The Top 10 Thrash Albums of 2025

The Top 10 Thrash albums is a new list, as I felt the need to separate these from the Top 10 Mainstream metal albums list, which is becoming more commercial metal-core, nu-metal revival or even legacy artists who fall between those cracks. Some of these are bands who have made death metal albums previously or even black metal, but are closer to thrash than the genres they evolved from. If there were going to be any power-metal albums, they would most likely fall within the bounds of this list or the progressive list, though that genre is pretty stagnant without the big names releasing albums with enough regularity.

 

 After I sort through the top 10 albums of all the respective genres, I use those lists to compile the top 10 albums of  2025.The very fact these bands made it on the list speaks to how great these albums are, so it's not a slight that the number 8 album is above the 9th album, there is something that just gives it an edge that makes me want to listen to it more. After all, we can try to look cool and pick the hippest bands for a list, but at the end of the day what makes an album the best is that it makes you want more, you look forward to listening to it again. Perhaps you can find your next favorite on this list; and have included links to reviews of these albums if you want to check out the audio on these guys. Anyway here are the top 10 Thrash albums of 2025.

10-Spirit World-"Helldorado" 

Despite being called "Deathwestern" the band's 2022 only used country & western music as a window dressing to perhaps bookend the album with. This time around it's blended to create a more Clutch-like swagger. This leaves the more metallic meat of the songs to groove with a darker energy.

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/03/spiritworld-helldorado.html

9-Drain-",,,Is Your Friend" 

Drain continues to take you back to the time when thrash merged with hardcore. The vocals have more of a Pantera-like scowl this time around. The songs have room to breathe and emote, rather than just hitting you with a rapid-fire pummel. They bring pretty effective breakdowns that will make the kids bust out karate, during this vulgar display of power 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/11/drain-is-your-friend.html

8-Sacrafice -"Volume Six" 

This Canadian thrash band has been around since the 80s but never caught on like Voivod. They picked a decent time to stage a comeback with their 6th album. The the producer brought out elements of their sound that points them in a more Power Trip - like this direction. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/sacrifice-volume-six.html

 

7-Unleashed-"Fire Upon Your Lands" 

I saw this Swedish  band back in 1991 opening up for Morbid Angel. I tracked down " Where No Life Dwells' within the week, and wore that tape out as it was a darker, more dense sound than other death metal albums I owned at the time. Since those days, they have evolved into something more like a hard thrashing  Pagan metal as they have become more Viking-focused. They are quick to take you to Valhalla  it is clear they care about songwriting as conveyed in the powerful stomp  the drums lock in on. Lyrically things feel like they are almost too thematic, but I guess everyone has their thing. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/unleashed-fire-upon-your-lands.html

6-Testament - "Para Bellum" 

This marks the band's first album with Seven Spires drummer Chris Dovas, whose youthful exuberance gets the job done, even though you might prefer Gene Hoglan. Bassist Steve Di Giorgio, who goes back to "The Gathering," returns as well. . The emphasis tends to be on the rapid-fire style of thrashing, though they do return to their more signature groove, that makes the most  Chuck Billy's powerful voice, that is  also capable of melody,. His singing is one of the signature staples that set the band apart from the pack. It still works here.

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/10/testament-para-bellum.html

 

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5-Propaghandi- "At Peace" 

There are weird contradictions in life. One of them being for someone who does not like political punk, I do like this band. Perhaps it's because they are from Canada it hits differently. They have a brooding metallic edge to their sound that is perhaps brought out even more in the production of "At Peace," which is the band's 8th album. The urgency of the vocal opens the door for taunt, thrashing riffing, not is not a far cry from Bad Religion. I think the fact that they are so technically sound as musicians rather than guys banging four chords helps factor into why I like them so much. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/04/propaghandi-at-peace.html

4-Age of Apocalypse -"In Oblivion"  

 I loved "Grim Wisdom," so expectations are high for this one. There is more of a thrash feel, until things slow and get more moody and melodic. The lingering Life of Agony vibe is still there but they are e covering way more ground sonically this time around. Their cross-over sound brings  punishing accents to pound you with what some might consider breakdowns. They sell the the melancholy while rocking the fuck out, which is what I liked about Life of Agony, that winning combination works equally well here. 

 https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/05/age-of-apocalypse-in-oblivion.html

3-Hooded Menace- ""Lachrymose Monuments of Obscuration"

This band band from Finland improves with each album. Their last album, "The Tritonus Bell," snagged the number 3 spot in the Top 10 Death Metal albums of 2021 list here, but things have changed. What strikes me about this album is how melodic the guitar playing has grown. It is more of a tribute to classic metal with plenty of riffs that sound like they could have come from a King Diamond album, so that, of course, wins me over. The biggest difference is that the vocals are a more one-dimensional growl, though they are delivered with a great deal of purpose, and the lyrics can still be comprehended through the rasp, which is not unlike bands like Sodom or Kreator. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/08/hooded-menace-lachrymose-monuments-of.html

2-NITE-"Cult of the Serpent Sun" 

The third album from this San Franciso metal band. They walk a line between black metal and traditional metal. I can hear where Tribulation might have occupied a similar sonic space at one time if they had not turned into a goth band. The snarled vocals  give them more of a black metal sound, as you could have someone with their foot on the monitor yodeling and it would sound like a different ballgame. You can draw comparisons to bands like Angel Witch in this regard. Almost playing the kind of deliberate galloping thrash that evolved from bands like Saxon.

 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/01/nite-cult-of-serpent-sun.html

1- Coroner - "Dissonance Theory"

The band's first album in 32 years. Things are different in many ways, though they do not sound like they are in their 60s. Weirdly, Marquis Marky is not behind the kit, leaving Ron Royce and Tommy Baron as the only original members who feel more pronounced as a trio. Their new drummer, Diego, certainly pulls it all off. This is not them trying to recapture their 80s sound. Nor should they. A big difference lies in how forward Royce's vocals are in the mix, as he used to sit back in the guitars more, certainly having grown more confident in what he does.  You can hear how they influence bands like Meshuggah. This album grew on me with each listen, and it's clear they are more vital now than ever. 

https://abysmalhymns.blogspot.com/2025/09/coroner-dissonance-theory.html

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Drain : "...Is Your Friend'

 

Drain continues to take you back to the time when thrash merged with hardcore. The vocals have more of a Pantera-like scowl this time around. They give the song room to breathe and emote, rather than just hitting you with a rapid-fire pummel. They end things with a pretty effective breakdown that will make the kids bust out karate. They continue their vulgar display of power on the second song. I had to go back and read my review of the last album to see if they were this metal on the last album, and it seems they were. It is also a fair indication that I did not listen to the last album a ton, or I would have just remembered this myself. They are harder-core than, say, fellow Pantera worshippers Lamb of God, though they are writing much catchier riffs this time around, as heard on "Everything and Nothing". 

They pick things up to more of a thrashing speed on "Nothing But Love."  They keep the riffs catchy enough. The guitarist flexes his chops a little more on "Can't Be Bothere,d" though he is far from Dime Bag. They do care about songwriting. The first more modern-leaning metalcore sound begins to come to life on "Loudest in the Room", though despite being more bass-driven, it still owes plenty to thrash.  The vocals feel a little purposeful, and more anger is being expelled.  The gallop in with the Cowboys from Hell on "Nights Like These". I appreciate the groove. 

"Until Next Time" finds sung vocals taking center stage, which gives things more of an Avenged Sevenfold pop punk feel. But it works as a song, and brings much-needed expansion of vocal colors to the table. The more Avenged Sevenfold feel to the groove of "Darkest Days". The riffs carry a great deal of purpose, and I can hear how this album is going to elevate them in the Big Rock Festival Circuit./ I will give this album a 9 as it is a success and should find the band's trajectory benefiting, not sure how much actual rotation it will get from me in the long run, as I will prolly just listen to Pantera, as this album is not really dark enough for my personal tastes. Thanks for reading, give a listen to the song below, and please "like" and share on social media to give music a voice https://www.facebook.com/abysmalhymns Check out our Podcast here ... https://www.youtube.com/@abysmalhymns666

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DRAIN : "Living Proof"

I am in the process of trying to catch up on all of the hard core albums I might have missed out on earlier in the year. The first thing that strikes me about how this Santa Cruz band opens their album is how influenced they are by Pantera. They have a punk energy to them, but the second song feels more like thrash meets nu-metal in places, as the first riff has an almost White Zombie like groove to it. The whole song does not hook you in like the first. It's a good thing these songs are averaging around two minutes, so they are not boring me yet despite dishing out much of the same flavor when it comes to "Devil's Itch". It has a cool groove here and there, but the rule for this blog that applies to every genre is "Cool riffs alone does not a good song make". 

I will say I just reviewed the new Buggin album, and I can say these guys are more convincing than the Chicago band. DRAIN is hands down more in your face and aggressive. Their riffs are also more biting. Even when they are throwing them at you in a manner that is not their most inspired. They do cram a great deal of those riffs into these compact songs. Ironically going into "Imposter" they say "imitation is the lowest form of flattery" , which is funny as I would not say these guys are all that original. They have many strengths as a band and originality is not one of those strengths. The hip hop intermission is an odd choice but it does offer another sonic color. The thrash grooves they answer this verse with is pretty stock break down thrash.

The buckle down and head bang into a taunt groove for "Weight of the World" The screamed exclamations of their vocalist work well most of the time, sometimes he drops down into more of a growled accent. Sometimes it is more of a rasped scream. "Watch You Burn" is what metal core meant in the 90s, as it leans into the Pantera vibes again, though coupled with a break down feel. There is actual singing when they cover "Good Good Things" by the Descendants. They should have incorporated more of what makes this work so well, which is melody into the other songs.  The title track that closes the album just stomps to double down on what they have already made it known they do. I will round this down to an 8, might not be the most original thing I have heard, but it is fun.