Toxic Holocaust

From its blazing pace and scorching, ravenous vocals on cryptic tunes such as "War Is Hell" (covered on their latest/third effort, An Overdose Of Death), "Enemy Of Jesus" and "666," Toxic Holocaust's 2003 debut, Evil Never Dies, might have more sonic similarities to the likes of Morbid Angel colliding with Slayer but it's impossible to deny its equivalency to the raw, unbridled passion of D.R.I.'s earliest work. Yes, that includes the odd off-time or flubbed riff and that's what makes it an inspiring trip down memory lane. No slouch itself, 2005 follow-up Hell On Earth boasts a finer precision and more refined recording technology, which is a double-edged sword. While the overall production is crisper, performances are tighter and songs just as vicious, when measured against its predecessor, there is a slight mourning for the abrasive naivety of Evil Never Dies. Still, the album is a bastion of wonderfully expedient, unforgettable riffs and is by no means inferior. Obliterating via bombastic chug riffs on "Arise From The Cemetery" and "Thrashing Death," it holds its own and sets a powerful pace for the aforementioned 2008 tertiary affair. Rough-hewn and dirty, yet full of equal parts innovative thrash and outright pilfering, both Evil Never Dies and Hell On Earth are vital pieces of modern thrash entirely deserving of this untainted revisiting.