Cytotoxin

Gammageddon

Releases on Friday, July 21st

Grimo (Vocals)

V.T. (Bass)

Fonzo (Guitar)

Jason (Guitar

Stocki (Drums)

 

 

 

 

Radiatus Generis

Rapid fire blast beats, and guitar sweeps set the song up with just shy of fifteen seconds of that chaotic yet intriguing set up. Until the vocals start spitting lyrics. I absolutely love this song; they sink their hooks into you within the first minute of the song.  It has a solid tempo, but the guitar work is impressive. Check out the guitar riff around the :53 second mark, the riff itself has a solid set up, and the actual tone is fitting with their popular concept of nuclear armageddon.  The more I listen to this song, the more I realize they set themselves up for something killer several times before the song is halfway through right around the 1:19 minute mark is a cool set up, and then “We are the Same” and then the brutal groove begins. For about thirty seconds they deliver on a steady groove from the guitars and drums. Meanwhile “we are the same, condemned to perish” can be heard, all the while the song begins to build off of that. Eventually they hit a peak and the rapid fire blast beats and riffing begin to burn a hole in you from the intensity. Right around the 3:00 minute mark the song hits the apex of the song. The section that will repeat, and build until the song reaches the end. That solid minute long end is brutal, ESPECIALLY at the 3:48 mark when you hear “MASSIVE RADIATION DETECTED” and the drums are playing a bulldozing groove, that fucking fits like nothing else could. HOLY SHIT is this what the whole album will be like? If so I am ready for some technical brutality that will be sure to mutate me with the massive radiation detected.

Chaos Cascade

The song begins with a single guitar, a bit of drums and then a quick set up with the vocals before the blasting begins. This beginning sequence sets up the song well, it leaves the listener ready for how they end up breaking out into the first verse. Right around the one-minute mark, they head into a chorus like section. Simple yet catchy and then hits us with some guttural vocals, before transitioning into another section, this time a bit more intense than the last. I find myself really enjoying this album with each transition throughout all songs. This song is great for that, right around the 1:21 mark coming out of that catchy chorus.  The blast beats begin and the guitars sink their hooks in with ease. While the vocals continue to bludgeon with well-timed attacks that jive with everything going on.  This is one of the things I find myself enjoying more about this album that previous ones.  Grimo uses them a bit more sparingly with this album, but the delivery and the timing are on point.  Right around the 2:40 mark, the song rolls right into the same section a little over a minute before only to blast that out in short time before hitting the point of wrapping things up.  The last thirty seconds of the song tie everything up well. They manage to make ninety percent of the song technical, catchy and impressive and the last ten percent is a slower paced section with some groove and still packs a punch. I love it, but I am sure that the title track is going to be following the trend and raising the bar some more.

Gammageddon

The song begins with an almost chaotic yet brief three second set up from the guitars and drums before starting the first verse with the vocals joining in. it actually reminds me of something Despised Icon would have done in their earlier albums.  The song will certainly generate some head and body movement as this verse plays out.  By the time we get to the 1:25 mark we get a section with a killer riff and the intensity of the song builds up.  I mean now I am ready for anything. That amps me up big time, and it lasts about fifteen seconds.  But man the song isn’t even half over yet, they continue to completely destroy me sonically with this killer track.  They hit you at the 2:11 mark with that same killer riff and blasting section to satisfy my withdrawals from the moment before. This is such a killer track, I’m sorry the rest of this review is going to be hell after this song.  The last little drum solo is sooo very simple, and yet that’s all it needs to be. In that moment you can hear the drums crystal clear, I feel as though I was in the same room. Now that, I find impressive they have posted a few studio videos and they did the recording at. But the sound on this album is one of the more impressive aspects of this album.

I feel as though this is a good time to insert the video for Gammageddon so you can see what I mean.

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Chernopolis

Now this song right here is the song that has gotten the most spins by me all around. When I first listened to this album I had it on random and this is the first song to play.  Just listen to that beginning. It has this ominous set up, with just enough progression from the drums and guitars to give the listener the feeling that this song is going to beat them to a pulpy mess of body parts. For a solid forty-seven seconds the beginning sequence just sets up the tone, while they come out of that with about another twenty seconds of even more buildup to transition to the first verse.  I have listened to this beginning several times alone, how this song makes me feel is that I can’t stop the song before that beginning sequence has played through its entirety, and then by that time, I am now invested in the song completely. What a killer way to start this song off. It’s a bit more calculated and slower paced. But the intensity of the drums, with the guitar riff makes this a no brainer that this is going to become a fan favorite.  The vocals join in around the 1:11 mark and they have the low guttural delivery before bulldozing the first verse with lows.  This song is a slower pace but it has a groove about it, that will have many moving to the rhythm. But not before reaching the1:57 mark where the guitars pull of another riff that sets up the next section perfectly, only to have that section build up even more. What I am finding more and more from this album is the natural progression of the songs.  I love it, everything is mapped out well and has me amped up to extreme levels. Not to mention the guitar solo at the 2:48 mark. Damn I want that guitar solo to play when I get a call or text. That solo is badass, it’s not a flashy solo, but it is a sweet lick that holy shit if that doesn’t cut right through you and have you ready to throw some horns up and hit the pit.  Right around the 4:19 mark the guitars hit us with another badass lick that gives off an alarm vibe but still has a badass feel to it. They set up a section of complete and utter filthy gutturals that make me turn the radio up louder roll down the windows and welcome all the surprised looks I get. This song has renewed my faith in Cytotoxin, as the last album just did not have as much of an impact on me as I had expected. They deliver a soulful guitar solo around the 5:46 mark before wrapping the song up and ending it to transition into Deadzone Outpost seamlessly

 

Deadzone Outpost

Dead zone outpost is just a track that offers some imagery to the album. They do a killer job with this as it’s not just something to skip through. Not every album needs a track like this to offer theatrics, or imagery. But I find that if done well, makes an impact on the album. I will admit at first listen I was just too eager to wait, I saw the time and realized it wasn’t a song. But the fact that Deadzone Outpost rolls right into “Redefining Zenith” which features Svencho as a guest vocalist.

 

Redefining Zenith

And it begins with a signature sound found often with Belgium blasters @Aborted, this is an unmistakable introduction by Sven De Caluwe. They hook us with that driving rhythm from the guitars and the blasting drums.  Just shy of half a minute they begin to transition in to the first verse.  Which is going to have the listener head and or body moving, because goddamn that’s catchy. Right around the :38 second mark. Sven lays down his first line of the song. And it compliments Grimo very well.  Fast forward to the 1:55 mark where the song is getting ready to transition again.  There is this moment when Grimo lays down a phrase, and then Sven responds with his line. The back and forth as well as the blend of the two vocalists sounds awesome. I’m not entirely sure what I like more the majority of the song which is fast paced lots of blasts and fast guitar lines. Or the heavier slower sections of the song. I sure as shit hope they have Sven as a guest again for future albums because this track is catchy as hell.  Not to mention how they finish this song up. The last line spit around the four-minute mark with a few growls but the guitars and drums sound sick. But I have to say, this track is so good.  It may not be my favorite off the album. But just to clarify, this song is so damn good it would score a 9/10 due to the compatibility of the two vocalists and my ear drums.

Corium Era

I will admit that there are songs with a beautiful roll out on the drums before bludgeoning us with heavy hitting double bass and blistering blast beats. The type of roll out that could be simple, it could be complex, but it’s perfect. And the sound quality of the drums is so clear. It only lasts about one full second, and then guitars come in. So I have just played a loop of the first ten seconds of the song for about a minute and a half. Wow, what an introduction to the nuclear madness that these guys unleash upon the listener. In just a short period of time they hook you, the guitar riff in the beginning continues for the first verse, and the vocals have some mean lows in a few accented areas.  The guitars are impressive on this song, the riff around the 1:03 mark is a great example of the caliber riffage they are slinging on this track.  Just when I think they can’t play something as infectious as the last section, they gut you at the 1:55 mark with a section where the guitars are playing this cool rhythm, drums are emphasizing the footwork for a solid thirty seconds. The whole time if this is being played anywhere, I am pretty sure it could summon a circle pit in any location, at any time.  I mean, teeth are probably going to be knocked out at many shows to this song. they come out of that with a solid final verse. Then around the 2:42 spot they hit us with the final solo of the song. A wisely placed squeal to set up the last thirty seconds of awesomeness, and the song ends.  I have played this song so many times because of the beginning and then by the time the song ends. I was just in metal head mode stuck in that “awe” feeling when you hear something so badass. I am loving this album so far.

Antigenesis

Julien Truchan from Benighted guests on this track so I am interested in the vocal delivery and blend of Grimo and Julien on this. The chaotic guitars in the beginning give you that sense of alarm that they seem to be projecting into the music. Adding to the imagery of the music, the band pulls off guitars like this and its impressive how the delivery is. This song is the shortest song with vocals, and I can respect the fact that I have not been let down with this album yet. I just got hooked by the guitars and drums of this song, I wanted more of those. But to be honest I wasn’t feeling the vocals as much as I had anticipated. I dig the rapid succession squeals around the 2:21 spot but it was because they really flowed well with the other instruments. The song as a whole is badass, I ended up gravitating towards the instruments more than the vocals on this track. Nothing wrong with them, I was just more impressed by the instrumental aspect of the song.  Contagious just like the first half of this album has been.

Outearthed

Some low vocals set up the song with a killer riff that follows and a cool rhythm that just lays down a killer groove with that solo. Grimo delivers a few more squeals in this song, and early I might mention. Not even half way into the song and executed those rhythm matching high pitched eardrum splitters.  I like the section of song around the 1:38 spot. The song builds up, the vocals have a cut up section and then, they assault you with this heavy section that is probably the easiest for them to play. simply put, it just grabs you, they did a great job on this song, and this album. Another few squeals around the 2:20, a growl and then a guitar solo. The song throws down the gauntlet with the change at the four-minute mark. This is the song ending sequence right here. probably the best part of the song for me, i really enjoyed the second half more than the first.

Sector Zero

This song is an instrumental track that delivers heavy doses of image inducing riffs and killer drums. This song will have anyone within earshot, moving to the song.  and what’s that some sort of sound like an alarm around the 1:08 mark. I like this subtle way of ending the album out, it really adds up. They hit us with things like “Massive Radiation Detected” Dead zone Outpost, and then this alarm sound. I love this album.

 

 

I love this album, while I didn’t get moved as much by Outearthed or Antigenesis as much as the other tracks. this album has so much packed into this album. It is catchy as hell and I am sure it can make some AOTY lists with ease.  I feel as though they took a look at their sound and style after signing with Unique Leader Records, and determined that the only thing to do is continue to hone their craft with every note being scrutinized and investigated to determine the worth of that one note, because they sure as fuck made sure to make this album a gem. The guitars on this album are incredible, I am impressed with this album.  The drums are crisp and sound great.  The actual sound quality of this album is something to be happy with. These guys put a lot into Gammageddon, the production is great, and there really isn’t anything I am not happy with or didn’t enjoy.  You only have about less than 23 hours to get on the pre-orders for this album so if you don’t want to miss out on any of those, you can find some links below for getting your copy of this absolutely killer album.

9.8/10 \m/

 

 

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Or check out their website HERE:  https://www.cytotoxin.de/

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