Some bands saved your life. Others melted your face. This episode of Headbanger’s History dives headfirst into the 1980s metal underground — the speed, the rage, and the rot. From the Bay Area’s thrash explosion to Florida’s death metal furnace, this is how two scenes rewrote the rules of heavy music forever. Featuring the early chaos of Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, and the rise of Death, Possessed, Morbid Angel, Obituary, and more — this is where the riffs got faster, the vocals got uglier, and metal got real. Audio-Only Edition — No filler. No filters. Just the story of the underground. Subscribe for more weekly episodes: Headbanger’s History: The Soundtrack of Chaos Available on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts #ThrashMetal #DeathMetal #HeadbangersHistory #Metallica #Slayer #Megadeth #MorbidAngel #DeathBand #80sMetal #MetalPodcast #FreddCarroll #HeavyMetalHistory HEADBANGER’S HISTORY — Where Every Riff Tells a Story. The loudest metal history channel on YouTube. We go deeper than documentaries—celebrating forgotten bands, legendary riffs, underground scenes, brutal album stories, wild tour moments, and the untold history of heavy metal in all its forms: Thrash, Doom, Death, Black, NWOBHM, Hair Metal, Hardcore, Groove, Power, Prog… and everything in between. CHAPTERS 00:00 — Opening Monologue: When Riffs Became Religion 01:06 — Thrash & Death Metal: Setting the Stage (Bay Area to Tampa) 02:09 — The Birth of Thrash (1980–83): The Breeding Ground 05:12 — Early Landmarks: Metallica, Exodus, Slayer, Anthrax 07:32 — The Big Four Era (1984–86) — Power, Pain, and Cliff Burton’s Legacy 09:14 — Slayer & Megadeth: The Arms Race of Speed 10:55 — Anthrax: East Coast Energy & Humor in Metal 11:54 — Thrash Memories & The Fan’s View 12:54 — The Death Metal Mutation: Possessed & Death (1985–1989) 16:22 — The Florida Furnace: Tampa Takes Over 22:52 — The Global Spread: UK, Europe, Brazil & Beyond 25:16 — 1989: Death Metal Goes Full Underground 27:47 — The Rise of DIY Networks & Zines 29:04 — Closing Thoughts: Speed, Sickness & The Spirit of Metal This is metal history for the fans who lived it and the newbies brave enough to join the fray. Rarely negative. Always fun. 100% authentic. Produced by Left Eye Lazy Media. Website: www.LeftEyeLazyMedia.com Follow & Connect Instagram: @HeadbangersHistory Twitter/X: @HEADBANGER_YT Support the Channel & Keep the Riffs Alive thrash metal, death metal, 1980s metal, metal history, metal documentary, headbangers history, fredd carroll, metallica, slayer, megadeth, anthrax, possessed, death band, obituary, morbid angel, sepultura, napalm death, bolt thrower, 80s thrash, 80s death metal, metal evolution, underground metal, heavy metal podcast, extreme metal history, tampa death metal, bay area thrash, metal scene 1980s, metal archives, metal legends, headbangers yearbook