Toxicrose
Total Tranquility

So, the toxic flower is back – now with flavour. That will really poison everyone with powerful Vocals combined with aggressive guitars, grand melodies mixed with explosive metal – at least according to the promotion guys. The also say: “With their epic metal anthems and shocking look they are unstoppable! Sure to always put on a bombastic show with pure energy from start to finish.” I don’t really think they were that poisonous when they released their debut EP some years ago, but time takes no prisoners and shows no mercy so they may have evolved into a flower of much more potency during the years between releases. One can at least dream that it is so.

Musically it isn’t really anything dramatically different from what we heard the first time and from what this genre usually offers. Have a look at the three similar bands and you know how they sound, sleaze metal or something like that is probably a decent way to describe this. Quite melodic, a bit rough with excellent production and a decent vocalist – it is a tried and tested concept that usually works quite well. It is an album that offers what you expect and nothing else; fans of this kind of music will most likely love this album.

I think they hit their mark; they do what they do well – very well. Their music works quite well and I think this album is pretty good with catchy songs and everything a fan of this genre can really want. I think the album starts much better than it ends, had it kept the same standard through the entire album I would have given the album a higher rating but it just isn’t that good towards the end. And the fact that they don’t really make anything we haven’t already heard is also something of a problem, as they don’t really stand out enough to get noticed.

I would have wanted something a bit more toxic and exciting but they don’t quite deliver that. They have ten decent tracks, the title track ends the album and it is my least favourite track on the album kind of ends the album on a moot point. It starts much better and Killing the Romance is probably the best track, it is the one that caught me and the one I come to think of now that I write this review. Great start less great ending makes for a good album but to be honest I don’t think it is that special or impressive. But it is probably good enough for fans and internet reviewers to claim that it is the thirtieth top ten album of the year so far, but it is not for my top list as it just isn’t quite toxic enough for me.

HHHHHHH