Kreator

Arguably the most influential and successful European thrash metal band despite some competition from outfits such as Sodom, Destruction, and Tankard, Germany's Kreator are by far the most enduring. Like many of their European speed metal brethren, Kreator fused the thrash innovations of Metallica and Slayer with Venom's proto-black metal imagery, sparked it with Motörhead's terminal velocity, and capped it off with a nihilistic outlook. Kreator moved from strength to strength in the '80s, culminating in two classic albums, 1989's Extreme Aggression and 1990's Coma of Souls. As the '90s gave birth to grunge, they explored industrial, goth rock, and alternative sounds on 1999's post-metal Endorama, kicking off a creative rebirth for the band. In the 21st century, Kreator are superstars, delivering standard-bearing recordings like 2012's Phantom Antichrist, 2017's Gods of Violence, and 2022's Hate Über Alles.