Roots of Nuclear Assault

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.

Slayer is an American thrash metal band from Huntington Park, California, formed in 1981 by guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, drummer Dave Lombardo and vocalist/bassist Tom Araya. Slayer's fast and aggressive musical style made them one of the "big four" bands of thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Slayer's current lineup comprises King, Araya, drummer Paul Bostaph, and guitarist Gary Holt, who initially joined as a touring musician in 2011 before joining the band permanently after Hanneman's death in 2013; the drummer Jon Dette is a former member of the band.

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.

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.

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.