ALBUM REVIEW: Cursed and Punished – Toxikull

Portugal thrash metallers TOXIKULL are back after a three year gap since their debut record Black Sheep was released back in 2016, with their new album Cursed and Punished. It follows on from a busy 2018 where they released their first EP The Nightraiser followed by the Special Edition Demo, and also sees Garras on drums after replacing The Lorke.

The new record begins with an intro track The Summoning Pit, lasting just over a minute. There are swirling winds as the echoes of the guitars slowly come to prominence. The build up picks up pace and volume, shortly followed by the screams of vocalists Lex Thunder and Antim “The Viking”. The song flows straight into the title track, where the riffs become lightning quick and everything is turned up to 11. Thunder is the first to provide the vocals, his high pitched shrieks giving off a bit of a nostalgia to the ’80s thrash scene, while Antim’s deeper vocal style adds another dimension to the track. Both combine for the chorus, and the contrasts work really well.

The recipe remains the same throughout the vast majority of the record, big heavy riffs, powerful vocals all at breakneck speed. There are some variations to the theme though, for example Killer Night which goes more towards the more classic heavy metal sound – certainly some echoes of JUDAS PRIEST in this particular track both from the structure and guitars, as well as the vocals highlighting a bit of a throwback.

Another song which sidetracks from the majority of the record is Rising Dust. While most of the songs start off all guns blazing, there is a bit more of a build up to this particular track. Thunder showcases his guitar skills with a solo opening number, before the rest of the band follow suit shortly afterwards. There are certainly more thrash elements to Rising Dust but it isn’t as explosive as other tracks on the record, nor does it have the classic heavy metal feel to it. The best way to describe it is a compound of the two, which when put together does give a solid end product.

It’s fair to say though that this record is certainly one for the thrash purist. If you were to listen to this in a blind test without any prior knowledge to the band or the album, then you could well be mistaken for listening to TESTAMENT. The vocal styles for both bands differ greatly, but in terms of the overall structure, the riffs, the percussion, and general sound there is not much difference between them.

There is certainly enough on Cursed and Punished to appeal to the majority of metal fans who have a taste for the classic roots of the genre. Blending an early, proto-thrash sound with traditional metal leanings works fantastically, with each song getting the listener headbanging. TOXIKULL are certainly going to be a band to look out for over the coming years.

Rating: 7/10

Cursed and Punished is set for release September 13th via Metal on Metal Records.

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