2026 Anniversary Series 055: Onslaught – The Force

Scribed by Sandre the Giant Released: 5th May 1986 UK thrash legends Onslaught were warmly welcomed back to the scene with 2007’s ‘Killing Peace’ after a gap of almost twenty years, and it was because of albums like ‘The Force’ in 1986. Their position as (potentially) kingpins of the UK Big Four of thrash (rounded out by Acid Reign, Sabbat and Xentrix) was mooted after 1985’s iconic ‘Power from Hell’ debut, but it was here in 1986 when that position was cemented after the release of The Force’. A dramatic and essential step up in quality and focus, this is a record roundly regarded as an unmitigated masterclass in old school thrash, and when you listen to it today you can still feel all the youthful exuberance and musical talent still oozing throughout. Forty years later though, just how important was ‘The Force’? You can tell straight away that the step up in quality from ‘Power from Hell’, as Onslaught have taken a huge chunk of what Slayer had been doing the year before and turned…