It’s not until you actually start combing through the hundreds of records you’ve listened to over a decade that you realize how daunting the task really is.

As you go through my Best Hard Rock and Metal of 2016 list, you’ll see why I’m calling it the year of the classic thrash band.

For hard rock and metal, 2012 certainly wasn’t the best year that I can remember. In all honesty, there were only a few albums that came across my desk that really excited me. You May Also Like: Metal Church – XI (2016) Pantera – ‘Power Metal’ (1988): Forgotten Series WhyRead More

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

While most thrash bands have gone through identity crises since the ’80s ended, few of them have come out of that period as strong as Testament.