Crossover thrash, usually called crossover by fans, was a term used in the 1980s to describe the first wave of bands that mixed hardcore punk (or more specifically the part of it called thrashcore) and thrash metal.

Many consider Suicidal Tendencies to be one of the first bands to mix hardcore punk and metal. Their debut album, released in 1983, blurred the line between the two genres. Some of the earliest bands to have worked in this style are D.R.I. (with their albums Dealing With it and Crossover), Corrosion of Conformity (Animosity) and Stormtroopers of Death (Speak English or Die).

Several other prominent bands went on to adopt the style in the late 1980s, such as Cryptic Slaughter, The Accused, Wehrmacht, Atittude Adjustment, Crumbsuckers, Ludichrist, Nuclear Assault and Hirax. With Suicidal Tendencies' second album, Join The Army, the metal influence in their sound had increased, and their third album, How Will I Laugh Tomorrow If I Can't Even Smile Today?, almost fully transformed the band into a thrash outfit. Another transformation was that of California punk band TSOL who, due to vast line up changes, started to resemble a hair metal band.

By the 1990s, several of the pioneering bands had broken up. Corrosion of Conformity had vastly changed their style and D.R.I. had not released any new material since 1995. In recent years though, there has been something of a comeback in the style, with bands such as The Cooters, Toxic Holocaust, Municipal Waste, Holier Than Thou, Destruction's End, What Happens Next, DFA, Bones Brigade, and the now broken up Crucial Unit coming to prominence. Recent years have also seen the reformation of The Accused, Hirax, and Nuclear Assault.

An interesting note is that several key thrash bands have made songs which may be considered crossover thrash. A few examples of this are:

• Megadeth - "The Disintegrators", from their Cryptic Writings album
• Metallica - "Motorbreath", from their Kill 'Em All album

Bands

• 17th Class
• The Accused
• Anthrax
• Asshole Parade
• Attitude Adjustment
• Beyond Possession
• Body Count
• Bones Brigade
• Carnivore
• Condemned Unit
• The Cooters
• Corrosion of Conformity
• Cross Examination
• The Cro-Mags
• Chronical Diarrhoea
• Crucial Section
• Crucial Unit
• Crumbsuckers
• Cryptic Slaughter
• D.D.C.
• DFA
• D.R.I.
• Death Side
• Destruction's End
• Dr. Know
• E.T.A.
• Excel
• Funerot
• Ghoul
• Hellbastard
• Hellthrasher
• Hirax
• Holier Than Thou
• Impulse Manslaughter
• Lawnmower Deth
• Leeway
• Lethal Aggression
• Ludichrist
• Malicious Grind
• Municipal Waste
• No Mercy
• Nuclear Assault
• PrÄparation-H
• Raw Power
• Ratos de Porão
• Reproach
• S.M.D.
• S.O.B.
• Scholastic Deth
• Stormtroopers of Death
• Suicidal Tendencies
• Uncle Slam
• Verbal Abuse
• Wasted Youth
• Wehrmacht
• What Happens Next?

Music genres | Crossover (music) | Punk genres | Hardcore punk genres | Metal subgenres

Punk metal | Thrashcore