Frequently Asked Questions
When was Get Thrashed filmed?
Production started in December 2002, with the first interviews (Dan Lilker, Blitz from Overkill) conducted in early 2003. The final interview was with Sodom in 2006. The documentary World Premiered at the 2006 Raindance Film Festival (10/3/06).
GT was released on DVD in September 2008.
Was there any band or artist that you couldn't get for the film?
Schmier from Destruction was losing his voice the day I interviewed the band in NYC. He politely declined to do the interview in order to save his voice for the show that night. Jason Newstead was sick (stomach bug) the night I tried to interview him in NJ. (He was touring with Voivod.) Also, Celtic Frost reformed AFTER production of Get Thrashed had wrapped. I would've loved to speak with Tom and/or Martin (RIP). Early on in the production process, I reached out to Dave Grohl via his label at the time (RCA) and was turned down. (Although, I believe the label rep never bothered to pass along the request to Dave.)
In the end, it probably wouldn't have been the best fit for Get Thrashed, given the final rundown of artists and bands in GT.
Were any bands interviewed, but not used in the film?
I interviewed Piggy and Away from Voivod at the Birch Hill Night Club in NJ. The noise in the area we were filming was so loud that it made for a difficult interview. Disturbed were interviewed for the film, but were not included in the final version, simply because I had so many interviews to choose from.
Who is your favorite thrash band?
Speaking for myself (Rick), Metallica. They were my "gateway" band to discovering all that thrash metal had to offer. They showed the entire range of what a thrash band could be ... from ballads (Fade to Black) to all out thrashers (Battery).
What is your favorite thrash album?
Slayer "Reign in Blood".
If aliens ever visited earth and asked "what is thrash metal?", I'd simply hand them this album. The epitome of thrash metal IMO. (Rick)
My Top 5 thrash metal albums - my favorites, not necessarily the most influential:
1 - Reign in Blood
2 - Master of Puppets
3 - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying
4 - Eternal Devastation
5 - Fabulous Disaster (I know, blasphemy for not picking "Bonded By Blood"!)
Coming up close behind would be Terrible Certainty (Kreator), The New Order (Testament), Taking Over (Overkill), Act III (Death Angel)
Most underrated thrash band:
Vio-lence.
Thrash band that I love but few have heard of:
Forced Entry
What was your 1st thrash metal show?
My first thrash shows were at February's / Hammheadz in Elmont, NY. It was a tiny club where local bands would play covers. It was here where bands like Kronin, Cold Steel and others introduced me to live thrash metal.
A few years later, when I finally had a car and could drive to L'amour in Brooklyn, it was Overkill (Under the Influence tour) with Destruction opening that was my first, big time thrash show. Must have been 1988.