Best New Wave Thrash Metal Bands

The Top Ten
1 Havok Havok is an American thrash metal band from Denver, Colorado. Formed in 2004, their members currently consist of David Sanchez, Nick Schendzielos, Pete Webber, and Reece Scruggs.

Albums like Ride the Lightning, Rust in Peace, and The New Order blew my mind and got me into music. Then I spent the 2000s saying that there would never again be a life changing album or even a metal classic for that matter to come out. I just stuck with the thrash classics of the 80's. Then one day, I came across Time is Up by Havok and got the same feeling I had when listening to Megadeth or Metallica for the first time. This band completely restored my faith in good music and good thrash metal to reemerge. And sure enough, this decade is bringing us great albums from all thrash bands old and new. I may have never known that if it weren't for Havok. Since I heard Time is Up, havok became my favorite new wave band of all time.

I remember when these guys were still trying to form a band back on my space they had a demo of the room of evil and that song is like their version of fight fire with Fire

The best! A friend of mine is lead guitar for Havok and they rule! Seen them live a bunch of times and you're really missing out of you sleep on this rec.

There was a time when I thought that only old thrash bands, like Kreator or Testament, could do good thrash nowadays, I've never been so wrong.

2 Vektor Vektor is an American progressive thrash metal band from Tempe, Arizona. The band was formed under the name Locrian around June 2003, but changed their name to Vektor in 2004.

One of the only bands from the modern era to come up with an original sound, and it's good. The other ones are pretty much recycling what has been done before, even if it's good every now and then. Unfortunately, three members have left the band. However, I believe DiSanto (as the mastermind of the band and with the exposure of Vektor lately) will be able to find new members and continue the great work, keep it up!

Vektor deserves to be on top. They not only can play heavy music, but they could take elements of thrash, prog, and space music and put them together. They're like one of the few original thrash bands in modern days. Havok and a lot of others are cool and can make great music, but Vektor can take thrash to a new level. They should be the pioneers of space thrash.

Literally anyone who has ever heard Vektor would know that they deserve to be on top... They absolutely are the best modern thrash band and arguably one of the best of all time... Check out Charging/Recharging the void
Absolute masterpieces

Albums like Black Future and Outer Isolation were great, but Terminal Redux is Easily in my top 3 albums of all time, right up there with And Just For All, AEnema, Ride the Lightning and Reign in Blood. (I know those are like 5 but still Terminal Redux is definitely top 3)

3 Evile Evile are an English thrash metal band from Huddersfield, formed in 2004. The band's debut album, Enter the Grave, was produced by Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark and was released worldwide in 2007 by Earache Records to critical acclaim by fans and critics alike.

Great band, quite melodic in general and very interesting songs, with classic thrash sensibilities brought into new wave trash. Definitely top 5.

This was a tough choice between Evile, Skeletonwitch, and Lich King - but Evile has "Enter the Grave" which may be the best thrash album ever - so I gave them the nod. Really love the majority of the bands on this list. My top 3 are definitely Evile, Skeletonwitch, and Lich King but I also really like Havok, Vektor, and Warbringer.

EXACTLY! Evile absolutely deserves to be up at the top of this list. They don't have a lot of albums but the stuff they already have are comparable to the Big Four's material. EVILE RULES!

ONE OF THE BEST BANDS EVER! My favourite modern thrash band, their work is incredibly fantastic, enter the grave was probably the best album of the 2000s

4 Warbringer Warbringer is an American thrash metal band formed in 2004. Century Media Records signed Warbringer after seeing them at a local show in LA.

Awesome new wave thrash with great songwriting, and quite a few songs with good hooks. Great musical proficiency and sensibility. A top 5 new wave thrash band for sure.

War Without End as a whole just makes for a great listen. Even their instrumentals from other album are just very well made. Highly suggest giving them a listen. One of my favourites is definitely "Combat Shock" from War Without End.

Best modern thrash band out there maybe even just best thrash band out there after there new album woe to the vanquished came out

The single greatest thrash band to date. Absolute brutality and intensity in a relentless assault of riffs, drums, and roars

5 Municipal Waste Municipal Waste is a crossover thrash band from Richmond, Virginia. They performed at the UK's Download Festival on June 15, 2008. They also joined At the Gates on their "Suicidal Final Tour" along with Darkest Hour, Toxic Holocaust and Repulsion.

The best of new thrash bands great live band

Reminds me of early anthrax

6 Toxic Holocaust Toxic Holocaust is an American black/thrash metal band from Portland, Oregon, formed in 1999. The band has gained notoriety among the thrash metal community, and is arguably one of the most popular modern thrash metal bands. Toxic Holocaust also gained attention when their song "Bitch" was featured in Sons of Anarchy. They have released 5 full length albums and 4 EPs to date.

Amazing. Joel really did well with this band. Great live too I saw them with Napalm Death and Agnostic Front and they sounded the best in my opinion.

7 Skeletonwitch Skeletonwitch is an American blackened thrash metal band from Athens, Ohio, formed in 2003. The band currently consists of drummer Dustin Boltjes, bassist Evan Linger, and guitarists Nate Garnette and Scott Hedrick and vocalist Adam Clemans.

Deserves to be in the top 3. Serpents Unleashed is all I have to say. The first track to the last track is non stop, in your face, and doesn't let up. Beats Evile in my opinion. Skeletonwitch will burn a hole in your head

Skeletonwitch are awesome! Just listen to "Breathing the Fire" and tell me they don't deserve to be at or near the top of this list!

8 Lich King

Awesome new wave thrash band, with a pretty good sense of humour (at times) and awesome songs. Great and mosh-able bangers on all 5 of their albums, can't wait for their next one. Also a top 5 NWT band in my opinion.

Lich King has consistently improved with each album. Check out "Omniclasm", "Do-Over", and "Born of the Bomb" - their earlier stuff is pretty raw and poorly produced but their more recent albums kick major-ass. To quote the band: Lich King rules! Lich King has become my go-to Thrash band when I'm lifting weights or otherwise want to get pumped up (no pun intended). The most head-bangable music of the 21st century (in my opinion).

Just listen to Toxic Zombie Onslaught or Predator from the album Do-Over. Those songs give you the same feeling as listening Holy Wars... I love anything from Born of the Bomb and Do-Over. Also the cover of Hot for Teacher is amazing

Think Nuclear Assault combined with Exodus, but better. Agnosticism is easily better than even the classic Fade to Black

9 Hexen HeXeN is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 2003. Known for blending elements of classic thrash metal with more progressive influences, the band has carved a unique niche for itself. They have received critical acclaim for their musicianship, especially their complex song structures and thought-provoking lyrics that often touch upon socio-political issues. Although not as prolific as some of their contemporaries, their releases have been met with consistently positive reviews.

Not my favorite, but way too low on here. Both of their albums are excellent and Carlos Cruz of Warbringer was able to effectively showcase his melodic side. It's a shame that the band split up.

Best New Thrash Band ever. I love State of Insurgency

10 Bonded By Blood Bonded by Blood is an American thrash metal band, named after Exodus' debut album Bonded by Blood. Like its labelmates Evile, Gama Bomb, and Municipal Waste, Bonded by Blood is part of the thrash metal revival movement.

They sound a bit like Exodus(with Duxes), which is pretty obvious as we get from their name, with a little insparation of Old school thrash

The Contenders
11 Mantic Ritual Mantic Ritual was a thrash metal band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The band released their debut album through Nuclear Blast Records.

The vocals for mantic ritual are some f my favourite vocals out of any thrash band they are so good.

Gone too soon! If they came out in back in the day, they would have been one of the giants of thrash.

12 Exmortus Exmortus is an American extreme metal band formed in 2002, whose lyrics mostly deal with battles and war.

They are so good, should be in the list too

13 Violator

Absolutely killer thrash. They sound amazing, and blend the structure and framework of classic thrash with the relentlessness, speed and riffing of new wave thrash. Chemical Assault and Scenarios of Brutality are amazing, the EP Annihilation Process is pretty damn good too and has some songs with great hooks (though the guitar tone's a bit bad as well as the general production). Awesome, and definitely a top 5 new wave thrash band.

This band so new wave of thrash metal, they got it

Simply great Thrash!

14 Gama Bomb Gama Bomb is a thrash metal band based in Northern Ireland. Their 2009 album Tales from the Grave in Space was one of the first albums ever released as a completely free download while signed to a record label.

This band deserves to be in the top 5. Awesome front man, shredding guitars and crushing rhythm with fun lyrics about scifi and horror.

Gama Bomb Should be on top of the list good rift & better solo

Funny + heavy = entertain

15 Revocation Revocation is an American technical death metal band from Boston, Massachusetts founded by guitarist and vocalist David Davidson, bassist and vocalist Anthony Buda and drummer Phil Dubois-Coyne in 2000.
16 Suicidal Angels

Honestly the best new wave thrash band. Every album is insanely good. They have great songs with very good writing; impeccable album flow and just about every single song they've made slaps. Best thrash discography of maybe any band (second Slayer). Super heavy, melodic, fast and enjoyable.

Greatest greek band ever. Listen to apokathilosis, begger of scorn, bleeding holocaust, dead again.

Division of Blood is a Great Album

17 Fueled By Fire

Fueled By Fire are one of my favorite Thrash bands... period. They sort of have a Death Angel sound, but pushed to the extreme.

18 Hatchet

Great and underrated one of the best newer bands

Needs to be higher up.

Amazing band.

Way too low

19 Vortex
20 Dust Bolt

Even better thane evile and havok

Listen to
Toxic attack

And

Agent thrash

The best with lost society *-*

21 Ghoul Ghoul is a thrash/death metal band from Oakland, California. Though the members' actual identities are meant to be concealed, it is known that some members or past members of Ghoul also play or have played in other bands such as Impaled, Dystopia, Wolves in the Throne Room, Exhumed, Phobia, Asunder and Morbosidad.
22 Angelus Apatrida

They are the best because sometimes sound like Megadeth, Slayer, Pantera or Sepultura but never like as a copy, they are so original group much quality.

One of the best New Wave Thrash band in my opinion. they make a Thrash influenced by Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica. Their 2 first albums are good Thrash (with groove influences), the third is excellent, and their last is... PERFECT!
Good riffs, awesome vocals, kick ass soli! They are the best New Wave Thrash!

Solid, fun. Great songwriting.

Should be way higher

23 Black Fast Black Fast was an American technical thrash metal band founded in St. Louis, Missouri in 2010. Their music features fast tempos, intricate guitar work, and aggressive vocals, drawing inspiration from classic thrash metal bands of the '80s. Lyrically, they often touch upon themes of existentialism and social critique. Although they disbanded in 2019, Black Fast left a lasting impact on the modern thrash metal scene.
24 Tantara

Based On Evil is a brilliant thrash album and is so underrated!

Both albums are so good

25 Lazarus A.D.
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