EP REVIEW – Breaking Class – Toxik

TOXIK are a band familiar to anyone who’s dived further into thrash metal than the big four and associated bands. Arriving late to the burgeoning US Thrash scene they dropped two masterpieces of more technical thrash in World Circus and Think This before becoming another casualty of the decline of the style in the 90s. Now thirty years after their debut the band has reformed and released a three song EP Breaking Class.

Opener Stand Up wastes no time in kicking in with solid riffs and a performance that hasn’t aged a day since we last heard from them. While the lyrical themes may not be the most original, with politics being the central theme here, their delivered convincingly enough to justify their presence. Second up is Breaking Class which is a faster but no less technical track than its predecessor and aside from a slightly odd riff around the chorus it’s another solid song that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Closing off the all too brief record is Psyop which is slightly longer than the other tracks and packs in some good catchy riffs without sacrificing the technical skills required.

All in all TOXIK haven’t reinvented themselves here. Three songs is far too short to judge if the band are able to live up their legacy but this short EP is a promising sign for those fans awaiting the new album. Top quality technical thrash metal with no frills or attempts to modernise the sound for a new generation. If the band can maintain this quality on an album they’ll be held up as an example of how to do a come-back right.

Rating 8/10

Breaking Class is out now via self-release.

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