One thing I have observed alot in alot of remarks about favorite bands within certain other genres by metalheads is the desirable quality of thrash influence. Example: Helloween and Running Wild are power metal bands whose fans cite as awesome for their fast and thrashy sound. Alters of Madness is a much acclaimed death metal album and said to be their best by most due to its thrash metal sound if not being a good example of the "bridge" between the two genres. Subsequently, a later released album of theirs like Domination kind of got away from this with a more groove metal oriented sound. Coincidence?
Possessed was part of the Bay Area thrash metal scene back in the day, yet alot of fans regard them as the first death metal band like it is a reward bestowed upon them for their more brutal sound yet they are clearly thrash metal as if Seven Churches admirers find thrash to be a dirty word to label them such even though it's the obvious thrash qualities of their sound that makes that album a supposed crown jewel for the genre.
Early Bathory is much hailed in black metal of old for the speed and thrash sound derived mainly from Venom and Motorhead.
Most people on here claim that Kill 'Em All is Metallica's purest thrash offering while Ride the Lightning loss some of that pureness and the following two albums lost a little more thereafter. Is that a pattern also?
How many of you have favorite genre albums that you deem awesome due to its desirable "thrash purity?" i.e. speed, solos and time changes. And why? Is this critical for you on such albums?
If I am on the fence about a certain band or album, I ultimately in my mind assess "the purity test". That is, I take an certain sound and measure it against how much it adheres to thrash metal like old Slayer, Venom and Sodom with its speed and placement of solos etc. This applies in evaluating death metal, black metal and newer heavy metal bands only of course. In effect, this is similar to that chemist who appraises the value of a coke deal between the buyer and the seller to test its purity before the deal goes down.
Have any of you used such a litmus for admiring or praising an album in such a way?
Discuss certain albums or bands you enjoy for qualities of thrash by non-thrash bands.

I know this might be alot to respond to but feel free to discuss and debate why the elements that have made thrash metal are so desirable in bands you love and what the elements are.

I think that thrash influences will be present in pretty much all death and black metal bands, as the genre was the main source of inspiration for them, at least in the bands' first albums until they aquired their own sound.
Just like the first album by Slayer has a lot of classic metal influence, Sodom has always sounded like a pissed off and satanic version of Motorhead, etc etc...

You're right but how much of it do you look for in certain types you listen to?

I don't really look for it as such, I think that placing labels on bands ("This is not thrash enough for me so I don't like it") is stupid, as you can miss out on a lot of things.
Obviously if a band has a thrash base that's great, as it's my favourite genre, but I don't need it to enjoy a band.
Hope that answers your question

It does. Thanks. Seems fair enough.

yeah i actually do that alot. whenever im checking a new band out i listen to a song and say "hm yep thats pretty thrashy" or what ever. i admit its pretty shallow, but i like what i like and i like it fast.

A little dose of thrash makes just about everything better. I really like a lot of death, black & especially doom metal, but I loooove me some Skeletonwitch and Lair of the Minotaur--and that's alll about combining those influences with the almighty thrash. Hell, that's why I like The Sword [/ducks] so much--who else worships at the altar of Sabbath by taking the spirit of the original thrash tune ("Symptom of the Universe") to its logical conclusion?

Provided I do not instantly like or dislike a band, the only test I have is placing the band aside for a week of three before I listen to them again.

I was just listening to the death/thrash band Solstice when i clicked this thread.

And how was it? Did it "pass muster" ?