UMUR "Chemistry Of Consciousness" is the 5th full-length studio album by US thrash metal act Toxic Holocaust. The album was released through Relapse Records in October 2013. It´s been two years since the release of "Conjure and Command (2011)", but bandleader/guitarist/lead vocalist Joel Grind has busied himself, both with solo material and with his thrash/crossover project Tiger Junkies. And of course Toxic Holocaust have toured quite a bit too, so no rest for the wicked this time around. Joel Grind and his two accomplices, Phil Gnaast (bass) and Nikki Rage (drums) have however found time to write and record "Chemistry Of Consciousness".

If you are already familiar with the thrash/crossover style that Toxic Holocaust have more or less played since day one, you´ll find very few surprises on "Chemistry Of Consciousness" as it basically continues down the same path as it´s predecessors. Through the years Toxic Holocaust have shed more and more of their D-beats and crossover elements in favour of a more strickly thrash metal influenced sound, culminating in "Conjure and Command (2011)", which is a thrash metal album with a few nods toward crossover/punk and not the other way around. "Chemistry Of Consciousness" features a few more punk elements than it´s predecessor but otherwise this is aggressive and raw old school thrash metal. It´s like listening to early Slayer meets early eighties Motörhead or something like that (with a slight nod towards Voivod in the track "Mkultra"). It´s not very original sounding, but it´s both damn catchy and powerful. The music is very much straight ahead and you´ll probably find yourself screaming along to the infectious choruses of tracks like "Rat Eater" or "Acid Fuzz" without a care in the world other than banging your head like a maniac. Featuring 11 tracks and a full playing time of 28:13 minutes, this is very much a "to the point" release and I´m sure that´s how the band wanted it.

The sound production is very different sounding from the rather "meaty" sounding "Conjure and Command (2011)". The sound on "Chemistry Of Consciousness" is not nearly as heavy as on the predecessor, which gives it a more rattling "garage feel". Probably fully intentional. Make no mistake though, this is a professional and well sounding production, which isn´t surprising when you read in the liner notes that the album was mixed with Kurt Ballou (Converge), who is a real capacity in that area.

The musicianship is tight and there is a great organic feeling about the playing, that suits the music well. All in all "Chemistry Of Consciousness" is another great release by Toxic Holocaust and if you enjoy the style, you shouldn´t miss out on this one. Personally I liked the more meaty sounding and thrashy "Conjure and Command (2011)" sligthly more, but this one is great too and deserves a 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating.

UMUR "From the Ashes of Nuclear Destruction" is a compilation album release by US thrash metal act Toxic Holocaust. The compilation was released through Relapse Records in March/April 2013. The digital version of the album features 20 tracks, while the CD version features two bonus tracks. "From the Ashes of Nuclear Destruction" is a compilation of singles and rarities, such as demo versions of tracks from the band´s studio albums and rare tracks from the various split releases that Toxic Holocaust have been featured on. All material on the album are originals as the band have opted not to include any of the cover tracks (by artists such as Venom, Bathory and Bulldozer) they have recorded over the years.

The standard of the material is pretty consistent both in style and in quality although the sound production differs quite a bit from track to track. Some are pretty murky sounding demos, while others sound a bit more professionally produced. Stylistically it´s especially early Slayer (the debut) that I´m reminded of mixed up with some punk. But while there is little in terms of innovation on display, Toxic Holocaust prove that they deserve their relatively high status among fans of old school sounding thrash metal. The tunes are delivered with conviction and they are generally damn catchy.

so if you´re not interested in searching out all the splits, EPs and singles that most of these tracks are featured on and would like to hear some authentic and raw demo versions of tracks that would end up on the band´s studio albums, "From the Ashes of Nuclear Destruction" is definitely worth a purchase. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

UMUR "Conjure and Command" is the 4th full-length studio album by US thrash metal act Toxic Holocaust. The album was released through Relapse Records in July 2011. Since their inception in 1999, Toxic Holocaust have more or less been a one-man project of vocalist/guitarist Joel Grind, with changing session musicians for tours and recordings. But for the recording of "Conjure and Command", Philthy Gnaast has joined on bass and vocals and Nikki Rage has joined on drums. Both as permanent members of the band.

The band are known for playing old school punk influenced thrash metal, but on "Conjure and Command" the punk influences have been toned down considerably compared to earlier releases, making "Conjure and Command" a more straight old school thrash metal release heavily drawing influences from especially eighties Slayer.

Joel Grind has a raw sandpaper delivery and his vocals are one of the greatest assets of the album, but the strong songwriting and the raw and powerful sound production are also worth mentioning. "Conjure and Command" is, with it´s 10 tracks and 32:09 minutes long playing time, very much a "to the point" release. There are no unneccesary fillers and while Toxic Holocaust never break out of the boundaries of old school thrash metal, there is variation enough between tracks to easily tell them apart. All tracks are catchy, memorable and delivered with fierce conviction.

Fans of the genre should find much to love on "Conjure and Command" while critics may argue that there is absolutely nothing new under the sun, but they´d be missing the point right? Overall "Conjure and Command" is a high quality release deserving a 4 star (80%) rating.

J-Man If heavy, relentless, and ass-kicking thrash metal is your preferred poison, you're probably familiar with American act Toxic Holocaust. Since its formation in 1999, this thrash outfit has evolved from Joel Grind's one-man band to a trio of full-time members. Conjure and Command, the fourth full-length effort from Toxic Holocaust, is also their first album with the lineup of Joel Grind (vocals and guitars), Nikki Bellmore (drums), and Phil Gnaast (bass). While not a terribly unique and memorable observation, Conjure and Command is an impressive slab of relentless thrash metal that should satisfy fans of the genre.

Toxic Holocaust plays a brand of thrash metal that, while still containing a few modern tendencies, relies mainly on the foundation set by the more extreme thrash acts of the eighties'. Expect plenty of furious riffs, pummeling drum patterns, and torturous vocals - this is the sort of album that's just perfect to get your blood pressure up! Conjure and Command is a pretty short album that clocks in at just over 32 minutes, but I personally love how quickly the album ends. A short, fast 'punch in the face' is exactly how a thrash album of this caliber should be packaged - and, thankfully, that's exactly how Conjure and Command is released. The raw production leaves plenty of room for gritty guitar tones and earthy drum sounds, and I personally love the way Conjure and Command is produced.

If we're being honest, Conjure and Command hardly brings anything to the table that any thrash veteran hasn't heard dozens of times before. Still, when the quality of the music is this high, it's hard to imagine a fan of thrash metal not having an absolute blast when giving this one a spin. Toxic Holocaust have crafted an album with enough fury-inducing riffage and angst-filled compositions to satisfy most metalheads, and I can confidently say that I'm glad to have heard Conjure and Command. While not the most unique or essential sentiment of modern thrash metal, this is a pretty great album worthy of 3.5 stars.