Artists like Sodom

Destruction is a German thrash metal band formed in 1982. They have been credited as one of the "Big Four" of the German thrash metal scene, alongside Kreator, Sodom and Tankard.

Kreator is a German thrash metal band from Essen, formed in 1982. Their current line-up consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Miland "Mille" Petrozza, drummer Jürgen "Ventor" Reil, lead guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö, and bassist Frédéric Leclercq. The band's line-up has changed multiple times throughout its 44-year career, most noticeably their bassists and lead guitarists. Petrozza and Reil are the only two original members left in Kreator, although the latter left the band in 1994 but rejoined in 1996. Yli-Sirniö has been the lead guitarist of Kreator since 2001, while Leclercq joined in 2019 as the replacement of Christian "Speesy" Giesler, who had been in the band since 1994.

Tankard is a German thrash metal band from Frankfurt, founded in 1982. Alongside Kreator, Destruction and Sodom, Tankard is often considered one of the "Big Four" of Teutonic thrash metal. Stylistically, Tankard has consistently played thrash metal that thematically centres primarily on alcohol reverence, unlike the remaining "Big Teutonic Four", who are all known for covering such topics related to death, politics, violence and anti-fascism.

Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1979 in Richmond, California. Their current lineup consists of guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, bassist Jack Gibson, drummer Tom Hunting and lead vocalist Rob Dukes. Notable former members of the band include vocalists Paul Baloff and Steve "Zetro" Souza, drummers John Tempesta and Paul Bostaph, and founding guitarist Kirk Hammett who later joined fellow Bay Area thrash metal band Metallica. There are no original members left in Exodus other than Hunting, who had departed from the band twice, in 1989 and 2004, but rejoined in 2007. Holt, who has been in the band since 1981, is the only member to appear on every Exodus album. Much of the band's career has been affected by lineup changes, feuds between both band members and record companies, two extended hiatuses, deaths of former band members, and drug addictions.

Overkill is an American thrash metal band, formed in 1980 in New Jersey. They have gone through many lineup changes, leaving bassist D.D. Verni and lead vocalist Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth as the only remaining original members. The band's current lineup includes Verni, Ellsworth, Dave Linsk on lead guitar, Derek "The Skull" Tailer on rhythm guitar, and Jeramie Kling on drums. Notable former members include guitarists Dan Spitz, Bobby Gustafson, Merritt Gant and Joe Comeau, and drummers Rat Skates and Jason Bittner.

Nuclear Assault was an American thrash metal band formed in New York City in 1984. Part of the mid-to-late 1980s thrash metal movement, they were one of the main bands of the genre to emerge from the East Coast, along with Overkill, Whiplash, Toxik, Carnivore, and Anthrax, the last of which was co-founded by Nuclear Assault bassist Dan Lilker, who had been fired from Anthrax shortly after the release of their first album. Nuclear Assault released five full-length albums and toured relentlessly throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, and broke up in 1995. The band reunited briefly in 1997, and permanently from 2001 to 2008 and again from 2011 to 2022.

Possessed is an American death metal band, originally formed in 1982 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Noted for their fast style of playing and Jeff Becerra's growled vocals, they are often called the first band in the death metal genre, and paved the way for the 1980s Bay Area thrash metal scene, along with Metallica, Exodus, Testament and Death Angel. The band is also notable for featuring then-teenage guitarist Larry LaLonde, who went on to join Primus.

Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1983 under the name Legacy, the band's current lineup includes rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson, lead vocalist Chuck Billy, lead guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist Steve Di Giorgio and drummer Chris Dovas. Testament has experienced many lineup changes over the years, with Peterson being the only remaining original member. The band has released fourteen studio albums, four live albums, five compilation albums, thirteen singles and three DVDs. They are estimated to have sold over 1.4 million albums in the United States since the beginning of the SoundScan era, and over 14 million copies worldwide as of 2016.

Sacred Reich is an American thrash metal band from Phoenix, Arizona, formed in 1985. As of 2025, the band's lineup has consisted of vocalist-bassist Phil Rind, lead guitarist Wiley Arnett, rhythm guitarist Joey Radziwill, and drummer Eduardo Baldo. Former members include rhythm guitarist Jason Rainey, and drummers Greg Hall and Dave McClain. Their music often features mid-tempo song structures as well as musical and lyrical influences from punk rock and hardcore punk, with their lyrics focusing on political and social topics. The band is credited with leading the second wave of thrash metal in the late 1980s.

Bathory was a Swedish extreme metal band formed in Vällingby in March 1983. Frontman and sole songwriter Thomas "Quorthon" Forsberg was the sole constant member, and was at times responsible for all instruments.

Sarcófago was a Brazilian extreme metal band formed in 1985. They were fronted by Sepultura's original singer, Wagner Lamounier, and Geraldo Minelli.

Death Angel is a Filipino-American thrash metal band from Daly City, California, initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001. They have released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set and three live albums. The band has gone through several lineup changes, leaving guitarist Rob Cavestany as the only constant member; he and vocalist Mark Osegueda are the only members who appear on all of their studio albums.

Forbidden is an American thrash metal band from the San Francisco Bay Area, California. They formed in 1985 as Forbidden Evil, but would change their name in 1987. Since their formation, Forbidden have broken up and reformed twice with numerous line-up changes. After breaking up for the first time in 1997, Forbidden reunited once again in 2007, went into an indefinite hiatus in 2012, but reformed in 2023. The current line-up of the band is Norman Skinner (vocals), Craig Locicero (guitar), Matt Camacho (bass), and Chris Kontos (drums).

Violator is a Brazilian thrash metal band, formed in 2002 by Pedro Arcanjo, Pedro Agusto, and David Araya. After six years of playing in the metal underground, the band signed with Brazilian label Kill Again Records and released their debut album, Chemical Assault. Then they went on tour through Brazil and later in France, Paraguay, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Japan, Belgium, Mexico, and Italy. In 2013, Violator released their third full-length studio album, Scenarios of Brutality, and in 2017, they released their second EP, The Hidden Face of Death. In 2019, they released their first live album, Live in Beijing. Their fourth full-length studio album, and first in 12 years, Unholy Retribution, is set to release on 5 September, 2025.

Havok is an American thrash metal band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2004. As of 2024, their current lineup consists of frontman David Sanchez, drummer Pete Webber, and bassist Nick Schendzielos. They have gone through a number of personnel changes, with each album featuring a different lineup, and leaving Sanchez as the only remaining original member left in the band.

Hellhammer was a Swiss extreme metal band from Nürensdorf, active from 1982 to 1984. Although the band's sound and style were heavily criticized and poorly reviewed during their active years, they have been widely praised in retrospect and are often regarded as a key influence on black metal. In June 1984, Hellhammer disbanded but two of its members soon formed the influential extreme metal band Celtic Frost.