The difference, by ear
Thrash is NWOBHM plus hardcore, and the tell is the picking hand: thrash palm-mutes and downpicks where this rings open and gallops.
Thrash metal is shouted where NWOBHM is sung cleanly, and faster: 180 to 250 bpm against 140 to 190. To hear the difference, play Iron Maiden next to Metallica. Both grew out of heavy metal, NWOBHM first and thrash metal four years after.
In figures
NWOBHM
Where it sits
In short
New Wave of British Heavy Metal: punk speed, twin guitar harmonies and self-releasing on a large scale. The textbook every thrash band studied.
How it sounds
- Twin guitars harmonised in thirds - the wave's technical signature.
- Faster tempos than the 1970s, with Steve Harris's galloping bass technique.
- Cheap, usually self-funded production and seven-inch singles on local labels.
Key acts
- Iron Maiden
- Saxon
- Diamond Head
- Angel Witch
Start here
The pickDiamond Head - Am I Evil? The riff that half of thrash was born from.
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 →