Album Reviews : Toxicon – Purge

Melbourne’s Toxicon has certainly hit the ground running in the local traps and has cemented themselves as a band that wanted to tear down any associated stereotypes while playing balls to the wall metal in the process. While the band has melted their fans away at local shows, there was always a question over whether this could convert to their recorded material. Luckily, Metal Obsession was lucky enough to preview their debut album Purge, and we can confirm, that it kicks all kinds of ass. For a debut, the band has already taken giant leaps by balancing a ferocious double edged sword of opting for a full-length album, as opposed to an EP; and also further making that album a concept album. For many bands this sort of equation would be impossible to even consider, but it seems like Toxicon laughed in the face of it.

“Heroes of the Deluge” is the album opener and sets a fiery and bold statement about exactly what the band is trying to achieve here. There is a strong sense of strength that isn’t seen on many albums and this is in part due to a solid guitar tone that rings through the track.

“Deadly Son, Wall of Mirrors and Crawler” all continue in this vein, with a great mix of melody and brutality that just combines into something that is intensified-chaos good when coupled with the bands thundering vocals.

“Immersifier” takes a change and is a fist bumpingly good anthem that draws you in with its catchy anthem, while tracks like “Face of the Earth” enthral you with their soaring harmonies and immersive lyrical content.

“Death Proof” and “Face of the Earth” continue with the band’s crushing style that just helps to further the loveability of this album. “Into the Filth” goes the opposite direction, opening with a very ‘southern’ rock style riff that just evolves into something dark and grim by the end of the track.

Finishing up the album with the triune of “Nowhere to Go”, “Void”, and the 8 minute long epic “Event Horizon” just wraps the whole package neatly together and brings to a close one of the greatest concept albums of recent memory.

On a whole, this album is a melting pot of sounds on this album, with ranges spreading from groovy and melancholic ambient sections to thrashy and hard hitting moments. It’s Toxicon’s ability to transform and adapt their sound over so many different genres which proves to be their greatest strength in Purge as there is enough material on here to appease fans from almost any genre of metal, and make them appreciate the music for what it is while tearing down genre stereotypes. This whole package doesn’t paint the picture of a first release from a band, but that of a band that has already had a storied career. The album stands stoically with the finished product being something which tears down the walls of almost every modern stereotype you can think of. Would I recommend Purge to anybody? You bet your ass I would, and it is simply going to be a matter of time before this album spreads like wildfire and Toxicon fever catches on around Australia, and hopefully the globe.

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