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)

TOXIC HOLOCAUST – Evil Never Dies

I must make a confession. As I do with most albums I review, I listen to them while doing various things around the house. Maybe do a little cleaning, wash some dishes, or partake in some online poker. I noticed that while taking in the sounds of Evil Never Dies, I would stop what I was doing and sporadically bang my head, play some mean metal air guitar, and throw up the horns in a fit of rage.

This is the beauty Toxic Holocaust’s audio assault of super-fast beats and blistering guitars. Originally released back in 2003, this reissue pays homage to the thrash metal of yesteryear. The speed doesn’t stop through the 12 featured tracks, making it a pretty much nonstop head-banging experience. Unfortunately, not everything here comes up stellar. While the tracks are fast and well played, they all seem to have a repetitive beat and vocal structure. This makes the tracks pretty much run all together, leaving the listener wondering, “Didn’t I just hear this song?” Joel Grind’s vocals are subpar to say the least. Understanding a majority of the lyrics is nearly impossible as he mumbles throughout the effort. I also felt the subject matter for the songs were a bit too cliché of thrash legends like Megadeth and Slayer. Can we get a little deeper than war and death? I understand what they were attempting to do (pay homage while trying to have their own sound) but it felt more of a rip off than an inspiration. What beauty lies in this album lies in its unrelenting attempt to blow the listener away with ripping guitars backed by a lightning-fast beat. It’s not a masterpiece, but it does its job.

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