I love most new thrash, but there is one criticism of it
that is very easy to make. Aside from a few bands, most of these bands are out
to sound like their idols. While they still enjoy bands like Iron Maiden,
Diamond Head, and others, they do little to incorporate these bands into their
sound. Likewise, few new thrash bands remember that thrash came about partly because
of the influence of punk. The biggest exception to this has always been Toxic
Holocaust. They’ve already delivered several brutal albums of punkish thrash,
and their newest release, “Chemistry of Consciousness” is no exception.
The opening track, “Awaken The Serpent” is the best example
of this sound. With its simplistic riffing and loose drumbeats, this song
displays an energy unlike anything else you hear in thrash nowadays. The vocals
of Joel Grind take this in a bit of a different direction, as he literally
shreds his voice to pieces as he spits out lyrics. This vocal style takes much
more influence from the blackened side of thrash, and adds some variety to the
record. Aside from the opener, most of the other songs follow a similar format.
They’re all pretty short, feature relatively straightforward riffs, and are a
burst of aggression. The biggest exception to this is “Rat Eater”, which is the
only song over 3 minutes, and that’s because it opens with a slower, heavy
intro before the song morphs into something similar to the rest of the record.
Generally, this album is at its strongest when the band
sounds as quick and raw as possible. The more punk that a song sounds, the more
convincing it tends to be. This applies to the first track, as well as “Out of
the Fire” and “I Serve…”, which are the other huge highlights. The reason these
tracks are most successful is because they compliment the sound of the album.
As mentioned earlier, Joel’s vocals are truly vicious, and the guitar tone
follows a similar lack of listener-friendliness. The instruments sound pretty
fuzzy; it’s almost like both the guitars and bass are as overdriven as
possible. The drums are not particularly modern sounding. They aren’t
excessively loud, and the snare doesn’t have that high ping that plagues many
other bands. In addition, drummer Nick Bellmore does a great job in alternating
between standard thrash beats and more traditional punk beats. These punk beats
put more focus on the timing of the bass drum, and tend to reduce any sense of
monotony this album gives off.
Ultimately, “Chemistry of Consciousness” is an album that is
going to please fans of Toxic Holocaust. It’s a concise effort that accurately
depicts the band’s sound, while still maintaining the quality they’ve brought
in the past. It avoids pretty much everything that can ruin a thrash album
(being too long, boring songwriting/lack of variation, etc.). It would be a
surprise to not see this on many year-end lists!
Highlights
"Awaken The Serpent"
"Out Of The Fire"
"I Serve..."
Final Rating
4.3/5 or 86%.