Joe Crimsons big 4 of thrash

If you're into thrash metal you're undoubtably familiar with the big 4 of thrash concept. Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax are typically regarded as the 4 biggest thrash metal bands in history. And as such they have adapted this name when they played a show together back in 2010. 

I however, have my own little big 4 of thrash. Four lesser known thrash metal bands from Europe who each are special to me in their own way. And I want to talk about each of them for a bit here. Because these four bands together have consistently been my favourite thrash metal bands for the past 10 years or so and I want to show them to as many people as I can. I will include some images from times that I've seen each of these bands live. Let's get started!

Crisix

We go to Spain for the first band on this list. Crisix has recently returned from a two year hiatus with a new single, that has admittedly had a mixed reception. But in all honestly I'm just happy they're back. Crisix has consistently been one of my favourite live bands for the past decade. They are very visibly enjoying what they do which enhances their performance greatly. 

On their first album "The Menace" they had a song called "Ultra Thrash". Sounds a bit ambitious to name your song that on your first album, but it delivers exactly what it promises. And this can really be said about pretty much their entire discography so far. These guys really know how to give their music the perfect thrash sound and I have to commend them for it. Their five studio albums are all fantastic pieces of music and now that they're back again I hope a sixth will be on the way eventually.

Here's a little fun fact, the oneliner that I end my posts with is a reference to one of their songs. You'll see it again at the end of this post!

Insanity Alert
Next up we head to Austria (with a little hint of Dutch) for Insanity Alert. This is crossover thrash at its best. This band is all about having a good time and not taking yourself too seriously while they're at it. Their live performances often feature a lot of props like signs, crab claws and funny glasses. And every time I see them live I see nothing but smiling faces around me in the crowd. Rightfully so if you ask me!

Their music is a great blend of thrash metal and comedy. Which you can already see just by looking at their song titles. Some highlights there include "Life's Too Short For Longboards", "Zongo vs Eyeball" and "Saturday Grind Fever". Luckily they're a lot more creative than I am otherwise half their song titles would include the word "malarkey". 

I particularly enjoy their most recent EP "Moshemian Thrashody", which features thrash metal parodies of famous rock songs like "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen and "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns 'n Roses. This EP does a great job at showing you what Insanity Alert is all about. 
This year I got to see them play at the Into The Grave festival in Leeuwarden and they're already scheduled to play there again next year. I already have my ticket and I'm very much looking forward to seeing them again!

F.K.Ü.

Horror and metal has always been a perfect combination. And nobody blends the two better than F.K.Ü. from Sweden does if you ask me. They have a very specific style of thrash metal that works perfectly for me. Fast paced instrumentals, no pulled punches and vocals that sound like a perfected version of Steve "Zetro" Souza from Exodus. 

My favourite album of theirs has to be "1981". The songs on this album are all about different horror movies released in the year 1981. Some notable examples are "Friday the 13th, Pt. 2" and "Halloween II". What's not to love there? I still want to have a movie marathon one day where I watch all the movies featured on this album. 

Their most recent album "The Horror And The Metal" is a great as well. Once again a lot of hidden nods to horror movies but most importantly, some really good thrash metal.

Last year I finally got to see them for the first time at Into The Grave, where I also saw Insanity Alert. I was dead center in the front row and couldn't help but yell along to their entire set. This year I got to see them again at Thrash Speed Burn Fest in Oberhausen, Germany. I pretty much did the same thing there. I hope they are going to come to central Europe more often now because I could see them 100 times and still want more. 

Evil Invaders

Finally we go to Belgium for what I would probably say is my favourite band in general, not just in thrash metal. Which is proven by the fact that I've seen them live over 20 times. Evil Invaders is a speed/thrash metal powerhouse. Their music is about as in your face as you can imagine. 

I first got into them around the time their first album "Pulses of Pleasure" released. About a year later I saw them for the very first time at Into The Grave (I'm mentioning that festival a lot in this post aren't I?) and they've pretty much been my favourite band since. The energy they bring out on stage is simply unmatched and their music is honestly perfectly the type of stuff that I like.

If I had to pick a favourite album or EP of theirs I honestly couldn't do it. Every album is just as great as the last one. Though I will say the title track of "Pulses of Pleasure" is special to me on another level. When I saw them at Surhuzum Open Air recently they played it again for the first time in a while, at least in terms of sets that I've been at, and I went crazy. 

I also want to mention that I'm very happy that I was able to attend their 10th anniversary show, which I know was a very special show for them. As they were able to play a special set featuring their self-titled first EP with their former guitar player Sam Lemmens before he sadly passed away in 2024. 
Overall I think this is just the perfect band for me. Their live energy mixed with a sound that speaks to me like no other has me coming back to them time and time again. Over 20 times as I've mentioned. Though I will admit that it does help a lot that they are from Belgium, and thus are more likely to do play a lot of shows here in The Netherlands. I know they are currently working hard on their fourth album and I can't wait to hear it!

So there we have my personal "big 4 of thrash", if you will. Crisix, Insanity Alert, F.K.Ü. and Evil Invaders. These four bands have been making some of my favourite music for a long time now and I hope they will continue doing so for a long time to come. For now I will just keep listening to their music and visiting their shows as much as I can. And I encourage anyone who enjoys thrash metal to check these bands out. I guarantee that you will like what you hear!

With that I'm going to call it a post. I'm going to go pray now that one day these four bands will somehow all play a show together in The Netherlands. That would be fantastic wouldn't it?

Bring 'em to the pit!