The NWOTM Blog: Year Two!

So The New Wave of Thrash Metal Blog has reached its second year, and thanks to all of you, we keep growing and growing.

I believe the popularity of this blog stems from the lack of "thrash only" venues available online (or on the newsstands). Of course there are a few good ones, such as the Global Thrash Assault, among others, but for us thrash fans (along with thrash cousins punk/crossover and death metal), we take what we can get.

Usually, if you want to read about thrash metal, most of the well-known metal magazines, both on and offline, usually offer up a shred of thrash input to make room for the 100s of other sub genres within the metal community.

The NWOTM Blog tips the aforementioned formula on its head: I offer up a shred of other metal sub genres to make room for THRASH. I'm not dogging on the other sub genres (in fact, I like most of 'em), but what is a thrash-head to do when the pickings are so damn slim?

Well, I try to fill that open void just a little bit with the NWOTM Blog. Personally, I not only want to know more about the thrash bands I love, I also want to FIND MORE bands! As I have mentioned many times before, the grassroots is where it's at: local, hardworking, bad-ass thrash bands that have a couple unknown demos circulating on the Net.

I mean, you all already know about Evile, Municipal Waste, and Wabrbringer. Let the thrash world also hear about Sewercide! Condition Critical! Cuttin' Loose! Warsenal! Insanity Alert! The list goes on and on.

I find these bands (or they find me) that I think are amazing and want to share them with you all, putting them on par with the signed bands that I love so much.

Of course I will write about the more popular bands - I freakin' love those bands as well. However, I remember what it was like playing in a local band and trying to spread the word about my music, and how it felt when someone took notice.

After I posted the announcement of the NWOTM Blog's 2nd anniversary on the Facebook page, I received a comment from Pat Smith, the bassist for the Texas metal band Avenues of Approach, a band I recently posted on the blog. Pat thanked me for spreading the good word of metal, and then wrote:

"On behalf of AoA, I want to personally thank you! We are being listened to in parts of the world I would have never imagined possible, and that is all because of the NWTMB, and your dedication. While I don't see a "World Tour" any time soon, it's still really cool to say we're being listened to in 5 different countries! And the NWTMB is completely responsible for that."

Personally, for me, his statement is awesome. Awesome! Not in an ego-stroking way. It's just validation to me that the Blog is doing what its meant to do: Get the word OUT!

So thank YOU to all the thrash fans and bands out there who check out this blog (and its accompanying Facebook page). You fans display a love and hunger for thrash, complete with a NEED to search out and discover new bands who can crank out your favorite sub genre of metal. It's a passion that should never be extinguished.

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