This week’s Thrashback Thursday spotlights one of the “Big Four” of thrash (Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer being the other three) at the height of their influence and popularity. With the third song and only single* from their 1985 album Spreading the Disease, here is New York’s own Anthrax with “Madhouse.”

Check it out below.

This week’s edition of Thrashback Thursday examines one of the genre’s pioneering bands. After Dave Mustaine was booted from Metallica for his drug and alcohol abuse, he roared back with the unrelenting thrash assault that is Megadeth.

From their 1990 juggernaut album Rust in Peace, this is “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due.” Watch it below.

From their 1988 album Under the Influence, this is New Jersey’s longest-running thrash stalwarts Overkill. Check out the video here below for “Hello From The Gutter” (GoD’s Empress Eve has excitedly informed me that she was at the filming of said video in NYC all those years ago and is in the crowd shots).

The band is set to release their 17th album, White Devil Armory, on July 18th through Nuclear Blast/eOne Music.

For my first Thrashback Thursday post on Geeks Of Doom, I am going back to where it all started for me. My friend Tony had told me “There is this new band called Metallica that you have to hear… they’re amazing!” So off I trekked on my bicycle to my local record store and bought 1984’s Ride the Lightning on vinyl.

When I got home and dropped the needle on the first song, I was met by this beautiful little acoustic guitar part. I remember thinking “Well, this is nice and all, but…” and then it happened. When “Fight Fire with Fire” kicked into full swing, my life was very literally changed forever. Say what you will about their later output, those first four Metallica albums will always be the pillars of thrash to me. So here with the opening track of Ride the Lightning is Metallica live in Canada in 1986 on the Master of Puppets tour. You can check it out below.