Toxikull - Under the Southern Light (2024)

★★★★

A release I was personally very excited for, TOXIKULL have returned to the heavy/speed stage – only this time with a noticeable decrease in the speed element. That’s not a bad thing, however, as the album trades the aforementioned speed for tighter songwriting, better production, and bigger choruses. Sure, more speed would have been fun, but there’s just enough of it on here to fit their prior mold and not stray too far away from what made them a good band in the first place. Another big thing for me on this release was their laser-precision in terms of getting that gnarly 1980s metal guitar tone. Everything from the riffs to the Dokken-esque soloing is in tip-top condition and God, am I a sucker for that type of delay-soaked overdriven sound! They also include a great cover of “Filhos do Metal” by Xeque-Mate – one of the first heavy metal bands from TOXIKULL’s home country of Portugal. Bottom line: it’s not mind-blowing, but it’s still a well-rounded album and a fun listen. Check it out!

FAVORITE TRACKS: "Night Shadows," "Battle Dogs," "Going Back Home"

Encyclopædia Metallum

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Originally published in March '24 (Issue No. 2)