r/thrashmetal

It's me again, the guy formerly known as Thrash Metal Maniac on various message boards and websites circa 2001 - 2006. This might be the last month I issue one of these REPORT CARDS for now because I recently discovered that I can only see my comments on NWOOSTM's channel when I'm signed in to YouTube. Since no one else can see them, that means anyone who reads these REPORT CARDS can no longer easily verify my work by clicking their videos and seeing my specific comments on every release, including why I didn't count some as old school thrash. Listing every release for a month and copying all my comments into a post would be a lot more time-consuming than making these REPORT CARDS has been so far since they post releases almost every day. I don't want to issue REPORT CARDS loaded with unsubstantiated claims.

Although, I must admit to being somewhat surprised that the reaction here, when it hasn't been personal insults aimed at me just for writing these, has been mostly people defending a channel with this name posting barely more than half actual old school thrash. I don't think anyone has tried to argue that all these releases that I pointed out don't fit that description are somehow old school thrash after all.

I do find it a bit humorous that NWOOSTM changed their settings so that only I can see my comments on their videos. I never hurled insults at anyone, I simply analyzed music and gave an opinion about it. I can understand taking that kind of action if someone is being verbally abusive, but it seems an extreme response to someone simply pointing out when music is not old school thrash. This time, I posted my comments below so you can judge for yourself how offensive they were.

It's probably also worth noting that almost every month I posted these, at least one person said that they did not know about this channel and thanked me for making them aware of it. So by blocking my commentary and making it harder for me to do these, they are losing some free advertising, but I guess I offended them by pointing out the non-thrash albums so it is what it is.

Now for what you've all been waiting for with bated breath, the REPORT CARD Grade!

Out of 30 releases posted by the so-called New Wave Of Old School Thrash Metal channel on YouTube last month, only 22 were actually old school thrash metal. Still, I continue to follow the channel because it's less time-consuming than individually tracking down every current old school thrash band out there one at a time.

Also counted against them in this score are old school thrash releases posted by NWOTHM Full Albums on YouTube that they did not post, since I know NWOOSTM follows them, which makes these deliberate choices to deny these bands more exposure and refuse to recognize them as thrash metal.

For a more detailed breakdown of how I calculate my REPORT CARD Grade for NWOOSTM, check out my first two. I have removed that info from this post because when I included it, more people seemed interested in talking about the length of my post than, you know, thrash metal. But if your attention span can tolerate a few paragraphs, here you go:

https://www.reddit.com/r/thrashmetal/comments/1ri7np8/selfproclaimed_new_wave_of_old_school_thrash/

https://www.reddit.com/r/thrashmetal/comments/1qtdmki/selfproclaimed_new_wave_of_old_school_thrash/

Previous NWOOSTM REPORT CARD Grades:

January 2026 - Grade "D" for a 63% score (I didn't count stuff posted only by NWOTHM against them the first month, so this really should have been lower)

February 2026 - Grade "D" for a 62% score

March 2026 - Grade "D" for a 60% score

April 2026 - Grade "F" for a 51% score

May 2026 - Grade "F" for a 49% score

For an injection of optimism, my picks for the BEST real old school thrash albums they posted in June:

"Make Me Evil" by Space Parasites https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjvWf--QPdk

"Thrash this authentically mid-80s with the doses of classic metal appropriate to that era of thrash very rarely gets posted on this channel, so this is a pleasant surprise! Songwriting is not terribly original but the vocalist does some unique stuff and does it well. Musicianship is super tight. Very cool album!"

"Beczkomiot" by Keg Thrower https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTKIeI_BMzQ

"Probably the best album on this channel so far this month. Highest compliments to the drummer, the riffs show varying degrees of originality but the beats switch it up consistently enough to keep it interesting regardless."

"No Longer Human" by Grief Messed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OFD3XooIWw

"Wow! Best single of the month so far for sure. Thoughtful, creative songwriting. Tight musicianship. Every instrument showed innovation. Heavy as fuck. Looking forward to more!"

"Questionable Existence" by Dead State https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDS-NdSqd5k

"Bass player is fucking KILLER, and I love how equal everything is in the mix instead of the guitars and vocals overpowering everything. Nice!"

"Repulsion" by Dead Sleep https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yInMqVxkqM

"I freaking love how the vocals go back and forth between harsh and clean and shouting! Makes the music feel so much more authentically old school than the thrashy bands with 90s black/death vocals."

"The Great Leitmeritz Massacre" by Fatal Punishment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQCsD8VO18g

"Awesome variety of vocal styles, above average creativity in riffing and beats compared to other old school thrash bands, and nicely polished sound. Killer album!"

^Typo there, should have written "current" old school thrash bands.

And now for some primary examples of releases NWO"OS"TM put out that are obviously not old school thrash (this is not to insult any of these bands, just an observation regarding their genre):

"Iron Baphomet" by Necrobeast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oU6QqqDIJk

"First four tracks are so loaded with blast beats I didn't even bother continuing to skim the other half of the album. You'd have to have no idea what 'old school thrash' actually means to think music with this many blast beats could be old school thrash. It's not thrash metal at all. No insult to the band, just a comment on genre."

"Sorcerer" by Stregoneria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E_zkbvUXO4

"When two of three songs on a release rely this much on blast beats, it cannot be 'old school' thrash if it is even thrash at all."

"Decrepito" by Decrepito https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NyxDOWEWVmM

"Obviously much more 90s black metal than 80s thrash metal. Sure, there are a few thrashy parts, but all 90s black metal has its thrashy parts."

"Invoking Terror" by Cutthroat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlUvqFKn1DI

"Three out of five tracks rely heavily on blast beats and there are riffs with pinch harmonics all over the place, so this is definitely not 'old school' thrash and probably not thrash metal at all. No insult to the band, just a note on NWOOSTM's failure to identify and deliver what their name advertises."

"Cronicas de Agonia" by Gatillo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzPSGxCRfvE

"Not counting the short acoustic intro, half the tracks rely on blast beats to some extent, so whether or not this is thrash, it's definitely not old school thrash. Sound is not great, but interesting and original compositions make up for it!"

"Phenomenon" by Day 40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBs9BB1TLxY

"This has way more in common with At The Gates and other 90s melodic death metal than any 80s thrash. Granted, 90s melodic death metal is kinda thrashy, but it is definitely not old school thrash."

"Cannot Be Controlled" by Ill Omen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdwvD4PnDkY

"Pretty thrashy at times, but between the groove metal spots, the borderline cookie monster vocals, and the blast beats, this is modern thrash if anything, definitely not old school thrash."

"Nonsense" by Irony Criticism And Jokes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2IG_xyJR-k

"Between the screechy metalcore vocals and half the tracks having metalcore breakdowns, even if you still want to call this thrash, which is debatable, it's definitely not old school thrash."

And the releases posted by NWOTHM Full Albums that sound unquestionably much, much closer to the actual 80s thrash bands than the high percentage of posts by NWOOSTM that did not qualify:

"Reaper of Souls" by WrathForge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRwJtKaVYzo

"Destroy/Rebuild" by Sledgehammer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISjyhPB2VPc

"Bestial Conjuration" by Sentinels https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJKSL3JIJuk

"Rebels" by Steelballs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFw1WyT9Fp0

"Cosmic Chaos" by Starlight https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AccsSrxJjWw

"Seduktor" by Seduktor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=evPVHRI1SiE

"Eyes of Fire" by Visions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6tFSLI0a6o

"Eternal Dagger" by Iron Kobra https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCqE7KxOqRc

This wouldn't be so galling if they didn't specifically put "Old School" in their name, which to me is merely a ploy and an attempt at authentic-sounding branding that ultimately is revealed to be a false advertisement. It's click-bait for people that actually want to hear old school thrash from a channel that obviously has no interest in delivering only old school thrash.

If your thrash sounds TOO much like it actually could have come out in the 80s, you're much less likely to be boosted by them. Bands that are TOO old school, TOO authentically 80s-sounding, are penalized. Whereas, if you sound distinctly modern, loading up your songs with blast beats, low-register death metal vocals, whiny emo vocals, metalcore breakdowns, groove metal spots, and other uniquely modern characteristics, that's no problem for NWOOSTM, you get their seal of approval, mislabeled as old school thrash, and your music shared by them to be heard by a wider audience that is looking specifically for old school thrash.

I have a dream, a dream of a YouTube channel that posts ALL the current old school thrash, and ONLY current old school thrash. (The idea is that would reduce the effort necessary to keep up with current old school thrash. So don't tell me to start it myself, that would just be more effort. Thank you in advance for your thoughtful and considerate replies.)

Writing this was cathartic for me, but I am willing to award myself bonus points if anyone else actually gets anything out of it.