You may be tired of hearing about the “Big 4” of thrash metal — but what about the “Big 4” of Canadian thrash metal?

While the Bay Area was producing an explosive crop of young headbangers pushing metal into unprecedentedly fast and heavy territory, their counterparts were doing the same in the Great White North.

Although the Canadian thrash metal scene never produced superstars on par with the U.S. Big 4, its leading bands developed cult followings based on the strength of minor-classic albums — and in some cases, they even helped pioneer other subgenres.

READ MORE: 8 Severely Underrated Technical Thrash Metal Bands

The ‘Big 4’ of Canadian Thrash Metal Mixed Brains and Brawn

You may recognize Voivod, who, along with Austin, Texas’ Watchtower and Switzerland’s Coroner, helped lay the groundwork for the technical thrash movement. These bands augmented their breakneck riffs with progressive song structures and head-spinning, jazz fusion-inspired solos to craft a sound that was equally capable of summoning a mosh pit or inspiring studious, private listening.

Or Annihilator, whose 1989 debut album Alice in Hell is widely considered a stone-cold thrash metal classic. In an alternate timeline, it could have rocketed Annihilator to the big leagues; instead, the band underwent various lineup changes and made a few ill-advised musical detours that limited their reach.

Such roadblocks were unfortunately commonplace in thrash metal, with most bands receiving minimal financial support and resources from record labels. Thankfully, all of the bands on this list have triumphed over adversity, releasing thunderous albums in the 2020s that prove they’ve still got it.

Read on to see the Big 4 of Canadian thrash metal.

Need more thrash metal? Check out our list of the best album by 15 legendary thrash bands:

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