- Aug 18, 2002
- 9,421
- 16
- 38
ive never been able to pin down the difference between thrash and speed metal. can anyone clear this up for me?
~gR~
~gR~
whats the difference between thrash and speed metal?
- Thread starter genocide roach
- Start date
Oceanic Motion
Member
Profanity
The Post Master
Thrash is more agressive in delivery and uses more distortion. Thrash has a more intense drum sound.
Dead Winter
STAHP
This is correct. A primary example of a typical thrash metal album is Slayer's "Reign in Blood". An example of the quintessential speed metal album would be Metallica's "Master of Puppets". Thrash has a more abrasive sound...riffs are everywhere and usually has more change-ups within the song. Speed metal kinda has a flow to it, more of a direction if you will.
Life Sucks
and then you die
Most thrash can be referred to as speed metal too, but you can't really say that most speed metal can be referred to as thrash. For example, early Blind Guardian and early Helloween is speed metal, but it is not thrash. It is less agressive, less dark, and cleaner sounding than thrash. However, early Metallica, Testament, Anthrax, Megadeth, etc. can be referred to as speed metal, but it is definitely thrash.
chemicalburn
Banned in 40 Countries!
dethrock666
Mum says im cool
so by this logic is thrash basically a 'nastier' version of speed metal?
where do bands like motorhead and the exploited fit here ive heared of them being reffered to as thrash is this a different understanding of the genre or ....
where do bands like motorhead and the exploited fit here ive heared of them being reffered to as thrash is this a different understanding of the genre or ....
I agree with Lifesucks' description.
Regardless, Motorhead and Accept were proto-thrash. Their raw delivery and faster tempos were really the blueprint for early thrash. But...it's not all they did. In Motorhead's case they also wrote many bluesy songs, and of course much midtempo stuff. The "proto-thrash" numbers of theirs would have been stuff like "Overkill", "The Hammer" for example. Heavy on double bass, and far from clean guitar tone. With Accept, "Fast As a Shark" is prime proto-thrash. In their case too they played other styles too, much mid-tempo pounding. Metallica were really the first all-thrash/speed band, as that's pretty much all they did. You can see them call Motorhead a huge influence in many early interviews.
Regardless, Motorhead and Accept were proto-thrash. Their raw delivery and faster tempos were really the blueprint for early thrash. But...it's not all they did. In Motorhead's case they also wrote many bluesy songs, and of course much midtempo stuff. The "proto-thrash" numbers of theirs would have been stuff like "Overkill", "The Hammer" for example. Heavy on double bass, and far from clean guitar tone. With Accept, "Fast As a Shark" is prime proto-thrash. In their case too they played other styles too, much mid-tempo pounding. Metallica were really the first all-thrash/speed band, as that's pretty much all they did. You can see them call Motorhead a huge influence in many early interviews.
ffanatic
Pleonexian Antigenesis
I've always thought the difference the emphasis on melody. Like thrash and speed sound similar but speed has more of an emphasis on melody, particularly in the vocals (sing-along chorus structure, stuff like that), whereas thrash does not.
Thrash is heavily influenced by hardcore punk & much dirtier than speed metal, which is traditional metal played really fast.
DEEK
Member
Hm, i used to think that there wasn't a difference. Then i thought that 'thrash' was used to describe the more 'technical' bands, and 'speed' the less technical. Now, i have no idea, heh.
None_So_Vile
Malign Paradigm
Ive always thought they were just two different names for the same thing really, ah well, whatever
ffanatic
Pleonexian Antigenesis
My opinon on this matter is as follows:
Speed Metal is fast heavymetal with clean vocals.
Thrash is fast heavymetal with a little bit ruffer vocals and more riffchanges.
I consider Anthrax - Spreading the Disease and Judas Priest - Painkiller as speed metal.
And Sodom - Agent Orange and Metallica - Kill `Em All as thrash.
Speed Metal is fast heavymetal with clean vocals.
Thrash is fast heavymetal with a little bit ruffer vocals and more riffchanges.
I consider Anthrax - Spreading the Disease and Judas Priest - Painkiller as speed metal.
And Sodom - Agent Orange and Metallica - Kill `Em All as thrash.
anonymousnick2001
World's Greatest Vocalist
^That says it.
Iron Maiden - Aces High also counts as speed metal, whereas The Crown and Sepultura, definitely thrash.
Iron Maiden - Aces High also counts as speed metal, whereas The Crown and Sepultura, definitely thrash.
PrincessHades
Active Member
- Apr 11, 2015
- 2,903
- 1,287
- 113
- 24
In the mid 70s, heavy metal started getting very fast.
Bands to play faster such as Judas Priest and Motorhead were the first of these fast heavy metal bands.
They invented what would be known as speed metal.
Speed metal has a very fast, all out sound. The songs built on nothing but speed.
In the early 80s, bands like Accept and Anvil added more melodic it's to it, and other bands like Metallica and Megadeth made it more complicated and technical, and much more aggressive.
This more aggressive speed metal is called thrash metal.
It is thrashy.
Listen to a song like Exciter by Judas Priest.
Listen to any early Megadeth or Metallica song, that is thrash metal.
The proper term for thrash metal is speed metal, so it would be better to just call them all speed metal.
Groove metal is also similar, but it is the thrashy speed metal that they call thrash metal slowed down.
Like Pantera.
Bands to play faster such as Judas Priest and Motorhead were the first of these fast heavy metal bands.
They invented what would be known as speed metal.
Speed metal has a very fast, all out sound. The songs built on nothing but speed.
In the early 80s, bands like Accept and Anvil added more melodic it's to it, and other bands like Metallica and Megadeth made it more complicated and technical, and much more aggressive.
This more aggressive speed metal is called thrash metal.
It is thrashy.
Listen to a song like Exciter by Judas Priest.
Listen to any early Megadeth or Metallica song, that is thrash metal.
The proper term for thrash metal is speed metal, so it would be better to just call them all speed metal.
Groove metal is also similar, but it is the thrashy speed metal that they call thrash metal slowed down.
Like Pantera.
Pagan Savior
Member
- Mar 21, 2015
- 182
- 2
- 16
viewerfromnihil
Vein-Marbled Tower
TechnicalBarbarity
Poser Disposer
no country for old wainds
Active Member
- Nov 23, 2002
- 26,680
- 9,655
- 113
the anus guys always used to argue that 'thrash' was a separate entity from speed metal rooted more in hardcore, led by the likes of DRI, CoC, suicidal tendencies etc. they grouped all the bands we tend to consider thrash staples under the banner of speed metal. i was never really sure if this had historical basis, terminology-wise, or they were just being provocative.
anyways, i've never found 'speed metal' to be a particularly interesting or useful genre definition - it's more like halfway-house between heavy/power and thrash than a distinct movement. that said, the likes of agent steel and exciter are definitive examples of what's commonly referred to as 'speed metal'.
anyways, i've never found 'speed metal' to be a particularly interesting or useful genre definition - it's more like halfway-house between heavy/power and thrash than a distinct movement. that said, the likes of agent steel and exciter are definitive examples of what's commonly referred to as 'speed metal'.
Similar threads
