Top 10 Thrash Metal Albums of 2025
- Jay
- Jan 1
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 3
So, after watching one of the best Xmas movies of all time: Die Hard (part 2, too!), and afterwards shooting yourself in the face with some rockets its time to start thrashin'!
➓ Self Inflicted - Terrors of a Demented Mind THRASH METAL FOR FANS OF: RANCOR, NASTY SAVAGE, DEATH THRASH-O-METER ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ SONGWRITING ★★★★★★★★☆☆ THEMES ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ LONGEVITY ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ PRODUCTION ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ THRASHABILITY Third sophomore record on the list: bigger and smarter with longer cuts, sudden gear-changes, and a restless, almost prog-brained urge to swerve mid-riff. It rips and it grows! |
➒ Deathhammer - Crimson Dawn BLACKENED THRASH METAL FOR FANS OF: NIFELHEIM, DESTRUCTION THRASH-O-METER ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ SONGWRITING ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ THEMES ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ LONGEVITY ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ PRODUCTION ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ THRASHABILITY Tremospeeeeeed! Nasty as it is evilous! There is a special kind of place for this kind of niche sh!t that just warms an old thrasher's heart. Cover picture is gold. |
➑ Struck A Nerve - Struck A Nerve CROSSOVER / THRASH METAL FOR FANS OF: WARBRINGER, POWER TRIP THRASH-O-METER ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ SONGWRITING ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ THEMES ★★★★★★★★☆☆ LONGEVITY ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ PRODUCTION ★★★★★★★★★☆ THRASHABILITY There's a special kind of assault here that borderlines the crossoverish regions. A vile uppercut that's guaranteed to thrash your day! |
➐ Eternal Warrior - Witching Thrash SPEED / BLACKENED THRASH METAL FOR FANS OF: BEWITCHER, VULTURE, NIFELHEIM THRASH-O-METER ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ SONGWRITING ★★★★★★★★☆☆ THEMES ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ LONGEVITY ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ PRODUCTION ★★★★★★★★☆☆ THRASHABILITY A cracked-knuckle love letter to filthy speed-thrash: sharp turns, crowd-chant hooks, and pacing tricks that keeps the momentum nasty! |
➏ Victim - Nuclear Nightmare THRASH METAL FOR FANS OF: KREATOR, METALLICA THRASH-O-METER ★★★★★★★★☆☆ SONGWRITING ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ THEMES ★★★★★★★★☆☆ LONGEVITY ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ PRODUCTION ★★★★★★★★☆☆ THRASHABILITY Half of the time you're thinking that if Manowar made thrash metal it'd be this sh!t. But they wouldn't make a song about Police brutality - and its one helluva song! |
➎ Psykosis - Mind Games MELODIC THRASH METAL FOR FANS OF: OVERKILL, ERADICATOR, MUNICIPAL WASTE
THRASH-O-METER ★★★★★★★★☆☆ SONGWRITING ★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ THEMES ★★★★★★★★☆☆ LONGEVITY ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ PRODUCTION ★★★★★★★★☆☆ THRASHABILITY Another sophomore success on the list bolting you to the ground and running you over with a grin. Classic-minded, loud-as-hell with a plenty of flashy fretwork! |
➍ Violator - Unholy Retribution BLACKENED THRASH METAL FOR FANS OF: POSSESSED, MORBID SAINT, EXODUS, SLAYER
THRASH-O-METER ★★★★★★★★☆☆ SONGWRITING ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ THEMES ★★★★★★★★★☆ LONGEVITY ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ PRODUCTION ★★★★★★★★★☆ THRASHABILITY These fellas crawled out of a burn pit with sharp riffs, pacing ruthlessness, and spiraling into blackened boot to your teeth. |
➌ Night Prowler - Bleeding Me Dry HEAVY / THRASH METAL FOR FANS OF: KING DIAMOND BITCHES!!!! THRASH-O-METER ★★★★★★★★★☆ SONGWRITING ★★★★★★★★★☆ THEMES ★★★★★★★★★☆ LONGEVITY ★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆ PRODUCTION ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ THRASHABILITY I friggin' love this thing. This one man show is less "pure thrash" and more a theatrical heavy metal fever dream with speed bursts. Campy as fuck, sinister as hell, and just ridiculously fun! |
➋ Warfield - With the Old Breed BLACKENED THRASH METAL FOR FANS OF: WRAITH, BÜTCHER, KREATOR THRASH-O-METER ★★★★★★★★☆☆ SONGWRITING ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ THEMES ★★★★★★★★★☆ LONGEVITY ★★★★★★★☆☆☆ PRODUCTION ★★★★★★★★★☆ THRASHABILITY Sophomore leveling up action at its damned finest. Sulfur-stained riffs mutilate like a pressure boiler at its worst (finest). This is some nasty shreddage!
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➊ Centaurus - The Regime MELODIC THRASH METAL
FOR FANS OF: MEGADETH, METALLICA, DEATH ANGEL
THRASH-O-METER ★★★★★★★★★☆ SONGWRITING ★★★★★★★★☆☆ THEMES ★★★★★★★★★☆ LONGEVITY ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆ PRODUCTION ★★★★★★★★☆☆ THRASHABILITY Properly astonishing debut and just a thoroughly fucking wonderful thrash metal album. Melodic, assertive and fresh. The rancorous, downcast fists might be a matter of acquired taste - but that's on you. 2025 belongs to these young fellas - game over everyone else! |
Now that the year is actually over and pretty much all thrash metal albums are out - it was time to finish this Top 10 of best thrash metal albums for 2025. Some albums I simply didn't get to because a) I'm not aware of them, and b) they ain't in Spotify. So, there's that.
Regardless of 2025 being a bit of a letdown in the thrash department I did listen to a crapton of thrash.
These albums here have been blastin' throughout the year and my opinion has sharpened or might've changed slightly; I've reviewed most of them - some I haven't yet had time to. One, for example, was released in December just awhile ago and I still haven't written my thoughts on Coroner's return either - it was alright. I suppose that if this thing'd been a Top 20 I might've actually fitted all the albums I really, really spent time this year into it - but its not.
Onwards to 2026 - hopefully it shrrrreds!
your pal,
Jay



