ALBUM REVIEW: Nuklearth – Cytotoxin

Before the world ground to a halt, it was a common sight to see CYTOTOXIN‘s logo on a plethora of extreme metal bills up and down the country. Inspired by the 1986 Chernobyl Disaster, the Germans have built up a significant underground following since their formation in 2010 and their studio output has proved no less intimidating. Tomorrow sees their fourth album Nuklearth released via Unique Leader, the highly anticipated follow up to 2017’s Gammageddon and a new chapter in the band’s self-proclaimed sub-genre of ‘Chernobyl death metal’.

It goes without saying that there is nothing inherently wrong about basing your music around a particular theme, time period or singular event; however, in the case of the latter, the well in which to draw inspiration will run dry quicker as there’s less information to go on. By now, one might expect CYTOTOXIN to be reaching the bottom of said source, but the bruising sounds of Atomb as an opening song will quickly extinguish all doubt that the band are beginning to run out of ideas.

There isn’t much in the way of breaking new ground within the death metal world over the course of Nuklearth‘s forty-five minutes, but what it may lack in originality is made up for in delivery and sheer force. There’s a lot to marvel at here, whether its the dual guitars from Fabrice ‘Fonzo’ Töpfer and Jason ‘Mathias’ Melodonie in Lupus Aurora or the utter head-kicking chug of Uran Breath. The album also has a nice mix of the malicious and the melodic, with tracks like Dominus showcasing the latter and Soul Harvester demonstrating the former in crushing fashion.

There’s more to Nuklearth though than just being a very good death metal album because, whether intentionally or not, it tells a harrowing and bleak story over the course of its eleven tracks. This is perhaps heightened by the current dystopian climate, but the more that you listen, the further you are drawn into a world of atrocity and devastation on a scale not seen anywhere, even in 2020. The final three tracks are where this really comes into effect – Dead Zone Anthem is a foreboding, spoken word track in both Ukrainian and English, describing the immediate aftermath of a nuclear explosion, whilst the subsequent title track is no less pulverising than what’s preceded it, yet is at a lower tempo that what has come before it, subsequently giving an extra element of gravitas to the tone and feel.

Then, in quite a large curveball, the closing track Mors Temporis (‘death of time’ in Latin) takes away all of the guitars and blast beats for piano, strings and the strains of a pulsing gigameter. In that moment, the listener is no longer in the horrors of destruction, but rather standing and observing the smouldering ruins of a once vibrant landscape torn apart in an instance, a melancholic and morbid ending to what has been a dark and devastating journey.

This is easily one of the best death metal releases of 2020, perhaps even one in terms of metal as a whole. It’s not going to be a catalyst for a new sub-genre or style within the extreme forest, but that will be of no concern to CYTOTOXIN or anyone who spins it. If you want the sonic equivalent of a chainsaw being carved through your skull with no remorse attached whatsoever before a moment of calm at the to reflect on the violence of what’s just occurred, this will be a lovely time.

Rating: 9/10

Nuklearth is set for release on August 21st via Unique Leader Records.

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