New York's Nuclear Assault. Less corny than Overkill and a litlle bit more socio-political than Anthrax, and with arguably more street cred. They went hand-in-hand with other '80's thrash demigods like Voivod and Dark Angel in terms of popularity but not neccesarily musical details. Nuclear Assault are also notable for the inclusion of bassist Danny Lilker, who was also in Stormtroopers of Death and later seminal grindcore merchants Brutal Truth. He is one of extreme musics primary ambassadors of the four-string.
Nuclear Assault truly arrived on 1989's Handle With Care - a record which stands the test of time as one of the East Coast's best offerings to the thrash metal genre. The development displayed on their previous effort, Survive, was honed to an even tighter focus here, resulting in the band's best and most powerful album. Outstanding thrashers like "Critical Mass," "F: (Wake Up)," and "When Freedom Dies" lead the way with the same bile and fury fans had grown accustomed to. But the band also displays an increasing appreciation for melody and straight-ahead metal riffs on tracks like "Inherited Hell" and the epic "Trail of Tears" -- no doubt upsetting those who preferred the rawer hardcore elements in their sound. And even though John Connely and Danny Lilker remain the band's prime creative forces, drummer Glen Evans also contributes some killer material ("Emergency" and "Search & Seizure"), making Handle With Care Nuclear Assault's truest band effort.