Too many to poll, so just state yours alongside any arguments.

I started to mull this over in response to that Slayer thread because, over time, I'd offer the blazing hot take that War Ensemble > Angel of Death.

By its nature, I guess thrash leans even heavier than most genres on full-bore corker opening tracks. Right out of the blocks and no fucking about. Tough to crown the King here....

Battery. Verse riff is possibly my fave metallica have ever done, mega heavy and dynamic at the same time (and yeah lars's cooky drumming is a big part of that)

A_Man_Who_Tries wrote: Sat Aug 06, 2022 2:48 am I'd offer the blazing hot take that War Ensemble > Angel of Death.

I can see that argument...

Initially I thought 'Angel of Death' for sheer shock and awe, 'Fight Fire with Fire' also rips, but my brain then also served up 'Last Act of Defiance' (..."Am I my brother's keeper?" RIFF RIFF RIFF DRUMS DRUMS DRUMS FASTER FASTER FASTER) and 'Among the Living' (really well arranged introduction that covers a lot of ground and styles before the vocals kick in and sorta ruin the song; 'Seemingly Endless Time' also falls into this category.)

I'll give it Exodus.

Wake Up Dead is a tightly-wound trip with a punishing, gnarled, and excitable outro. And speaking of Exodus I'll give props to "Deranged." Not the most aggressive, but like "Wake Up Dead" the onslaught is tense and skittish.

Fight Fire With Fire was the first thrash song I ever heard, and I can still remember that moment perfectly (I've forgotten most of the ensuing 40-ish years). Battery also rips. Hell, so does Blackened.

But Wake Up Dead, there's no other songs like that. I give this crown to Dave.

That first song on Death Angel's debut is a killer too, those guys were by far the most interesting of the JV squad/second wave bands IMO.

As far as thrashing is concerned, hard to top “Battery”.

I like “Wake Up Dead” better… lyrical content, and the riff and tempo change near the end… but it doesn’t thrash like “Battery”.

S.O.D.'s "March of the S.O.D." is up there. The onomatopoeic aspects are fantastic too.

"Khomaniac" by Artillery.

The rest of the record doesn't fit properly into thrash, but if we're talking opening salvos, then "Forkboy" deserves a mention.

enframed wrote: Sat Aug 06, 2022 1:25 pm S.O.D.'s "March of the S.O.D." is up there.

Oh that's a good one. No shortage of classic riffs on that record. I always liked that way better than any of the Anthrax records.