February 21, 2023
Folk singer. Songwriter. Canadian. Polyglot. All of these titles belong to Gina Lam, also known by her stage name Ginalina. In November 2022, she released her latest album titled Going Back: Remembe
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February 21, 2023
Rihanna is an illustrious artist. She is among the best selling female artists of all time, and was one of the greatest hitmakers of the 2000s and 2010s. She has since grown to become the richest...
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February 20, 2023
Streaming is now the driving force of the music industry, making up 84% of the industry revenue in the U.S. While streaming is much more convenient for listeners, many artists argue that it is near im
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February 23, 2023
Who is the greatest rapper of all time? Is it even possible to crown just one person? Well, Billboard and Vibe did exactly that. And, according to them, that person is Jay-Z. In honor of Hip-Hop’s
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February 18, 2023
Kaytranada (Louis Celestin) is a Haitian-Canadian record producer and DJ. He is a highly acclaimed electronic artist, having earned two Grammys and countless other awards for his work. Kaytranada has
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February 17, 2023
What happens when a famous music producer takes an interest in self-help books? The Creative Act is your answer. But who is Rick Rubin? Without a doubt, Rubin has an impressive track record in the
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February 14, 2023
The music industry is a place full of musicians, producers, and creators who have the magical ability to make those perfect sounds we hear everyday through our digital devices. We want to listen close
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February 14, 2023
What do popular video games franchises Super Mario, Legend of Zelda, and Star Fox all have in common? They were all produced and published by Nintendo, and the iconic music themes that you hear in...
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February 8, 2023
Being a successful woman in the music industry is no easy feat. Not only do they deal with the typical trials and tribulations of being a musician, but there are also gender-specific challenges.
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February 8, 2023
“Is it just me, or are songs getting shorter these days?” This is a question I have often pondered, especially in the last few years. It appears that in the era of social media, attention spans are
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February 6, 2023
SG Lewis (Samuel George Lewis) is a rising star in the dance/electronic music realm. He is a DJ/producer turned singer-songwriter, and is known for his disco-inspired, transcendent sound. He routinely
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February 4, 2023
Sam Smith just released their new album “Gloria” on the 27th of January. As described by Pitchfork, “Gloria flips between hyperpop, country, dancehall, disco, 2-step, and intimate, Kehlani-esque R&B”.
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Photo Source: Amy Harris
This article will discuss the rise and fall of an iconic style of music: thrash metal.
The thrash metal genre emerged in the early 1980s. Characterized by intricate guitar use, lightning-fast tempos, and its overall bold, aggressive themes, thrash was groundbreaking and quickly became popular among young people. Aside from the music itself, thrash resonated with many teenagers due to its anti-mainstream undertones. Thrash metal was often used as a way to rebel against one's parents and was used by many to establish an identity distinct from their mothers and fathers.
As the years went by, thrash metal continued to increase in popularity, and more thrash bands were formed. Driven primarily by the efforts of Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer, and Megadeth, which are collectively known as the ‘big 4 of thrash metal’, thrash had reached mainstream levels of exposure by the mid 1990s.
However, similar to what occurs with many other genres of music, the peak of thrash metal did not last. This was due in part to the appearance of new genres of music in the 1990s like alternative rock and grunge, and the creation of a number of new sub-genres of metal which removed the focus from thrash metal itself.
Although it is no longer at its former level of glory, thrash metal is far from extinct. I personally have had the privilege of seeing some of the greatest thrash metal bands perform live over the past couple of years, including Megadeth, Metallica, Exodus, Testament, and Kreator. Watching these talented musicians play somehow made me feel a deep sense of nostalgia for a time when I wasn’t even born yet, and although these performers are now in their 60s, and the majority of their fan base has aged with them, their music has a sense of timelessness. While the artists themselves and their original supporters won’t be around forever, and the majority of today’s youth are interested in newer forms of music, there are still some young people who listen to thrash and are keeping the unique genre alive. Because of this, I still have hope that thrash metal can experience a resurgence in popularity and will exist for many future generations to enjoy.
