Get Thrashed (2006)

★ 7.0 1h 40m IMDb

Documentary Music

Get Thrashed traces the rise, fall and impact of thrash metal; from its early years, through its influence on grunge, nu metal and today's heavy metal scene. It is the story of the heaviest, hardest music of the 80s and early 90s as told by the bands who lived it, the fans and bands that grew up on it and by the artists that carry the "thrash metal" flag today.

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Cast

Lars Ulrich as Self Age 62 · Gentofte, Denmark Lars Ulrich, R (Order of the Dannebrog) is a Danish musician, songwriter, record producer, and podcaster. He is best known as the drummer and co-founder of American heavy metal band Metallica. The son...

Tom Angelripper as Self Age 63 · Gelsenkirchen, Germany Tom Angelripper is a German metal musician. He is the singer and bassist of the thrash metal band Sodom..

Phil Anselmo as Self Age 57 · New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Tom Araya as Self Age 64 · Viña del Mar, Chile Tomás “Tom” Enrique Araya Día is a Chilean-American musician. He is best known as the bassist and singer of the thrash metal band Slayer..

Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth as Self Age 66

Scott Ian as Self Age 62 · Queens, New York, USA Scott Ian (born Scott Ian Rosenfeld, December 31, 1963) is an American musician, best known as the rhythm guitarist and co-founder of the thrash metal band Anthrax. Ian is the guitarist and a founding...

Director Rick Ernst

Cast Lars Ulrich, Tom Angelripper, Phil Anselmo, Tom Araya, Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth, Scott Ian, Dave Mustaine, Kerry King, Gene Hoglan, Gary Holt

Wuchak 9/10 Apr 09, 2024

**_Dynamic documentary on the first 25 years of thrash metal_**

“Get Thrashed” does an excellent job detailing the history of thrash and other offshoots of metal up to the time of its release in 2006. Generally speaking, thrash combined the double bass drumming and complex guitar riffing of NWOBHM bands (including Priest and Maiden) and fused it with the aggression and speed of punk/hardcore along with the technicality of prog bands. The documentary relays all of this in a very energetic fashion, including references to the most prominent bands, along with myriad commentators.

“The Big Four” are, of course, noted at length, but myriad “second tier” bands are acknowledged, like Overkill, Death Angel, Forbidden, Sepultura, Hirax, Kreator, Sodom and Anvil. Hardcore bands are also recognized, like Cro-Mags, as well as the later bands that were heavily influenced by thrash. Of course, there are some omissions, such as Bathory (especially HAMMERHEART, not that early drek), but what’s packed-in here is very impressive and entertaining.

Sepultura is fittingly acknowledged and I'm glad that the Derrick Green/Andreas Kisser form of the band is interviewed twice because this is easily the best version of the group, as observed in excellent albums like NATION, A-LEX and MACHINE MESSIAH, et al.

The original drummer of Overkill, Rat Skates (who had a LOT to do with establishing the band up through their first two albums) was heavily involved in the behind-the-scenes production. Meanwhile singer Bobby Blitz Ellsworth appears frequently as a commentator. The original guitarist of their first four albums, Bobby Gustafson, also appears. (I, incidentally, thought Overkill improved after those albums, with excellent releases like THE KILLING KIND, FROM THE UNDERGROUND AND BELOW and KILLBOX 13, even I HEAR BLACK and WFO).

You’ll hear a relatively unknown song a couple of times with a chorus that goes “Thrash, thrash, thrash… Thrill, thrill, thrill… Mosh, mosh, mosh.” This is by the obscure Swedish band The Law and the song is called “Anthem” (with a 1.5 minutes intro called "Lawman & the Law"). You can hear it on Youtube, if interested. The band independently released the song in 2004 and 2006, which explains how it was available for this 2006 documentary. They included it on their only 2008 full-length album and that's the last anyone's heard of the band, except for two singles in 2010.

The film runs 1 hour, 40 minutes.

GRADE: A