When I think of “Crossover Thrash,” I think of bands like Vektor that push the musical boundaries of Thrash Metal forward or in some direction. You know, like Voivod or Vektor.

But as I just found out, Crossover Thrash is a (hybrid) genre in its own right, one that specifically blends Thrash Metal with elements of old school U.S. Hardcore Punk. (This is not to be confused with British Punk, which is slower in speed. Also, the typical U.S. Hardcore Punk sound is characterized by short sharp bursts of riffing that are followed by “breakdowns,” i.e. bridge sections in which nothing of note happens.) Because of that Crossover Thrash is often confused with Thrashcore. But the latter blends Thrash Metal with the more technical and complex, sped-up style of new school Hardcore. But one thing they have in common – neither hold a candle to good old-fashioned Thrash Metal.

Crossover Thrash logos look like Punk logos – but with constraints. And they often seem to feature an ironic pictorial image. Because you know, these bands are all extremely ironic. Indeed, S.O.D., the originators of the genre, were one big joke. I mean, literally it was “one big inside joke,” according to band founder Scott Ian (of Anthrax fame).¹

When recording Anthrax’s 1985 album Spreading the Disease, Ian got bored waiting around in the studio when he had finished recording his guitar tracks. In order to quench the boredom, he started drawing cartoons, which is how he came up with a “crusty-faced ghoul in an army officer named Sergeant D.”² But seemingly that wasn’t enough to make time go by. So, “Ian then started writing hyperspeed riffs and hardcore songs that were ninety seconds long.” Finally he decided to put 1 and 2 together and “make a band out of Sgt. D and his stockpile of crazy riffs, calling it Stormtroopers of Death, or S.O.D. for short.”

Some Crossover Thrash bands to check out:

• Corrosion of Conformity
  • Band information
  • Spotify
• S.O.D. (Stormtroopers of Death)
  • Band information
  • Spotify
• Suicidal Tendencies
  • Band information
  • Spotify

Related (sub)genre(s):

Reference(s):

[1] S. Ian. I’m the Man: The Story of That Guy from Anthrax, 2014.

[2] D. Konow. Bang Your Head: The Rise and Fall of Heavy Metal, p. 238, 2002.

Take me back to the sample overview.