For all intents and purposes, thrash metal is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2013. Yes, as nebulous as rock 'n' roll history can be when it comes to dating broad-ranging musical developments, we can confidently point to 1983 as the year when sporadic 'speed metal' displays coalesced into the true definition of thrash metal. Until then, one had to sift through piles of 1970s metal to find occasional turbo-charged tunes like Black Sabbath's 'Paranoid,' Queen's 'Stone Cold Crazy,' or Judas Priest's 'Exciter.' And while Motorhead's momentous arrival at decade’s end coincided with that of numerous, more consistently energetic New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands (Raven, Venom, etc.), it wasn't until an entirely new generation of upstarts took those lessons (plus those of punk rock) to another level that bona fide thrash was born.

While bands such as the mighty Pantera and Sepultura have dabbled in thrash, this list features bands who have carried the thrash flag throughout their careers. Three decades on, the seminal works of the 10 acts listed below continue to inspire mosh pits and influence all kinds of loud rock bands with the simple instruction to "bang that head that doesn't bang!"

So, check out our list of the 10 Best Thrash Metal Bands, and be sure to enter the contest below for a chance to win a copy of the Bazillion Points book 'Murder in the Front Row,' which chronicles the Bay Area thrash scene.