New material from classic 80s thrash band
Toxik has been anticipated for a long time. Not just because it’s almost 30
years since their last record, but also because the band has been working on it
for seemingly a very long time. Though it’s not a full length, “Breaking Class”
is what the band has come up with so far, and the result may not be too
enticing to long time Toxik fans. The band definitely still plays thrash, but
instead avoid the super technical nature they were once known for. In addition,
the return of “Think This” vocalist Charles Sabin isn’t all that noticeable. He
rarely hits a sky-high note, instead opting for a more normal upper range
voice. Fortunately, mainman Josh Christian still has plenty of opportunities to
show that his shredding skills are just as impressive as they were 30 years
ago, with his best playing coming on "Psyop".
Everything about “Breaking Class” feels a
little too modern. The American flag on the cover makes it immediately clear
what this entire EP is about, giving it strong vibes of Coldsteel’s “America
Idle” EP (though that one was far superior). Even though the riffs themselves
are pretty fast, it just doesn’t feel as authentic as it once did. The title
track is definitely the fastest and best of the three songs, and it has an outstanding
nod to the title track of “World Circus” with a psychotic riff after the first
chorus, but the overall impact of the song isn’t quite what one would hope for.
“Breaking Class” ultimately falls in a very
strange space in terms of reunion efforts because it doesn’t completely miss
the mark like many other bands, and yet it just doesn’t feel right. The sound
and technical skill are there, but they don’t come together properly, and so
this EP is likely to get lost amidst the plethora of modern sounding thrash
releases being released in 2017.
Highlights
"Breaking Class"
Final Rating
3.3/5 or 66%.
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