TOXIC HOLOCAUST – Hell On Earth

With the reissue of their sophomore release Hell on Earth, Toxic Holocaust returns with their brand of fast paced thrash metal. Like on their debut album, Joel Grind and his band of metal misfits jam out 10-plus tracks dealing with dark and morbid subjects like death, war and hell. Reflecting on their debut album Evil Never Dies, it appears the band took on some subtle changes within the confines of this album. There’s a noticeable difference between how a majority of the songs start. Some start with guitars exclusively or even a bass guitar riff at the beginning of “Time to Die,” giving the album a less repetitive feel. There’s also a noticeable attempt to incorporate more guitar solos, especially during the song “Time to Die.” While it’s clear the band is looking to progress musically, lyrically it still feels essentially cliché and overall unbearable. I definitely applaud their attempts to expand their musical boundaries but in the midst of doing so I feel they lost a lot of that raw energy that made Evil Never Dies so fun to listen to. The potential is there…it’s now just a matter of finding what really works.

(Relapse Records, PO Box 2060, Upper Darby, PA 19082)