Kingcrimsonprog Toxik’s 1987 Roadrunner Records debut, World Circus is a lot less technical or progressive than their sophomore album, Think This, and much more in keeping with a traditional Thrash sound. That being said they are rather adventurous, dynamic and technically proficient a that sound.

Some bands sound raw, rough and nasty, but this is utter professionalism, precise and dynamic from start to finish. More for fans of Heathen than Hirax if you know what I mean. The production (courtesy of Morrisound) is clean and the playing is flashy in an effortless sounding way. I also has one of my all time favourite Thrash tunes on it. There’s some nice melodic falsetto (almost Power Metal) vocals, some very impressive virtuosic lead guitar wizardry with all sorts of fancy sweeping and trickery, and of course, oodles and oodles of speed.

Why isn’t it a bigger album then? If I had to guess, the two biggest flaws with the album, are firstly that some of the material can be a bit forgettable after the record has stopped playing, and secondly that the opening track, “Heart Attack” is an absolutely brilliant, catchy, unbelievably fun gem and nothing on the rest of the album can live up to that level or entertainment. If someone asked me “what is Thrash Metal?” its one of the first songs I would play them. Its just a shame the rest of the record doesn’t live up to that unfairly high standard.

That being said, it is not a one hit wonder situation. Anti-drug track “Pain And Misery” has a memorable staccato opening and is one of the most rhythmic Thrash songs released before the 90s. I guess the album is probably most famous for the Title Track having a Thrash recreation of the circus theme tune (do-do, doodoo do do, doo doo) but make no mistake, this is not gimmick band. They are deadly serious, with excellent musicianship and thoughtful lyrics (Eg. “Count Your Blessings” covers the topic of homelessness and not taking what you have for granted).

I love the Ed Repka cover art too. Soooooo Thrash. This is the kinds of thing modern bands like Haydes, Municipal Waste and Havok worship.

Overall; Not the most even record in the world, but definitely worth a look for Thrash fans.

UMUR "World Circus" is the debut full-length studio album by US power/thrash metal act Toxik. The album was released through Roadracer Records in 1987. "World Circus" was recorded in the now legendary Morrisound Studios in Tampa, Florida with Jim- and Tom Morris handling the production. Toxik was founded in 1985 and released two albums before disbanding in 1992. Despite generally good reviews and positive fan reactions, the band never broke through in their homeland, but had a decent following in both Europe and Japan.

The music on "World Circus" is technically well played US power/thrash metal with occasional progressive metal leanings. The riffs are intricate, sharp and fast-played. There is no doubt that guitarist Josh Christian is a brilliant guitar player and that his contributions to the music is what elevates it to a higher level. The rhythm section is very skilled too. The production leaves much room for the bass, so it´s very audible in the mix. Lead vocalist Mike Sanders is incredibly skilled too, but pretty surely an aquired taste. His extremely high pitched screaming vocal style is probably hard to appreciate for some while others will praise his vocal acrobatics.

Musically it´s artists like Target, Realm and Watchtower that are references although I also hear nods toward early Annihilator (check out the riff in "Heart Attack" that sounds like the riff from "Human Insecticide"), Fates Warning and King Diamond in the music. Quality wise Toxik are also on the same high level as the mentioned artists. While most tracks are energetic, fast-paced and thrashy, the band do occasionally venture into more progressive territories. "47 Seconds Of Sanity/Count Your Blessings" is the best example of this, but there are intriguing ideas featured in most tracks.

"World Circus" is simply through and through a quality technical US power/thrash metal release. The vocals might challenge some people beyond their limit, but if you are able to enjoy them, "World Circus" is a near brilliant release. The sound production could have been slightly better, but it´s a minor issue and overall a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is fully deserved.