Nothing Sacred were a thrash metal

Thrash metal

Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...

 band from Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

 that existed in the 1980s.

History

One of the earliest Australian bands to play thrash metal, Nothing Sacred formed in Melbourne, Australia in 1983. After recording a demo, they released their first EP Deathwish, an independent release, and played a large number of shows around Australia. An LP was released in 1988, titled Let Us Prey. Despite brilliant songwriting and musicianship on the album, Let Us Prey suffered from poor production quality in comparison to its predecessor.

Before disbanding in 1991, Nothing Sacred's lead guitarist Mark Woolley, bassist Karl Lean and drummer Sham contributed to Hobbs' Angel of Death

Hobbs' Angel of Death

Hobbs' Angel of Death are an Australian thrash metal band that began in 1987 in Melbourne, and are one of the first Australian groups to perform in that genre. They released two studio albums, Hobb's Angel of Death and Inheritance before disbanding in 1996...

's early work in the late 1980s. Woolley also appeared on Hobbs' first self-titled album in 1988. Vocalist Mick Burnham later joined short-lived Melbourne band Seizure in 1993.

Although their tenure was short-lived, Nothing Sacred still remains as an underground metal phenomenon in Australia. Songs from the Deathwish EP still get airplay on several Australian metal radio programmes from time to time.

Sound

Although branded as a thrash metal group, Nothing Sacred's music had more of a melodic sound, at times reminiscent of Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...

. Vocalist Mick Burnham had a voice that sounded very similar to early Iron Maiden singer Paul D'ianno.

Line-up

• Mick Burnham - Vocals
• Mark Woolley - Guitar
• Sham - Drums
• Karl Lean - Bass
• Richard Snape - Guitar

Discography

• Deathwish (EP) (Self-release, 1984)
• Demo (1985)
• Let Us Prey (Album) (Cleopatra, 1988)