The difference, by ear
Crossover is hardcore played by people who learned thrash riffs. The tell is length - crossover is usually done inside two minutes and thrash takes five.
Both are shouted and move at much the same pace, around 180 to 250 bpm. Songs run longer in thrash metal: usually 4 to 6½ minutes, against 1 to 2½ minutes in crossover thrash. To hear the difference, play D.R.I. next to Metallica. Crossover thrash comes from the rock side of the tree and thrash metal from the metal side, and thrash metal came first, by a year.
In figures
Crossover thrash
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Crossover thrash
In short
The exact point where hardcore and thrash metal merge: metal riffs, skate-park attitude, mandatory circle pit.
How it sounds
- Thrash metal riffing inside hardcore structures and song lengths.
- Fast tempos with transitions into syncopated mosh parts.
- Lyrics that are often satirical or about the scene itself.
Key acts
- D.R.I.
- Suicidal Tendencies
- Municipal Waste
- S.O.D.
Start here
The pickSuicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized. The best song ever written about parents not listening.
Full page →Thrash metal
Where it sits
In short
NWOBHM plus hardcore punk: palm-muted riffs, brutal tempos and lyrics about war and society. The first truly extreme branch.
How it sounds
- Palm-muted riffs in sixteenths, played with relentless downpicking.
- Tempos of 180 to 250 bpm with skank beats and double kick.
- Barked or shouted but still intelligible vocals, and fast aggressive solos.
Key acts
- Metallica
- Slayer
- Megadeth
- Kreator
Start here
The pickSlayer - Reign in Blood. Twenty-nine minutes that redefined the word extreme.
Full page →