The difference, by ear
Technical thrash is where the Bay Area's ambition ends up: shifting metres, jazz harmony and structures that stop being verse-chorus.
Both are shouted and move at much the same pace, around 160 to 240 bpm. To hear the difference, play Metallica next to Voivod. Both grew out of thrash metal, Bay Area thrash first and technical thrash five years after.
In figures
Bay Area thrash
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Thrash metal › Bay Area thrash
In short
The original epicentre: technical riffing, clearer production and a little more melody.
How it sounds
- Technical riffing and elaborate structures with many sectional changes.
- Clearer production than the German variant, with audible bass.
- Barked vocals that turn melodic in places, with singalong choruses.
Key acts
- Metallica
- Exodus
- Testament
- Death Angel
Start here
The pickExodus - Bonded by Blood. Recorded in 1984, released late, and it held up anyway.
Full page →Technical thrash
Where it sits
Heavy metal › Thrash metal › Technical thrash
In short
Thrash with dissonant chords, odd meters and bass up front. The bridge between thrash and progressive metal.
How it sounds
- Dissonant chords and unusual intervals, with the bass in a contrapuntal role.
- Odd meters and structures that never repeat.
- Riffs assembled like puzzles, demanding high individual technique.
Key acts
- Voivod
- Watchtower
- Coroner
- Atheist
Start here
The pickVoivod - Nothingface. It includes a Pink Floyd cover that makes perfect sense.
Full page →