132-527: Nicholas Menza (July 23, 1964 – May 21, 2016) was an American musician who was the drummer of the thrash metal band Megadeth from 1989 to 1998. He recorded drums on four of Megadeth's albums: Rust in Peace (1990), Countdown to Extinction (1992), Youthanasia (1994), and Cryptic Writings (1997). Menza was born in Munich , Germany, where his father, jazz musician Don Menza , had been stationed with
264-515: A distorted bass tone , an approach popularized by Burton and Motörhead 's Lemmy . Lyrical themes in thrash metal include warfare, corruption, injustice, murder, suicide, isolation, alienation, addiction, and other maladies that afflict the individual and society. In addition, politics, particularly pessimism and dissatisfaction towards politics, are common themes among thrash metal bands. Humor and irony can occasionally be found (Anthrax for example), but they are limited, and are an exception rather than
396-679: A 2002 release date and tour to follow; however, on the tour in 2003 with the reformed Great White, Longley was among the 100 people killed in The Station nightclub fire in Rhode Island and a year later Jason Levin died of heart failure, Menza and Gallo were devastated and the Life After Deth tour was never announced. Guest guitarist Christian Nesmith , son of The Monkees ' Michael Nesmith , did some leads and Menza hired producer Max Norman ( Ozzy Osbourne , Megadeth). Following
528-526: A band of their own. Hanneman and King recruited vocalist/bassist Tom Araya and drummer Dave Lombardo , and Slayer was formed. Slayer was discovered by Metal Blade Records executive Brian Slagel; the band's live performance of Iron Maiden 's "Phantom of the Opera" so impressed him that he promptly signed them to his label. In December 1983, five months after the release of Metallica's debut Kill 'Em All , Slayer released their debut album, Show No Mercy . To
660-399: A concert by the rock band Jack Russell's Great White, an offshoot of the original Great White band, a pyrotechnic display ignited flammable acoustic foam in the walls and ceilings surrounding the stage. Within six minutes, the entire building was engulfed in flames. The fire was the deadliest fireworks accident in U.S. history and the fourth-deadliest nightclub fire in U.S. history. It
792-463: A controlled spray of sparks. Biechele used four gerbs that were set to spray sparks 15 feet (4.6 m) in the air for fifteen seconds. Two gerbs were at 45° angles, with the middle two pointing straight up. The flanking gerbs became the principal cause of the fire. Sparks from the gerbs ignited the insulation foam, and flames were visible on the wall above the stage within nine seconds of their ignition. The flames were initially thought to be part of
924-596: A double-bass drum kit with the tom-toms mounted on a lower chrome rack and all cymbal crashes mounted on a higher rack, which was supported by two chrome bars behind the drummer. This was later adopted by Megadeth on 2004's Blackmail the Universe tour , which featured a similar rack system. During his tenure in Megadeth, Menza also played drums on his bandmate Marty Friedman 's three solo albums, Scenes (1992), Introduction (1994) and True Obsessions (1996). By
1056-554: A drummer in 1989, Menza was asked by Dave Mustaine to join the band. Mustaine noted that Menza previously filled in on drums when Behler was unable to. Menza first played live with Megadeth on May 12, 1988, in Bradford, England. This prior experience and personal relationship led to the invitation to join Megadeth for the 1990 recording Rust in Peace . For the next ten years, Menza became associated with Megadeth's "classic" period and also his Greg Voelker Rack System . This included
1188-467: A handful of regional scenes, each of which was generally distinguished by the unique characteristics of its bands. The Station nightclub fire The Station nightclub fire occurred on the evening of February 20, 2003, at The Station, a nightclub and hard rock music venue located at 211 Cowesett Avenue in West Warwick, Rhode Island , United States, killing 100 people and injuring 230. During
1320-446: A key influence on the genre, due to its sound, which introduced the three-chord thrash style of guitar. Void has been credited as one of the earliest examples of hardcore/heavy metal crossover, whose chaotic musical approach is often cited as particularly influential. Their 1982 split LP with fellow Washington band The Faith showed both bands exhibiting quick, fiery, high-speed punk rock. It has been argued that those recordings laid
1452-470: A loss." Dave Kane and Joanne O'Neill, parents of the youngest victim Nicholas O'Neill , released their letter to the board to reporters. "In the period following this tragedy, it was Mr. Biechele, alone, who stood up and admitted responsibility for his part in this horrible event ... He apologized to the families of the victims and made no attempt to mitigate his guilt," the letter said. Others pointed out that Biechele had sent handwritten letters to
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#17327903736051584-492: A major role in the crossover success of thrash metal during this time, but helped push album sales of the genre's "Big Four" and similar bands, or moved them from playing clubs to arenas and stadiums. Anthrax made its mainstream breakthrough in 1987 with the release of their gold-certified album Among the Living , which borrowed elements from their two previous releases, with fast guitar riffs and pounding drums. Shortly after
1716-524: A more heavier direction, including Suicidal Tendencies , who are often considered to be one of the "fathers of crossover thrash", and became more recognized as a thrash metal band in the late 1980s (thanks in large part to the presence of guitarists Rocky George and Mike Clark ); the band would reach new heights of success with their first two major-label albums, How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today (1988) and Controlled by Hatred/Feel Like Shit... Déjà Vu (1989). D.R.I. 's music took
1848-828: A music video for Mindstreem's "We Up Next", a song originally written by SIN 34 guitarist Anthony Gallo featuring Tony Lanza and Daniel Wayne, Jr. on vocals. The actual recording is Menza (drums), Gallo (guitars), Gregg Babuccio (bass), and Tony Lanza and Daniel Wayne Jr. (vocals). Also in March 2011, Menza's band Deltanaut posted a video for the song "Sacrifice" in conjunction with the release of their Roy Z produced digital-only five-song EP. The lineup consisted of Menza, his old Rhoads and The Green bandmate, bassist Darwin Ballard, guitarists Christopher Grady and Colin Reid, and lead vocalist Brian Williams. Menza's father Don plays saxophone on
1980-480: A nightclub was opened in 1991. The nightclub was purchased by brothers Michael and Jeffrey Derderian in March 2000. In the months before the fire, the building had been inspected twice by West Warwick fire marshal Denis Larocque. The club was cited for nine minor code violations during the first inspection in November 2002 but was not cited for the flammable polyurethane foam the venue used for soundproofing, which
2112-565: A permanent memorial to the fire victims, was opened in May 2017 at the site where the Station once stood. The Station was a nightclub that was located at 211 Cowesett Avenue at the corner of Kulas Road in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The building that would become The Station was built in 1946 and was originally used as a gin mill . Before being converted into a nightclub and concert venue,
2244-527: A primary influence on their playing. Thrash metal bands have also taken inspiration from Judas Priest , with Slayer guitarist Kerry King saying that, "There would be no Slayer without Priest." Metal Blade Records executive Brian Slagel played a key role in bringing the NWOBHM to a larger audience, as he was responsible for discovering both Metallica and Slayer and producing their earliest studio recordings. Greg Prato of Ultimate Guitar notes, "Although
2376-484: A return to their signature thrash metal sound, followed by Christ Illusion (2006) and World Painted Blood (2009), both of which marked their first studio albums with drummer Dave Lombardo in nearly two decades. Although their career had declined from its peak in the 1990s, Overkill was perhaps one of the most-active thrash metal groups outside of the "Big Four", having never disbanded or taken longer breaks in-between records, and by 2000's Bloodletting , they were
2508-544: A rule. The term proto-thrash has been used to describe bands as having elements of speed metal or thrash metal before those genres came to prominence in early-to-mid-1980s. Deep Purple 's 1970 album Deep Purple in Rock is perhaps the earliest proto-thrash/speed metal album, as music journalist Martin Popoff noted, "It's really about the discipline and classical haughtiness of this record, as well as 'Hard Lovin' Man' which
2640-567: A similar direction with their last three albums of the 1980s, Crossover (1987), 4 of a Kind (1988), and Thrash Zone (1989), and other bands would follow suit, including The Exploited , Excel (from Suicidal Tendencies' hometown of Venice ) and New York hardcore acts M.O.D. (fronted by former S.O.D. singer Billy Milano ), the Cro-Mags and the Crumbsuckers . From 1987 to 1989, Overkill released Taking Over , Under
2772-423: A slower and Black Sabbath -influenced heavy metal direction with their post-1980s output, adapting influences and textures of sludge , doom metal , blues, and southern rock on several of their albums, including Blind (1991), Deliverance (1994) and Wiseblood (1996). In the wake of the success of groove metal , instigated by Pantera (who went on to become one of the most successful heavy metal bands of
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#17327903736052904-569: A song entitled "Hit the Lights". Leather Charm soon disbanded and the band's primary songwriter, vocalist/rhythm guitarist James Hetfield , met drummer Lars Ulrich through a classified advertisement. Together, Hetfield and Ulrich formed Metallica , one of the "Big Four" thrash bands, with lead guitarist Dave Mustaine , who would later form Megadeth , another of the "Big Four" originators of thrash, and bassist Ron McGovney . McGovney would be replaced by Cliff Burton (formerly of Trauma ), and Mustaine
3036-461: A state law that prevented charges against fire marshals without proof of bad faith. The grand jury also did not return charges against the band's lead singer, Jack Russell. Lynch told 48 Hours that his investigation found that the fire spread quickly due to the foam the Derderians had installed in the Station's walls and ceilings as a response to noise complaints. The lack of usable exits
3168-512: A stylistic change in the band, eliminating much of the speed and longer song structures of the band's previous work, and instead focusing on more concise and heavier songs. The album was a change in Metallica's direction from the thrash metal style of the band's previous four studio albums towards a more contemporary heavy metal sound with original hard rock elements, but still had remnant characteristics of thrash metal. It would go on to become
3300-501: Is a chromatic descent, followed by a chromatic ascent based on the tritone . Speed, pacing, and time changes also define thrash metal. Thrash tends to have an accelerating feel which may be due in large part to its aggressive drumming style. For example, drummers often use two bass drums, or a double-bass pedal to create a relentless, driving beat. Cymbal stops/ chokes are often used to transition from one riff to another or to precede an acceleration in tempo. Some common characteristics of
3432-415: Is a great contender for first proto-thrash song ever." Queen 's 1974 song " Stone Cold Crazy " and Black Sabbath's " Symptom of the Universe ", released the following year, have also been cited as examples of proto-thrash/speed metal; the latter of which was a direct inspiration for Diamond Head 's pioneering song " Am I Evil? ". The new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) bands emerging from Britain in
3564-405: Is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo. The songs usually use fast percussive beats and low-register guitar riffs , overlaid with shredding -style lead guitar work. The genre emerged in the early 1980s as musicians began fusing the double bass drumming and complex guitar stylings of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) with
3696-545: Is known for combining traditional thrash metal with elements of progressive, jazz or classical music . In a 2013 interview with Rolling Stone , Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante said: "When I was first learning to play drums, I would strap on my headphones, play along with [Rush's live album All the World's a Stage ] and be transformed. I remember talking with Cliff [Burton] and Kirk [Hammett of Metallica] back when we first met, and we all agreed how much of an influence Rush
3828-421: Is not great. This is the time to leave. At first, there was no panic. Everybody just kind of turned. Most people still just stood there. In the other rooms, the smoke hadn't gotten to them, the flame wasn't that bad, they didn't think anything of it. Well, I guess once we all started to turn toward the door, and we got bottlenecked into the front door, people just kept pushing, and eventually everyone popped out of
3960-495: The Sepultura EP Bestial Devastation . Seven Churches and To Mega Therion are often credited for pioneering and popularizing the mid-1980s extreme metal scene (as well as the then-developing genres of death metal and black metal , respectively), while Energetic Disassembly has been cited as the first progressive/technical thrash metal album. From a creative standpoint, the year 1986
4092-460: The "Big Four", Anthrax (who, like Metallica, formed in 1981), and their song "Metal Thrashing Mad". Before this, Metallica frontman James Hetfield referred to his band's sound as speed metal or power metal . Another "Big Four" thrash band formed in Los Angeles in 1981, when guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King met while auditioning for the same band and subsequently decided to form
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4224-727: The 1990s), several thrash metal established bands started to expand their sound by adding elements and influences from the groove metal genre. Anthrax, who had recently replaced Joey Belladonna with John Bush as their singer, began stepping away from their previously established thrash metal formula to a more accessible alternative/groove metal approach for the remainder of their 1990s output, starting with and including Sound of White Noise (1993). Sacred Reich, Overkill, Coroner, Prong, Testament, and Forbidden followed this trend with their respective albums Independent , I Hear Black , Grin , Cleansing , Low , and Distortion . Sepultura's 1993 album Chaos A.D. also marked
4356-427: The 2000s. In 2003, Anthrax released their first studio album in five years We've Come for You All , followed a month later by Metallica's double platinum-certified album St. Anger . After experimenting further with a commercialized sound on their previous few albums, Megadeth returned to its heavier sound with their ninth album The World Needs a Hero (2001). It would be the band's final album before disbanding in
4488-579: The Bay Area would subsequently reunite, including Anthrax (twice with Joey Belladonna and briefly with John Bush ), Dark Angel , Nuclear Assault , Sacred Reich , UK bands Onslaught , Sabbat , and Xentrix , and Canada's Sacrifice , renewing interest in previous decades. The term "thrash-revivalists" has been applied to such bands as Lamb of God , Municipal Waste , Evile , Havok , Warbringer , Vektor , Bonded by Blood , Hatchet , and Power Trip . Evile's 2007 debut album Enter
4620-803: The Chapel and Overkill respectively. This led to a heavier-sounding form of thrash, which was reflected in Exodus' debut album Bonded by Blood , Slayer's Hell Awaits and Anthrax's Spreading the Disease , all three released in 1985. Several other debut albums were released that same year, including Megadeth's Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! , Overkill's Feel the Fire , Kreator's Endless Pain , Destruction's Infernal Overkill , Possessed 's Seven Churches , Celtic Frost 's To Mega Therion , Watchtower 's Energetic Disassembly and
4752-629: The Deceiver (released on the Fourth of July in 1986) received some attention as well, due to the album being "the first of only a handful" to ever receive a 6K rating from Kerrang! magazine, and it is also notable for featuring a then-unknown Jason Newsted , who, not long after the album's release, joined Metallica as Burton's replacement. Also during the mid-to-late 1980s, bands such as Suicidal Tendencies , D.R.I. , S.O.D. (who featured three-fifths of Anthrax), and Corrosion of Conformity paved
4884-532: The Grave , produced by former Metallica producer and engineer Flemming Rasmussen , received considerable praise for its sound, which combined elements of the sounds of Slayer and the Bay Area scene (particularly Exodus and Testament). Los Angeles-based bands Warbringer and Bonded by Blood took a similar approach on their respective debut albums, War Without End and Feed the Beast , both released in 2008. Perhaps
5016-611: The Influence , and The Years of Decay , three albums considered their best. Each of the "Big Four" of thrash metal bands released albums in 1988: Slayer released South of Heaven , Megadeth released So Far, So Good... So What! , Anthrax released State of Euphoria while Metallica's ...And Justice for All spawned the band's first video and Top 40 hit, the World War I –themed song " One ". That same year, Metallica joined Van Halen , Scorpions , Dokken and Kingdom Come on
5148-463: The Lights" would later open their first studio album, Kill 'Em All , released in July 1983. Kill 'Em All is widely regarded as the first thrash metal album, and one of the album's tracks " Whiplash " has been referred to as one of the first songs of the genre. The term "thrash metal" was first used in the music press by Kerrang! magazine's journalist Malcolm Dome while referring to another of
5280-403: The Station building had been used as a restaurant and tavern. A fire had previously occurred at the building in 1972 while it was used as a restaurant called Julio's. No occupants were in the building during the 1972 fire, but the interior was significantly damaged. Another restaurant opened in the building in 1974. In 1985, it was converted to a pub, which closed sometime in the late 1980s, and
5412-409: The Station, there were two of Great White's original members in the lineup: lead singer Russell and guitarist Mark Kendall. Kendall, who had co-founded the band with Russell in 1977, had rejoined Russell's version of the group in 2002. The rest of the lineup included guitarist Ty Longley , who died in the fire, bass guitarist David Filice, and drummer Eric Powers. Great White's popularity had waned in
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5544-468: The Station, who claimed the company had known about the dangers of polyurethane foam but did not warn their employees about it. Although Warner was called to testify to a grand jury, he was not asked about the fax. American Foam refuted the claims in Warner's fax. In 2008, American Foam agreed to pay $ 6.3 million to the families of the victims of the fire. Victims' families have also cited overcrowding in
5676-542: The Titans festival, which was held in August 2001 as a co-benefit concert for Testament singer Chuck Billy and Death 's Chuck Schuldiner , who were both battling cancer. The show is also notable for seeing several of Testament's Bay Area thrash metal contemporaries, including Exodus, Death Angel, Vio-lence , Forbidden Evil , Sadus and Legacy (a precursor to Testament), reunited. Many thrash metal bands from outside of
5808-426: The U.S. Army. He began playing drums at the age of two, at which age he performed at his first public concert when during the intermission someone sat him down on Jack DeJohnette 's drums and he proceeded to play. Menza's influences stem from being nurtured around the tutelage of such notables as Buddy Rich , Steve Gadd , Nick Ceroli , Jeff Porcaro , and Louie Bellson . Beginning his professional musical career at
5940-594: The Vatican ; the latter three are often credited for being an integral part of the then-developing groove metal genre. All of those albums were commercial high points for the aforementioned artists. During this period, Megadeth and Slayer co-headlined one of the most successful tours in thrash metal history called the Clash of the Titans ; the first leg in Europe included support from Testament and Suicidal Tendencies, while
6072-643: The West Warwick Fire Department by cellular phone calls to 911 within sixty seconds of ignition. A West Warwick police officer who was already at the scene also reported the fire to police dispatch. The first West Warwick fire engine arrived at the scene at 11:13 p.m., followed by three other trucks shortly thereafter. Hundreds of firefighters responded to the fire, including every available West Warwick firefighter. Fire departments in Warwick , Coventry , and Cranston rendered mutual aid to
6204-415: The act; only as the fire reached the ceiling and smoke began to bank down did people realize it was uncontrolled. Twenty seconds after the pyrotechnics ended, the band stopped playing, and lead singer Jack Russell calmly remarked into the microphone, "Wow... that's not good." Within 40 seconds of the ignition, Great White had stopped playing and left the stage and the venue's fire alarm began to sound, but it
6336-542: The aftermath of the fire, the band and the owners of the Station disputed whether the band were allowed to use the pyrotechnic display during their concert. Jack Russell's Great White had two opening acts for the February 20 concert: Trip, a group from Vancouver, Washington , and Fathead, a local Rhode Island band. All the members of Trip escaped the Station without injury, but two members of Fathead, cousins Keith and Steven Mancini, along with Steven’s wife Andrea, died in
6468-567: The age of 18, drumming in the band Rhoads featuring singer Kelle Rhoads, brother of the late Randy Rhoads , Menza released his first record with Rhoads, titled Into the Future , in Europe in 1986. Following Rhoads, Menza was part of a succession of Los Angeles metal bands, including The Green (with Rhoads bandmates John Goodwin on guitar and Darwin Ballard on bass), Von Skeletor (another collaboration with Goodwin and Michael Guillory on guitars, Cam Daigneault on drums, and Menza handling lead vocals on
6600-436: The airy feel of synthesizers , popularized in industrial metal. Today the placing of bands within distinct sub-genres remains a source of contention for heavy metal fans, however, little debate resides over the fact that thrash metal is the sole proprietor of its respective spin-offs. A few thrash metal bands from the 1980s and early 1990s, particularly the genre's U.S. "big four", continued recording and touring with success in
6732-450: The band Massakre (1985) in Chile . In Europe, the earliest band of the emerging thrash movement was Venom from Newcastle upon Tyne , formed in 1979. Their 1982 album Black Metal has been cited as a major influence on many subsequent genres and bands in the extreme metal world, such as Bathory , Hellhammer , Slayer, and Mayhem . The European scene was almost exclusively influenced by
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#17327903736056864-558: The band's best-selling album and began a wave of thrash metal bands releasing more garage-oriented albums, or else more experimental ones. The era of 1991–1992 marked the beginning of the end of thrash metal's commercial peak, due to the rising popularity of the alternative metal and grunge movements (the latter spearheaded by Washington -based bands Nirvana , Soundgarden , Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam ). In response to this climate change, many thrash metal bands that had emerged from
6996-414: The band's demo and self-released album, Injection of Death ), and Cold Fire (also featuring Warrior guitarist Joe Floyd) before joining Megadeth. Moving on to session playing including styles ranging from R&B to gospel , funk and heavy metal , recording with the likes of John Fogerty , Menza caught the attention of then Megadeth drummer Chuck Behler and became his tech. When Megadeth needed
7128-403: The band's earlier sound. Megadeth took a more accessible heavy metal route starting with their 1992 album Countdown to Extinction . Testament, Exodus and Flotsam and Jetsam all took a melodic/progressive approach with the albums The Ritual , Force of Habit , and Cuatro , respectively. One of the pioneers of crossover thrash, Corrosion of Conformity , began changing their sound into
7260-407: The band's official drummer. Menza has said in several interviews that, while in the hospital recovering from knee surgery, he received a phone call from Mustaine that simply said "Your services are not needed anymore". After his departure, he began work on Menza: Life After Deth with guitarist Anthony Gallo , bassist Jason Levin, and guitarist Ty Longley . The album was initially intended to have
7392-516: The beginning of that tape was released to national news stations. Butler was there for a planned piece on nightclub safety being reported by Jeffrey A. Derderian, a WPRI news reporter who was also a part-owner of The Station. The report had been inspired by the E2 nightclub stampede in Chicago that killed 21 people three days earlier. Derderian had begun working for WPRI on February 17, three days before
7524-505: The beginning of their transition away from death/thrash metal to groove metal which had influenced then-up-and-coming bands like Korn , who reciprocally became the inspiration behind the nu metal style of the band's next album Roots (1996). Roots would influence a generation of bands from Linkin Park to Slipknot , which during the 1990s meant the replacement of death, thrash, and speed, by nu metal and metalcore as popular epicenters of
7656-453: The brothers had changed their pleas from "not guilty" to " no contest ", thereby avoiding a trial. Michael Derderian received fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probation—the same sentence as Biechele. Jeffrey Derderian received 500 hours of community service. In a letter to the victims' families, Judge Darigan wrote that he accepted the deal because he wanted to avoid "Public exposition of
7788-498: The building's use of flammable packing foam instead of flame retardant sound foam was the cause of the fire's spread, but the brothers claimed that they had ordered sound foam and had received the packing foam instead. The foam was sold to the Derderians by American Foam. In 2005, the Rhode Island Attorney General office received a fax from Barry Warner, a former employee of American Foam who lived nearby
7920-421: The building. Before the fire, the Station often hosted concerts by 1980s hard rock groups and tribute bands . Local bands that had played at the Station before the fire had used pyrotechnics during their concerts without incident, including a Kiss tribute band that had set off fireballs during their show in August 2002. For their 2003 tour, the official name of the headlining band of the February 20 concert
8052-418: The club's maximum licensed capacity was cited as 404. The fire started shortly after the band began performing their opening song, " Desert Moon ". During the performance, pyrotechnics set off by tour manager Daniel Biechele ignited the flammable acoustic foam on both sides and the top center of the drummer's alcove at the back of the stage. The pyrotechnics were gerbs , cylindrical devices that produce
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#17327903736058184-812: The cornerstones of jazz-metal fusion and a major influence on the technical death metal genre, while Forced Entry 's debut album Uncertain Future helped pioneer the late 1980s Seattle music scene. A number of more typical but technically sophisticated albums were released in 1990, including Megadeth's Rust in Peace , Anthrax's Persistence of Time , Slayer's Seasons in the Abyss , Suicidal Tendencies' Lights...Camera...Revolution! , Testament's Souls of Black , Kreator's Coma of Souls , Destruction's Cracked Brain , Forbidden's Twisted into Form , Exodus' Impact Is Imminent , Sacred Reich 's The American Way , Prong 's Beg to Differ , Pantera 's Cowboys from Hell and Exhorder 's Slaughter in
8316-506: The courtroom. Many families believed the punishment was just; others had hoped for a more severe sentence. On September 4, 2007, some families of the fire's victims expressed their support for Biechele's parole . Leland Hoisington, whose 28-year-old daughter, Abbie, was killed in the fire, told reporters, "I think they should not even bother with a hearing—just let Biechele out ... I just don't find him as guilty of anything." The state parole board received approximately twenty letters,
8448-434: The decade before the Station fire, and this iteration of the band had been performing on a touring circuit of small clubs with capacities of up to 500 people. Although the band was officially known as Jack Russell's Great White at the time, and their tour was initially named after Russell's 2002 solo album For You , they were billed by the Station as simply "Great White" in error. In February 2003, Jack Russell's Great White
8580-426: The door, including myself. That's when I turned back. I went around back. There was no one coming out the back door anymore. I kicked out a side window to try to get people out of there. One guy did crawl out. I went back around the front again, and that's when you saw people stacked on top of each other, trying to get out of the front door. And by then, the black smoke was pouring out over their heads. I noticed when
8712-475: The effect that the fire had on the close-knit Rhode Island community, "The loss of so much life would represent a tragedy anywhere, but it struck especially hard in Rhode Island, the nation's smallest state, where no place is more than an hour away by car..." Many of the survivors of the fire developed post-traumatic stress disorder after the event. The fire, from its inception, was caught on videotape by cameraman Brian Butler for WPRI-TV of Providence , and
8844-445: The emphasis on atmosphere over rhythm. As further extreme metal genres came to prominence in the 1990s ( industrial metal , death metal, and black metal each finding their own fanbase), the heavy metal "family tree" soon found itself blending aesthetics and styles. For example, bands with all the musical traits of thrash metal began using death growls , a vocal style borrowed from death metal, while black metal bands often utilized
8976-717: The families of each of the 100 victims and that he had a work release position in a local charity. On September 19, 2007, the Rhode Island Parole Board announced that Biechele would be released in March 2008. Biechele was released from prison on March 19, 2008. Biechele's parole and probation expired in March 2011. As of 2013 , Biechele lived in Florida with his wife and two children. Following Biechele's trial, The Station's owners, Michael and Jeffrey Derderian, were scheduled to receive separate trials. However, on September 21, 2006, Judge Darigan announced that
9108-403: The fire site. The Cowesett Inn restaurant across the street from the Station acted as an ad-hoc burn triage and command center for first responders. A portion of the nightclub roof collapsed at 11:57 p.m., and a second portion in the building's sunroom collapsed at 12:07 a.m.. Individuals who needed medical treatment were transported to Kent Hospital , which was filled to maximum capacity due to
9240-747: The fire, I have wanted to tell the victims and their families how truly sorry I am for what happened that night and the part that I had in it. I never wanted anyone to be hurt in any way. I never imagined that anyone ever would be. I know how this tragedy has devastated me, but I can only begin to understand what the people who lost loved ones have endured. I don't know that I'll ever forgive myself for what happened that night, so I can't expect anybody else to. I can only pray that they understand that I would do anything to undo what happened that night and give them back their loved ones. I'm so sorry for what I have done, and I don't want to cause anyone any more pain. I will never forget that night, and I will never forget
9372-549: The fire. The concert was hosted by Michael Gonsalves, a disc jockey for Providence rock radio station WHJY who was also known as "Doctor Metal". Gonsalves was the host of the WHJY program The Metal Zone , at the time the longest-running heavy metal radio program in the United States. Jack Russell's Great White started their performance at 11:07 p.m. on February 20. A total of 462 people were in attendance, even though
9504-416: The fire. By 1:30 a.m. on February 21, all the affected individuals had been transported and the street had been cleared. Of the 462 people in the building for the concert, 100 were killed, 230 were injured, and 132 escaped uninjured. Ninety-six individuals died at the scene, and four more died in the hospital in the following weeks. Among those who died in the fire were Great White guitarist Ty Longley and
9636-642: The fire. WPRI-TV and Derderian were criticized for the conflict of interest in having a reporter report on his own property. Derderian resigned from WPRI on June 30. At the scene of the fire, Butler gave this account of the tragedy: It was that fast. As soon as the pyrotechnics stopped, the flame had started on the egg crate backing behind the stage, and it just went up the ceiling. And people stood and watched it, and some people backed off. When I turned around, some people were already trying to leave, and others were just sitting there going, "Yes, that's great!" And I remember that statement, because I was, like, this
9768-569: The first band in the genre to release more than ten studio albums. Overkill's popularity was reignited in the 2010s, with three of their albums, The Electric Age (2012), White Devil Armory (2014) and The Grinding Wheel (2017), all entering the Top 100 on the Billboard charts. The resurgence of interest in the thrash metal genre during the early 2000s was widely attributed to the Thrash of
9900-423: The following year, due to an arm injury that had left Dave Mustaine unable to play guitar; he would eventually reform Megadeth for a handful albums, including The System Has Failed (2004) which was originally going to be released as a solo album by him, before reuniting with co-founding member and bassist David Ellefson in 2010. Slayer released three albums in the 2000s: God Hates Us All (2001), which saw
10032-412: The former with more focus on melody rather than chromaticism. The blending of punk ethos and metal's brutal nature led to even more extreme, underground styles after thrash metal began gaining mild commercial success in the late 1980s. With gorier subject matter, heavier down tuning of guitars, more consistent use of blast beat drumming , and darker, atonal death growls , death metal was established in
10164-703: The foundation for early thrash metal, at least in terms of selected tempos, and that thrash is essentially hardcore punk with the technical proficiency missing from that genre. The crossover with hardcore punk has also been cited as important influence on thrash, especially the English hardcore punk band Discharge, whose "influence on heavy metal is incalculable and metal superstars such as Metallica, Anthrax, Machine Head , Sepultura , Soulfly , Prong and Arch Enemy have covered Discharge's songs in tribute." The eponymous debut albums by D.R.I. and Suicidal Tendencies , both released in 1983, have been credited for paving
10296-406: The front door through which they had entered. The ensuing crowd crush in the narrow hallway led to that exit being blocked completely and resulted in numerous deaths and injuries among the patrons and staff. Multiple survivors claimed that two bouncers blocked the stage door as attendees attempted to escape the building, stating the door was only to be used by the band. The fire was reported to
10428-471: The genre are fast guitar riffs with aggressive picking styles and fast guitar solos, and extensive use of two bass drums as opposed to the conventional use of only one, typical of most rock music. To keep up with the other instruments, many bassists use a plectrum (pick). However, some prominent thrash metal bassists have used their fingers , such as Frank Bello , Greg Christian , Steve Di Giorgio , Robert Trujillo , and Cliff Burton . Several bassists use
10560-482: The genre, such as Havok and Legion of the Damned have turned their focus towards a more aggressive rendition of thrash metal, incorporating elements of melodic death metal . Thrash metal is directly responsible for the development of underground metal genres, such as death metal, black metal , and groove metal . In addition to this, metalcore , grindcore , and deathcore employ similar riffs in their composition,
10692-421: The grand jury announced indictments against Station owners Jeffrey and Michael Derderian and Jack Russell's Great White road manager Daniel M. Biechele. The three were each charged with 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter with criminal negligence and 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter in violation of a misdemeanor. West Warwick fire marshal Denis Larocque was not charged by the grand jury, as Lynch had cited
10824-476: The hardest metal scene. Staying away from this new commercial mainstream of groove metal, metalcore, and especially nu metal, the second wave of black metal emerged as an opposed underground music scene, initially in Norway . This crop of new bands differenced themselves from the "first wave" by totally distilling black metal from the combined origins with thrash metal, but they preserved from all these sub-genres
10956-417: The heavy style of 1990s Pantera ". He left the band in late 2010. Menza nearly suffered the loss of an arm in 2007, after having an accident with a power saw. He required reconstructive surgery and metal plates in his arm and a lengthy rehabilitation, but later recovered. Menza later auctioned off the blood-stained saw blade and an original copy of an X-ray from the incident. In March 2011, Menza appeared in
11088-485: The intensity and sonic qualities of thrash metal and plays them at mid- tempo , with most bands making only occasional forays into fast tempo, but since the early 1990s, it started to favor a more death metal–derived sound. Thrash metal with stronger punk elements is called crossover thrash . Its overall sound is more punk-influenced than traditional thrash metal but has more heavy metal elements than hardcore punk and thrashcore . Thrash metal emerged predominantly from
11220-523: The late 1970s further influenced the development of early thrash. The early work of artists such as Diamond Head, Iron Maiden , Venom , Motörhead , Tygers of Pan Tang , Raven , and Angel Witch , among others, introduced the fast-paced and intricate musicianship that became core aspects of thrash. Phil Taylor 's double-bass drumming featured in Motörhead's 1979 song " Overkill " has been acknowledged by many thrash drummers, most notably Lars Ulrich , as
11352-420: The latter album demonstrated a sound that was primarily driven by the fretless bass of Steve Di Giorgio . Also in 1988, Blind Illusion released its only studio album for more than two decades, The Sane Asylum , which received some particular attention as it was produced by Kirk Hammett , and is also notable for featuring bassist Les Claypool and former Possessed guitarist Larry LaLonde ; after its release,
11484-406: The majority of which expressed their sympathy and support for Biechele, some going as far as to describe him as a " scapegoat " with limited responsibility. Parole board chairwoman Lisa Holley told journalists of her surprise at the forgiving attitude of the families, saying, "I think the most overwhelming part of it for me was the depth of forgiveness of many of these families that have sustained such
11616-400: The maximum allowed under the plea bargain , citing the massive loss of life in the fire and the need to send a message. Speaking to the public for the first time since the fire, Biechele stated: For three years, I've wanted to be able to speak to the people that were affected by this tragedy, but I know that there's nothing that I can say or do that will undo what happened that night. Since
11748-572: The mid-1980s. Black metal, also related to thrash metal, emerged at the same time, with many black metal bands taking influence from thrash metal bands such as Venom . Black metal continued deviating from thrash metal, often providing more orchestral overtones, open tremolo picking , blast beat drumming, shrieked or raspy vocals and pagan or occult -based aesthetics to distinguish itself from thrash metal. Thrash metal would later combine with its spinoffs, thus giving rise to genres like blackened thrash metal and deathrash . Groove metal takes
11880-523: The mid-1990s, due to the commercial success of numerous genres such as alternative rock , grunge , and later pop-punk and nu metal . In response, some bands either disbanded or moved away from their thrash metal roots and more towards groove metal or alternative metal . The genre has seen a resurgence in popularity since the 2000s, with the arrival of various bands such as Bonded by Blood , Evile , Hatchet , Havok , Lamb of God , Municipal Waste , and Warbringer , who have all been credited for leading
12012-649: The most aggressive music Germany and England were producing at the time. British bands such as Tank and Raven , along with German bands Accept (whose 1982 song " Fast as a Shark " is often credited as one of the first-ever thrash/speed metal songs) and Living Death , motivated musicians from central Europe to start bands of their own, eventually producing groups such as Sodom , Kreator , and Destruction from Germany, as well as Switzerland's Celtic Frost (formed by two-thirds of Hellhammer ), Coroner and Carrion (who later became Poltergeist ) and Denmark's Artillery . In 1981, Los Angeles band Leather Charm wrote
12144-761: The most commercially successful band from the 2000s and 2010s thrash metal revival movement is Lamb of God, who are also considered a key part of the new wave of American heavy metal movement, have received two gold-certified albums in the U.S., and continue to play from small clubs to arenas and stadiums. Notable bands returned to their roots with releases such as Kreator's Violent Revolution (2001), Metallica's Death Magnetic (2008), Megadeth's Endgame (2009), Slayer's World Painted Blood (2009), Exodus' Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010), Overkill's Ironbound (2010), Anthrax's Worship Music (2011), Testament's Dark Roots of Earth (2012), and Flotsam and Jetsam's Ugly Noise (2012). More recent bands of
12276-539: The most sinister thrash metal bands of the early 1980s, released Reign in Blood in October, an album considered by some to have single-handedly inspired the death metal genre. Also in October, Nuclear Assault released their debut album Game Over , followed a month later by Dark Angel 's Darkness Descends , which marked the debut of renowned drummer Gene Hoglan . Flotsam and Jetsam 's debut album Doomsday for
12408-520: The north, Canada produced influential thrash and speed metal bands such as Annihilator , Anvil , Exciter , Razor , Sacrifice , and Voivod . The popularity of thrash metal increased in 1984 with the release of Metallica's sophomore record Ride the Lightning , as well as Anthrax's debut Fistful of Metal and Metal Church 's eponymous debut album . Slayer and Overkill released extended plays on independent labels during this era, Haunting
12540-402: The original bassist of Megadeth , described thrash metal as "a combination of the attitude from punk rock but the riffs and complexities of traditional metal." On the origins of thrash metal, original Anthrax bassist Dan Lilker recalls: "Thrash was just what they called 'faster hardcore,' because you literally thrashed around when you were either playing it or reacting to it. And thrash metal
12672-434: The people that were hurt by it. I am so sorry. Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. sentenced Biechele to fifteen years in prison, with four to serve and eleven years suspended, plus three years' probation , for his role in the fire. Darigan remarked, "The greatest sentence that can be imposed on you has been imposed on you by yourself." Biechele was released in March 2008. The sentence drew mixed reactions in
12804-451: The popularity of the "Big Four" but also had considerable success during the late 1980s and early 1990s, particularly on the strength of airplay on MTV 's Headbangers Ball . Some of the most successful international thrash metal bands from this era were Brazil's Sepultura , Canada's Voivod , and the genre's " Big Teutonic Four ": Kreator , Destruction , Sodom , and Tankard . The thrash metal genre had declined in popularity by
12936-411: The previous decade had called it quits or went on hiatus during the 1990s, while half of the "Big Four" and other veteran bands began changing to more accessible, radio-friendly styles. Metallica was a notable example of this shift, particularly with their mid–to–late 1990s albums Load , and ReLoad , which displayed minor blues and southern rock influences, and were seen as a major departure from
13068-461: The pyro stopped, the flame had kept going on both sides. And then on one side, I noticed it come over the top, and that's when I said, 'I have to leave.' And I turned around, I said, 'Get out, get out, get to the door, get to the door!' And people just stood there. There was a table in the way at the door, and I pulled that out just to get it out of the way so people could get out easier. And I never expected it take off as fast as it did. It just -- it
13200-471: The reissue of the entire Megadeth catalog, Menza reunited with Megadeth in July of 2004. Months later, Menza was fired after rehearsals and replaced with Shawn Drover . Mustaine said that this was because Menza "just wasn't prepared" for a full-scale U.S. tour, physically. In April 2006, Menza joined the Los Angeles–based metal band Orphaned to Hatred. The group describe their sound as "a continuation of
13332-691: The release of Among the Living , three Bay Area bands, Testament , Death Angel and Heathen , respectively released their debut albums The Legacy , The Ultra-Violence and Breaking the Silence . All of the "Big Four" of Teutonic thrash metal also released albums in 1987: Kreator's Terrible Certainty , Destruction's Release from Agony , Sodom's Persecution Mania and Tankard's Chemical Invasion ; these albums cemented their reputations as top-tier German thrash metal bands. In response to thrash metal's growing popularity during this period, several hardcore punk bands began changing their style to
13464-446: The same level of popularity as the "Big Four", while Exodus ' third album Fabulous Disaster (1989) garnered the band their first music video and one of their most recognized songs, the mosh-pit anthem " The Toxic Waltz ". Vio-lence , Forbidden , and Sadus , three relative latecomers to the Bay Area thrash metal scene, released their debut albums Eternal Nightmare , Forbidden Evil , and Illusions , respectively, in 1988;
13596-641: The second leg in North America had Anthrax and then-emerging Seattle band Alice in Chains , who were the supporting act. Several albums, some of which had come to be known as technical thrash metal, were released in 1991, including Overkill's Horrorscope , Heathen 's Victims of Deception , Dark Angel 's Time Does Not Heal , Sepultura's Arise , Coroner's Mental Vortex , Prong's Prove You Wrong and Forced Entry's As Above, So Below . In 1991, Metallica released their eponymous fifth studio album , known as "The Black Album". The album marked
13728-404: The show's master of ceremonies WHJY DJ Mike "Dr Metal" Gonsalves. Four employees of the Station were killed in the fire. In April 2003, the Derderians were fined $ 1.07 million for failing to carry workers' compensation insurance for their employees. The fine was not resolved until 2013, ten years after the fire, when a judge upheld it. Providence Phoenix columnist Ian Donnis wrote of
13860-708: The so-called "thrash metal revival" scene. Thrash metal generally features fast tempos , low-register, complex guitar riffs , high-register guitar solos , and double bass drumming . The rhythm guitar parts are played with heavy distortion and often palm muted to create a tighter and more precise sound. Vocally, thrash metal can employ anything from melodic singing to shouted or screamed vocals. Most guitar solos are played at high speed and technically demanding, as they are usually characterized by shredding , and use advanced techniques such as sweep picking , legato phrasing , alternate picking , tremolo picking , string skipping , and two-hand tapping . David Ellefson ,
13992-520: The song "The King"; other guests include Roy Z on guitar and Ed Roth on keyboards. In 2014, Menza played on the demo version of the song Babylonian Ships. In 2015, Menza contributed drum tracks to the song "Are We Alone?" on the album Warless Society (The Global Invasion) by Ci2i, with John Goodwin and Darwin Ballard on guitar and bass, respectively. In 2015, he also began working with Los Angeles band Sweet Eve on their follow up album "The Immortal Machine" as producer and drummer. On May 21, 2016, Menza
14124-560: The speed and aggression of hardcore punk and the technicality of progressive music . Philosophically, thrash metal developed as a backlash against both the conservatism of the Reagan era and the much more moderate, pop -influenced, and widely accessible heavy metal subgenre of glam metal which also developed concurrently in the 1980s. The early thrash metal movement revolved around independent record labels, including Megaforce , Metal Blade , Combat , Roadrunner , and Noise , and
14256-419: The summer of 1998, while the band was still touring in support of Cryptic Writings , Menza was having knee problems and sought medical advice. He was informed he had a tumor, which was later found to be benign , and had it removed. Rather than cancel any dates, Megadeth hired Jimmy DeGrasso as a temporary replacement. When the time came to record a follow-up album, Menza was not asked back and DeGrasso became
14388-415: The thrash movement seemed to have much more in common with punk than prog fashion-wise (leather jackets vs. capes), musically, there were certainly moments when thrash leaned more towards the prog side of things." Canadian progressive rock band Rush has been cited a formative influence on the thrash metal movement and the birth of its subgenre technical thrash metal (or " progressive thrash metal"), which
14520-502: The tragic, explicit and horrific events experienced by the victims of this fire, both living and dead." He added that the difference in the brothers' sentences reflected their respective involvement with the purchase and installation of the flammable foam. Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick C. Lynch objected strenuously to the plea bargain, saying that both brothers should have received jail time and that Michael Derderian should have received more time than Biechele. In January 2008,
14652-758: The two would later team up together in Claypool's then-upcoming band Primus . Canadian thrashers Annihilator released their highly technical debut Alice in Hell in 1989, which was praised for its fast riffs and extended guitar solos. In Germany, Sodom released Agent Orange , and Kreator would release Extreme Aggression . Several highly acclaimed albums associated with the sub-genre of technical thrash metal were also released in 1989, including Coroner's No More Color , Dark Angel's Leave Scars , Toxik 's Think This , and Watchtower 's Control and Resistance , which has been recognized and acknowledged as one of
14784-520: The two-month-long arena and stadium tour Monsters of Rock in North America. In the spring of 1989, Anthrax teamed up with Exodus and Helloween on a US arena tour sponsored by Headbangers Ball . Sepultura's third album, Beneath the Remains (1989), earned them some mainstream appeal as it was released by Roadrunner Records . Testament's second and third albums, The New Order (1988) and Practice What You Preach (1989), nearly gained them
14916-415: The underground tape trading industry in both Europe and North America. The genre was commercially successful from approximately 1985 through 1991, bringing prominence to Metallica , Slayer , Megadeth , and Anthrax , all grouped together as the "Big Four" of U.S. thrash metal. Other U.S. bands, such as Overkill , Metal Church , and Bay Area acts Exodus , Testament and Death Angel , never achieved
15048-431: The venue as a cause for the casualties during the fire. Larocque had set various capacities for the Station in the years before the fire based on whether pool tables and other items could be moved. The capacity for the Station was either 258 or 404, depending on how the building was being used. The final tally by The Providence Journal of people inside the Station during the fire totaled 462. The first criminal trial
15180-444: The victims expressed their support for his parole. Jeffrey and Michael Derderian, the owners of the Station, pleaded no contest and avoided a trial: Michael received the same sentence as Biechele and was released from prison in 2009, while Jeffrey received a sentence of 500 hours of community service. Legal action against several parties, including Great White, was resolved with monetary settlements by 2008. Station Fire Memorial Park ,
15312-459: The way for thrashcore . In Latin America, this genre also gained a lot of strength, and its creation is also attributed to it, since it began to gain popularity due to the dictatorships that many countries faced at that time, with bands like V8 (1979) with their debut albums Demo 1982 or Luchando por el metal , and Bloke (1980) from Argentina , Transmetal (1987) from México , also
15444-685: The way to what became known as crossover thrash , a fusion genre that lies on a continuum between heavy metal and hardcore punk, and is arguably faster and more aggressive than thrash metal. By the mid-to-late 1980s, thrash metal began to achieve major mainstream success worldwide, with many bands of the genre receiving heavy rotation on MTV 's Headbangers Ball , and radio stations such as KNAC in Long Beach and Z Rock in Dallas , as well as coverage on numerous publications, including Kerrang! and RIP Magazine . These outlets not only played
15576-462: Was against Jack Russell's Great White's tour manager, Daniel Michael Biechele, 26, from Orlando, Florida . This trial was scheduled to start May 1, 2006, but Biechele, against his lawyers' advice, pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter on February 7, 2006, in what he said was an effort to "bring peace, I want this to be over with." On May 10, 2006, State Prosecutor Randall White asked that Biechele be sentenced to ten years in prison,
15708-550: Was against code. The follow-up inspection in December 2002 also did not cite the foam, and the inspector gave the building an "All OK" rating on his inspection form. Larocque later told the Rhode Island State Police that he had not spotted the polyurethane foam during the November 2002 inspection because he was upset after finding an illegal inward swinging door that he had previously asked to be removed from
15840-412: Was also a factor, as was the inward door Larocque had found and asked to be removed. Jeffrey Derderian said the door was also installed due to noise, and they had removed it as asked, but sometimes re-installed it if the venue was going to be loud that night, and the band used it to escape the building during the fire. Michael Derderian told 48 Hours that it was "Undisputable" [ sic ] that
15972-500: Was also the second-deadliest nightclub fire in New England , behind the 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire . After the fire, multiple civil and criminal cases were filed. Daniel Biechele, the tour manager for Great White who had ignited the pyrotechnics, pled guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter in 2006 and was sentenced to fifteen years in prison with four to serve. Biechele was released from prison in 2008 after some families of
16104-489: Was billed as Jack Russell's Great White, which was an offshoot of the original band Great White and led by lead singer, Jack Russell . The original band had risen to fame as part of the glam metal scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. They were best known for their 1989 cover of Ian Hunter 's " Once Bitten, Twice Shy ", which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100 . At the time of their performance at
16236-408: Was born because it was influenced by thrash hardcore, and they just thought it was more metal, so they said, 'Okay, this is thrash metal.'" The guitar riffs often use chromatic scales and emphasize the tritone and diminished intervals, instead of using conventional single-scale-based riffing. For example, the intro riff of Metallica 's " Master of Puppets " (the title track of the namesake album )
16368-491: Was built in 1946, was exempt from a sprinkler requirement in the state fire code through a grandfather clause , which stated that buildings constructed before 1976 were not required to have a sprinkler system. The NIST report was released on March 3, 2005 and was made available in two parts on June 30, 2005. An investigation of the fire by a Rhode Island state grand jury was started by then-Rhode Island Attorney General Patrick Lynch on February 26, 2003. On December 9, 2003,
16500-524: Was killed in a bus accident six months after its release. Kreator released Pleasure to Kill in April 1986, which would later be a major influence on the death metal scene. Megadeth released Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? in September, an album which proved to be the band's commercial and critical breakthrough and which AllMusic later cited as "a classic of early thrash". Slayer, regarded as one of
16632-531: Was later replaced by Kirk Hammett of the then-unsigned Bay Area thrash metal act Exodus , and at Burton's insistence, the band relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area . Before Metallica had even settled on a definitive lineup, Metal Blade Records executive Brian Slagel asked Hetfield and Ulrich (credited as "Mettallica") to record "Hit the Lights" for the first edition of his Metal Massacre compilation in 1982. A re-recorded version of "Hit
16764-454: Was not connected to the local fire department. The Station had no sprinkler system installed. Thick smoke began to fill the Station one minute after the ignition, and the crowd began to escape the building. The fire spread throughout the building and completely engulfed it within six minutes of the pyrotechnic ignition. By this time, the nightclub's fire alarm had activated, and although there were four possible exits, most people headed for
16896-824: Was on all of us." The thrash metal genre is also strongly influenced by punk rock , drawing inspiration from sources ranging from traditional punk bands from the 1970s, including the New York Dolls , the Ramones , the Sex Pistols and the Dead Boys , to late 1970s/early 1980s hardcore punk bands Discharge , GBH , Black Flag , the Misfits , the Dead Kennedys , and Bad Brains . The Ramones' 1976 self-titled debut album in particular has been noted as
17028-530: Was on an eighteen-date concert tour. They had been using a pyrotechnic display during their performances, which some club owners had denied them permission to use, citing safety concerns. Dominic Santana, the owner of The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, New Jersey , told reporters that the band had used pyrotechnics during their February 14, 2003 performance at the venue without his permission, and their contract and rider did not mention pyrotechnics displays. In
17160-473: Was performing with his band OHM at The Baked Potato jazz club in Studio City, Los Angeles . Only three songs into the set, Menza collapsed onstage. He was rushed to a hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. An autopsy later showed the cause of death to be atherosclerotic , hypertensive -induced congestive heart failure . Menza was 51. Thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash )
17292-495: Was perhaps the pinnacle of thrash metal, as a number of critically acclaimed and genre-defining albums were released. Metallica's major label debut Master of Puppets was released in March, becoming the first thrash album to be certified platinum, being certified 6× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); it would be the band's last album to feature bassist Cliff Burton , who
17424-558: Was so fast. It had to be two minutes tops before the whole place was black smoke. A National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigation of the fire under the authority of the National Construction Safety Team Act, using computer simulations with FDS and a mockup of the stage area and dance floor, concluded that a fire sprinkler system would have contained the fire long enough to give everyone time to exit safely. The Station, which
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