The vast majority of metal bands in all genres that achieve legendary status do so without getting a big break in the mainstream, so it’s normal to see the casual big 4 fan blowing their minds when listening to 80’s masterpieces like Coroner, Rigor Mortis, Slaughter, Paradox, Artillery and so on. Toxik is one of such cases that, if you don’t get a proper warning before listening to their absurdly good ‘World Circus’ (1987) and ‘Think This’ (1989), you’ll definitely be blown away by these underrated gems and go cry in a corner somewhere thinking about your lackluster knowledge of the metal world.
Because Toxik is one of those cases where a band has a very small discography and basically disappeared after releasing hugely acclaimed albums, the legendary status grew by the moment and some of us thought a third record by the New York natives would never see the light of day, the expectations – and concerns – were high when ‘Dis Morta’ was announced with a fully revamped lineup. Besides founder Josh Christian (guitars), we only have new faces in Shane Boulos (bass), Eric van Druten (guitars), Jim DeMaria (drums, Heathen), and Ron Iglesias (vocals) so I really had no clue what to expect besides some singles released prior to the album.
While ‘Dis Morta’ doesn’t surprise us all with a huge disappointment or an improbable step up over Toxik’s two killer albums, it doesn’t stand still in a gray area and doesn’t suffer from the modernization that plagues new thrash bands and the genre as a whole; instead, it’s packed with good riffs and characteristic US-thrash attitude without sounding plasticized or boring.
Surely enough by being away for so long, Christian and company play it safe at the beginning with the title track, “Feeding Frenzy” and “The Radical”, songs that provide a good example of the 80’s thrash way of life but offer little of the craziness and technicality that Toxik is widely known for. Gladly, they slowly regain confidence and by the end of the album, you’ll see a full display of Christian’s unique songwriting and instrumentality with the demented “Devil in the Mirror” and closer “Judas”, the best track here.
With the addition of a pure thrash metal drummer in DeMaria and Iglesias’ ability to deliver high-pitched vocals and at times even mimic the great performances of Mike Sanders and Charles Sabin before him, it’s easy enough to get comfortable with the first Toxik full-length in more than 30 years and make those doubts go away. Nevertheless, this IS their first album in more than 30 years so there are a few exaggerations and minor slips in songwriting. A case in point is that sometimes they go too far on the cuckoo side of things like with the weird Voivod-Esque “Hyper Reality” and “Creating the Abyss”; these tracks feel all over the place and with a lack of purpose other than being…well, weird.
In summary, the “new” Toxik is at its best when they manage to balance the hyperbolic wackiness with traditional thrash riffage and atmosphere akin to their heydays, which they master in the last half of ‘Dis Morta’. We don’t see the sheer brutality of the 80’s here but that doesn’t stop the band from creating something that can stand on its own and actually enrich their already legendary discography. While it doesn’t hold a candle to the group’s other efforts (but to be honest, how could it? Those are two of the greatest thrash metal albums of all time) it might find its way into your rotation and is surely deserving of praise, be it by the quality itself or the difficulty of succeeding due to being associated to such a legendary band. Recommended.