Slayer

When Slayer first unleashed its violent strain of thrash upon the Hessian public, there was a feeling that perhaps they were too extreme, that perhaps metal had been taken too far. They had created a fearful precedent for hardcore music. The crushing level of distortion and speed Slayer produced was like a dense downpour of razorblades. Their complete immersion in horror, violence and darkness equaled the sonic assault they committed with each track. Though metal eventually became faster, more violent, and more offensive, few can touch the focus and precision of Slayer's extreme velocities and ominous dissonance. Even today, their sound remains largely unchanged, though many of their peers softened their sound for the mainstream. Slayer maintains a dedicated following as the founding fathers of extreme music, from the gore festivities of death metal to the existential/political angst of metalcore to the epic blasphemies of black metal.