Nita Strauss, Extreme, Overkill, Winger and Ad Infinitum are among the others who appear on Fred Phillips’ Best of 2023 hard rock and metal albums list.

I wanted to offer up some quick thoughts on my favorite records of the first half of 2023 because it has been a strong year.

Thrash was a wide genre, and there are great, pioneering bands that rarely get recognition in the wider music world.