Possessed - Beyond the Gates: Part 6 in a 10-part series looking back at the best thrash metal albums of 1986

Throughout the year, I've been looking back at some of the best thrash metal albums of 1986 -- the year thrash hit its zenith in popularity and creativity. When possible, I've tried to interview band members, producers and others associated with the original albums. I've also tried to time the blog posts to coincide with the 25th anniversary of each album's release, although accurate release dates from 25 years ago can be hard to come by.

This installment commemorates Beyond the Gates, the second and final full-length album by Bay Area thrash legends Possessed. Possessed's 1985 debut, Seven Churches, is frequently hailed as a metal milestone and was arguably the first death metal album ever released, but Beyond the Gates has always been overlooked (if not outright dismissed) by critics and fans alike.

Why all the hate for Gates? The production was -- to be kind -- a little on the muddy side, and the album didn't display the same raw aggression that Seven Churches did, but c'mon, nobody shits on Slayer for slowing things down on South of Heaven. When you release an album as fast and heavy as Reign in Blood or Seven Churches, what's the point in trying to replicate that? You're pretty much doomed to fail. Slayer recognized that, and so did Possessed.

Elder - Dead Roots Stirring (Album Review)

Elder - Dead Roots Stirring
Release date: October 25, 2011 (Meteor City Records)

Every once in a great while, an album comes along that almost leaves you lost for words. I say "almost," of course, because here I am, sitting down to write a review of one such album, and sure enough, I've managed to produce a few dozen words already, but I'm still trying to figure out how to effectively communicate how much I fucking love the new Elder record.

It'd be easy to write this Boston-based trio off as just another in a long line of Sabbath worshipping stoner metal bands, and admittedly, that alone is usually enough to impress me. Indeed, Elder's 2008 self-titled debut landed them squarely in that category, earning the band comparisons to stoner rock luminaries Sleep and Kyuss. But on Dead Roots Stirring, Elder not only avoid the dreaded "sophomore slump" that befalls so many bands that put out such a promising debut, they make stoner rock seem as fresh and viable a genre as it's been in decades.

Nuclear Assault - Game Over: Part 5 in a 10-part series looking back at the best thrash metal albums of 1986

Throughout the year, I've been looking back at some of the best thrash metal albums of 1986 -- the year thrash hit its zenith in popularity and creativity. When possible, I've tried to interview band members, producers and others associated with the original albums. I've also tried to time the blog posts to coincide with the 25th anniversary of each album's release, although accurate release dates from 25 years ago can be hard to come by.

This installment commemorates Nuclear Assault's debut album, Game Over. I was unable to find a specific release date for the album, but multiple sources list it as October 1986, so today seems like as good a day as any. Along with Anthrax and Overkill, Nuclear Assault were one of the leaders of the East Coast thrash scene. They also helped popularize the "crossover" thrash sound, which combined thrash metal's more intricate songwriting and structure with the pure speed and aggression of hardcore punk.

I recently spoke with Nuclear Assault bassist and founding member Dan Lilker about Game Over and his memories of the early thrash and crossover scenes in mid '80s New York. Lilker has built an impressive metal résumé over the past three decades. In addition to Nuclear Assault, Lilker was also a founding member of the aforementioned Anthrax, crossover pioneers S.O.D. and grindcore trailblazers Brutal Truth.

Concert Review: Kyuss Lives!, the Sword and MonstrO at Marquee Theatre 10/6/2011

John Garcia of Kyuss Lives! performing at the Marquee Theatre on 10/6/2011

Last night's Kyuss Lives! show in Tempe might not have been a sellout, but those who showed up were treated to a smorgasbord of stoner rock that showcased the resilient genre's past, present and future. The Marquee Theatre was only about half-full, but the relatively sparse crowd was enthusiastic and receptive. These folks were stoner rock die-hards. Case in point: about halfway through Kyuss's set, I leaned over to a chick standing near me and asked her what she thought so far. "My son's middle name is 'Kyuss,'" she shouted back, which simultaneously relayed both her enthusiasm for the show and her desire to not get hit on in the middle of it. Touché.

Slayer - Reign in Blood: Part 4 in a 10-part series looking back at the best thrash metal albums of 1986

Throughout the year, I've been looking back at some of the best thrash metal albums of 1986 -- the year thrash hit its zenith in popularity and creativity. When possible, I've tried to interview band members, producers and others associated with the original albums. I've also tried to time the blog posts to coincide with the 25th anniversary of each album's release, although accurate release dates from 25 years ago can be hard to come by.

This installment commemorates Slayer's landmark third album, Reign in Blood, which was originally released on Oct. 7, 1986. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I honestly believe that Reign in Blood is the greatest 28 minutes and 56 seconds in the history of recorded music. It's an album that undeniably changed the face of metal. I had really hoped to interview one of the guys in Slayer for this post, and I was fairly certain I could make it happen. I'm on good terms with the band's publicist and I've interviewed Kerry King in the past. Unfortunately, the band isn't doing any press until their next album cycle, so I figured the next best thing would be to ask a bunch of other bands about their memories of Reign in Blood and how it has influenced them as artists.

Turns out a whole lot of folks like Slayer. Twenty musicians representing 28 different bands took the time to weigh in on this classic album. Read their responses below, as well as my own Reign in Blood memories...