Usually when bands take long breaks between albums, the results are mixed. There are instances where the artist comes back with a strong album; on the other side of the spectrum you see an artist doing the same thing they were in the last album only to sound out of date and derivative. Germany’s Cytotoxin released their last album ‘Radiophobia’ five years ago and now they are back with ‘Gammageddon’. Which bucket does the album fall into? Are they evolving their sound or are they sticking to what they know?
I’m going to start off by saying that ‘Gammageddon’ is not a bad album, but it isn’t Cytotoxin’s best work either. The album showcases all of what you expect from the band, you have the guttural vocals, the insane sweep picking that will make you want to give up playing the guitar and the relentless barrage of drums that will break your spirit. The band knows that it can deliver on these aspects and they do so magnificently. If you are a fan looking for ‘Radiophobia 2.0‘ then this album is probably a 10/10 for you but for someone who is tired of the same old sound and looking for Cytotoxin to step up their game, this album is quite disappointing.
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I feel like ‘Gammageddon‘ is actually a step back from their previous album. ‘Radiophobia‘ had a certain groove to it which helped it stand out from the rest of the bands doing the same thing. The Chernobyl aspect of the lyrics did help but all the songs had an underlying groove to them which made it feel more human because that is a problem that this genre suffers from; the songs sound like they are being played by computers and are missing that human element. ‘Gammageddon’ unfortunately has no “feel” to it like their previous album. It just sounds like any other brutal tech death band but with a Chernobyl/radiation skin to it.
The whole album obviously cannot be a constant barrage of sweep picking and blast beats you need to break it up with some riffs in between. The riffs in this album are not interesting, there are very few memorable moments that stuck in my mind and as a result I didn’t feel like going back for another listen. There are moments where the band resorts to deathcore breakdowns which I feel is the most disappointing part of the album. They could have made it interesting by putting their own twist on it but the way it’s been done it just feels like lazy songwriting.
Production on this album feels like it’s a step down from their earlier album, the bass drums sound dry and guitars don’t punch as hard, I couldn’t really hear the bass as much as I would have liked to. V.T. on bass and Stocki on drums are tight as always; I just wish the drums sounded a slight bit more damp.Jason and Fonzo on guitars are mad machines. I love the blistering pace at which they play and the crazy amount of sweeps they pull off. Grimo on vocals sounds commanding and powerful, I really like the vocal mixing on this album; you can hear the instruments and the vocals clearly without losing out on either.
‘Gammageddon’ will keep the fans happy and I don’t blame Cytotoxin for playing it safe. If I were coming back after 5 years, I might stick to what I know best too. The album does have some good songs however: songs like “Chernopolis”, “Corium Era” and “Sector Zero” stand out from the rest but they aren’t enough to tempt me to go back to this album. I am still a fan of their earlier work and will be looking forward to what they bring to the table next.