s, Anthrax kicked Belladonna out of the band in 1992 and replaced him with ex-Armored Saint vocalist John Bush -- a singer that was gruffer and deeper, fitting most metal conventions perfectly. Subsequently, their sound became less unique and their audience shrank slightly as a consequence, and after signing to Elektra for 1993's Sound of White Noise, the group left the label after just one more album, 1995's Stomp 442. At that point, Anthrax -- now a four-piece consisting of Ian, Bush, Bello, and drummer Charlie Benante -- built their own studio in Yonkers, NY, and after a three-year hiatus returned with their Ignition label debut The Threat Is Real, Vol. 8. 1999 saw the release of Anthrax's very first "hits" collection, titled Return of the Killer A's: The Best Of, also their first release for the Beyond label. The album included a cover of "Ball of Confusion," which featured a duet between current frontman Bush and former vocalist Belladonna. A proposed tour that was to include both vocalists was announced, but on the eve of its launch, Belladonna pulled out, reportedly for monetary reasons. The tour carried on, as Anthrax signed on to participate in a package tour during the summer of 2000 with Mötley Crüe and Megadeth, but left the tour after only playing a handful of dates. Anthrax appeared on the Twisted Sister tribute album Twisted Forever in 2001 (covering the track "Destroyer"), and began recording their next album the same year. In addition, guitarist Ian found time to regularly host the metal television program Rock Show on VH1, plus he appeared as part of the fictional metal band Titannica in the film Run, Ronnie, Run. VH1 programming heads eventually replaced Ian with Sebastian Bach, but the band was ready to head back into the studio anyway. New guitarist Rob Caggiano joined in the spring of 2002, just in time for the recording. A year later, Anthrax made their Sanctuary debut with We've Come for You All. The band's dynamic hadn't changed, and touring in support of that album was met with overwhelming success. The CD/DVD set Music of Mass Destruction: Live in Chicago, which arrived in spring 2004, celebrated Anthrax's two decades in the business. Then, in 2005, Anthrax's entire original lineup of Ian, Spitz, Belladonna, Benante, and Bello reunited for a tour and the CD/DVD retrospective Anhtrology: No Hit Wonders [1985-1991]. Anthrax also issued Alive 2, recorded during their summer 2005 reuninon tour. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine & Greg Prato, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Arguably the most influential and successful European thrash metal band ever, Germany's Kreator is also by far the most enduring. Like many of their European speed metal brethren.Kreator fused Metallica's thrash innovations with Venom's proto-black metal imagery, sparked it with Motörhead's balls-out velocity, and capped it off with the... [+] Read More

Arguably the most influential and successful European thrash metal band ever, Germany's Kreator is also by far the most enduring. Like many of their European speed metal brethren.Kreator fused Metallica's thrash innovations with Venom's proto-black metal imagery, sparked it with Motörhead's balls-out velocity, and capped it off with the nihilistic outlook typical of heavy metal since the seminal days of Black Sabbath. Kreator's career also mirrored speed metal's rising and waning fortunes: building from strength to strength throughout the 1980s, only to fall on hard times in the 1990s. Now seemingly reborn in their third decade of activity, Kreator are certified worldwide superstars who still tour as widely and frequently as bands half their age -- now that's resilience.

Originally named "Tyrant," and then "Tormentor," Kreator was founded in 1982 by vocalist/guitarist Mille Petrozza, bassist Rob Fioretti, and drummer Jürgen Reil (aka Ventor) in the industrial capital of Essen, Germany. They were still known as "Tormentor" when their first two demo tapes, one fittingly named "Blitzkrieg" (1983), and the other "End of the World" (1984), fell into the hands of thousands of heavy metal fans engaging in the era's bustling underground tape-trading network. Positive word of mouth soon attracted the attention of Germany's own metal start-up, Noise Records, which signed the newly re-christened Kreator to a deal and immediately put them to work on their first album. Recorded in just ten days at Berlin's Musiclab Studios, 1985's Endless Pain was a savage debut, but its crude thrashing quickly had the underground metal world a-buzzing with excitement. A second guitar player, Wulf, was hired for touring purposes, and with the group's reputation preceding them, lucky fans within the band's modest touring radius were soon clamoring for tickets.

No sooner had they come off the road, then Kreator were heading right back to Musiclab Studios, this time with producer Harris Johns (Helloween, Voivod) to record their second album, Pleasure to Kill. Unleashed in 1986 and still considered the band's first 'classic' album, Pleasure to Kill raised the bar with more diversity of tempos and greater attention to technical execution, while losing nothing in terms of ferocity or speed. The band closed out the year with the Flag of Hate E.P. (named after a re-recorded version of their earliest hit), and there seemed to be little doubt that Kreator, along with fellow Germans Helloween and Switzerland's Celtic Frost (with whom they toured the U.K. a year later), were fast becoming Europe's top extreme metal contenders. Recorded at Hannover's Horus Studios with English producer Roy Rowland, 1987's Terrible Certainty did nothing to dent this perception, since, for once, Petrozza and co. actually had a little time to work out the songs beforehand. The ensuing tour further established their reputation as dedicated road warriors, and saw Kreator beefed up to a quartet once again with the addition of guitarist Jörge Trebziatowski. Profits from these concerts would help finance yet another E.P. (product being something Noise never stopped asking for) entitled Out of the Dark, Into the Light, released in August 1988.

By this time, all signs suggested that Kreator were on the verge of a major breakthrough, and when Noise struck a deal with giant Epic Records for large-scale distribution in America, Petrozza knew this was his chance of taking his band global. Mustering all of his creative juices and honing his songwriting, he led Kreator into Los Angeles' Music Grinder Studios and brought in well-regarded producer Randy Burns (Megadeth, Nuclear Assault, etc.) to guide them to another thrash metal landmark with 1989's Extreme Aggression. With videos made for the ubiquitous title track and the venomous "Betrayer" getting plenty of exposure on MTV's Headbanger's Ball, Extreme Aggression quickly became their biggest seller yet, and the subsequent North American swing with Suicidal Tendencies introduced the band to many new friends. The tour also marked the debut of former Sodom guitarist Frank "Blackfire" Gosdzik, whose nightly lead guitar duels with Petrozza are still the stuff of fond memory for Kreator fans. Seeking to capitalize on the group's momentum, Noise rushed them back into the studio to whip up next effort, Coma of Souls, released in October 1990. Unfortunately, the hastily conceived L.P. clearly suffered from the less than favorable circumstances in which it was created, seeming too much like a retread of earlier material and bogged down by filler. It should also be noted that, by the end of the 1980s, thrash and speed metal had largely run their course and mutated into death metal, leaving genre standard-bearers like Kreator, Anthrax, and even Metallica, with a difficult choice: evolve or perish.

1992's appropriately named Renewal seemed to answer that question by going straight to the source for help. Kreator sought out renowned producer Tom Morris (Sepultura, Morbid Angel, etc.) at his Morrissound Studios in Tampa to help them delve deeper into the death metal template. (One thing that needed no updating was Petrozza's hissing, scratchy voice, which of course predated, and no doubt influenced, death metal's Cookie Monster vocal style.) Proving just how wary (perhaps too wary) the studio was of current trends, Renewal also came slathered in industrial-metal techniques -- something that did not go over well with Kreator and was later blamed for the album's disappointing showing. The excruciatingly taxing touring commitments that followed took the band as far as South America, but understandably left them physically and creatively exhausted, prompting Petrozza to announce a protracted break to recover. Incredibly, Kreator's silence was only broken three years later with the release of 1995's, somewhat back to basics, Cause for Conflict -- their first effort for new label GUN Records. Hardly a successful comeback, the album found Kreator confused and uninspired -- hopelessly out of touch with the day's reigning extreme metal trends, and surely traumatized by the recent departure of both Fioretti and Ventor (they were replaced by bassist Christian Giesler and former Whiplash drummer Joe Cangelosi). Adding insult to injury, Noise Records chose exactly this difficult moment to release the Scenarios of Violence set -- a collection of live recordings and remixed old hits that seemed to declare Kreator's future prospects null and void.

Looking to remedy the band's tenuous situation, Petrozza called upon former Coroner guitar wizard Tommy Vetterli to help him guide Kreator into realms unknown, getting even further away from their roots on their next two albums, the highly experimental Outcast (1997) and Endorama (1999). Both of these veered into ever-slower pacing, added gothic and ambient elements, incorporated samples and loops, and even found Petrozza trying a few different singing styles on for size. But even though they met with certain critical acclaim and signaled Ventor's welcome return to Kreator's ranks, neither of these albums managed to re-ignite the band's career. Yet again, timely retrospective releases like 1999's Voices of Transgression (shedding light on the band's hit-and-miss second decade) and 2000's Past Life Trauma (a near-flawless wrap-up of their first decade) provided some consolation for disgruntled old fans who had long abandoned Kreator's floundering ship; but, unexpectedly, they also cleared the way for a rebirth of sorts.

This renaissance began to take shape following Vetterli's departure and the signing of a new record deal with Germany's SPV label. Simply put, Petrozza recommitted himself to thrash, and, after hiring Finnish-born second guitarist Sami Yli-Sirnio, proceeded to write Kreator's strongest album in years, with 2001's positively stunning Violent Revolution. In keeping with Kreator tradition, the consequent world tour became their most comprehensive and extensive ever. Thanks to Violent Revolution's great success, it served to reintroduce and reestablish Kreator as one of the world's premiere speed metal acts -- a feat that was commemorated with the group's first live album -- a lavish two-CD/DVD set appositely named (with some grammatical license) Live Kreation/Revisioned Glory -- a couple of years later. Surely already preparing for their 11th studio album, Kreator will probably never retire. ~ Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The gothic and occult themes associated with The Legacy and The New Order aren't nearly as prevalent on Testament's third album, Practice What You Preach. Instead, the thrash metallers place more emphasis on subjects like freedom of choice, political corruption, hypocrisy, and the effects of greed and avarice. One of Testament's most informative... [+] Read More

The gothic and occult themes associated with The Legacy and The New Order aren't nearly as prevalent on Testament's third album, Practice What You Preach. Instead, the thrash metallers place more emphasis on subjects like freedom of choice, political corruption, hypocrisy, and the effects of greed and avarice. One of Testament's most informative songs, the disturbing "Greenhouse Effect" takes a painfully honest look at environmental destruction. But while the band shifts its focus lyrically, its musical approach is much the same -- under the direction of metal producer Alex Perialas, Testament takes no prisoners and remains unapologetically abrasive. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Annihilator's brand of technical, thinking man's thrash metal garnered many fans with this fine debut, arguably the best release of the band's career. A brief acoustic guitar piece called "Crystal Ann" introduces the excellent title track: a psychological murder thriller supposedly based on a disturbed young girl's true story. Leader Jeff Waters... [+] Read More

Annihilator's brand of technical, thinking man's thrash metal garnered many fans with this fine debut, arguably the best release of the band's career. A brief acoustic guitar piece called "Crystal Ann" introduces the excellent title track: a psychological murder thriller supposedly based on a disturbed young girl's true story. Leader Jeff Waters takes himself a little too seriously at times (see the Edgar Allen Poe-influenced "Ligeia" and his ridiculously erudite commentary on each song's lyrics), but he is equally prone to refreshing flashes of humor on "Word Salad" and "Schizos are Never Alone." The spectacularly named Randy Rampage proves himself to be a versatile vocalist on "Wicked Mystic" and "Burns Lika Buzzsaw Blade" (seriously). The careening closer "Human Insecticide" is magnificent for its sheer speed. ~ Ed Rivadavia, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Comparable to Slayer, Megadeth, and Metallica, Testament is one of thrash metal's more accessible and best-known bands. Testament quickly earned respect in thrash circles with its debut album, The Legacy, a relentlessly heavy and promising effort focusing on such subjects as the occult, witchcraft, nuclear war, and global destruction. Though one... [+] Read More

Comparable to Slayer, Megadeth, and Metallica, Testament is one of thrash metal's more accessible and best-known bands. Testament quickly earned respect in thrash circles with its debut album, The Legacy, a relentlessly heavy and promising effort focusing on such subjects as the occult, witchcraft, nuclear war, and global destruction. Though one can hear the influence of Judas Priest and Metallica on bonecrushing numbers like "Burnt Offerings," "Apocalyptic City," and "First Strike Is Deadly," there's no question that Testament had a collective personality and vision of its own. Alex Perialas' production is superb -- well respected in metal circles, he obviously encouraged Testament to play hard and let it rip. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Voivod's third release, Killing Technology, still has elements of the band's early extreme metal sound, but they show hints of things to come -- namely, more mature and interesting songwriting. All you have to do is listen to the beginning of the appropriately titled "Tornado" to hear the young metal band grind and thrash with the best the '80s... [+] Read More

Voivod's third release, Killing Technology, still has elements of the band's early extreme metal sound, but they show hints of things to come -- namely, more mature and interesting songwriting. All you have to do is listen to the beginning of the appropriately titled "Tornado" to hear the young metal band grind and thrash with the best the '80s had to offer. There are several tracks that stretch past the six-minute mark (the opening title track, "Forgotten in Space," and "This Is Not an Exercise"), but Voivod knows how to hold interest during these extended pieces. The group is comprised of excellent musicians who have no problem whatsoever with the challenging song structures and odd time signatures that arise on Killing Technology. One of the band's all-time classics, "Ravenous Medicine," resides on this album, which makes it an essential purchase for Voivod fans. The group was still developing on Killing Technology, though -- vocalist Denis Belanger relies a bit too often on screaming rather than singing, something that he would work out on future releases. An interesting metal album nonetheless, one that doesn't sound too shabby years after its original release, something that's all too uncommon for the majority of metal acts from the '80s. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Widely considered the pinnacle of speed metal, Reign in Blood is Slayer's undisputed masterpiece, a brief (under half an hour) but relentless onslaught that instantly obliterates anything in its path and clears out just as quickly. Producer Rick Rubin gives the band a clear, punchy sound for the first time in its career, and they largely discard... [+] Read More

Widely considered the pinnacle of speed metal, Reign in Blood is Slayer's undisputed masterpiece, a brief (under half an hour) but relentless onslaught that instantly obliterates anything in its path and clears out just as quickly. Producer Rick Rubin gives the band a clear, punchy sound for the first time in its career, and they largely discard the extended pieces of Hell Awaits in favor of lean assaults somewhat reminiscent of hardcore punk (though distinctly metallic and much more technically demanding). Reign in Blood opens and closes with slightly longer tracks (the classics "Angel of Death" and "Raining Blood") whose slower riffs offer most of the album's few hints of melody. Sandwiched in between are eight short (all under three minutes), lightning-fast bursts of aggression that change tempo or feel without warning, producing a disjointed, barely controlled effect. The album is actually more precise than it sounds, and not without a sense of groove, but even in the brief slowdowns, the intensity never lets up. There may not be much variation, but it's a unified vision, and a horrific one at that. The riffs are built on atonal chromaticism that sounds as sickening as the graphic violence depicted in many of the lyrics, and Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman's demented soloing often mimics the screams of the songs' victims. It's monstrously, terrifyingly evocative, in a way that transcends Reign in Blood's metal origins. The album almost single-handedly inspired the entire death metal genre (at least on the American side of the Atlantic), and unlike many of its imitators, it never crosses the line into self-parodic overkill. Reign in Blood was a stone-cold classic upon its release, and it hasn't lost an ounce of its power today. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide [-] Hide