Review by Fernando on April 26, 2021.

The Quebec black metal scene is something of a secret in tongues for metalheads worldwide, not many know about it, but those who do, speak of it in a very high regard. Names such as Monarque, Sorcier Des Glaces and Forteresse being among its most well-known names, but there’s also Spectral Wound and they’ve unleashed their third album A Diabolic Thrist through Profound Lore Records.

Spectral Wound caught a number of people’s attention back in 2018 with their sophomore record Infernal Decadence in which the band displayed their frostbitten riffs and haunting melodies, which in itself was a refinement of their debut Terra Nullius. A number of people say that the second and third album for a band are what makes it breaks it and by record #3, the band should be able to have the best elements of their previous work perfected or take a new direction in their music. Spectral Wound definitely did both and with great success.

Most of the people familiar with “Quebecois Metal Noir” will describe it as being melodic and sorrowful, with some elements of the French sound or taking influence from Finland and Sweden, and that’s certainly is the case for Spectral Wound. At first glance one can hear some similarities to bands like Sargeist and Dissection, however, in A Diabolic Thirst the band have completely stepped out of the shadows of their influences and found their own voice, so much so that the only major issues with the record basically amount to nitpicking like being similar in style and atmosphere to their previous record. They're not really reinventing the wheel of black metal here, but the music is played with much passion and dedication, the production is as perfectly gritty and polished, and the overall experience is so good that those issues can be easily overlooked.

One compliment I’ll give the band with this record, is that the music feels like if the bands of “Les Légions Noires” from France back in the 90’s had access to better recording equipment. This is definitely melodic black metal, and the band proudly embrace the Quebec sound, but there’s a somber melancholy and desperation in the music, particularly through the guitar playing and the anguished screeches of front man Jonah. That overall feel the band is displaying is very reminiscent of that particular sound the Black Legions had, but again with much better production and also, much better musicianship and without going into cheesy vampiric shenanigans or having to flirt with dungeon synth music to create ambiance.

Another major positive I can highlight are individual standout tracks like 'Soul Destroying Black Debauchery', 'Fair Lucifer, Sad Relic' and the epic 'Mausoleal Drift'. In those tracks and throughout the album the band simultaneously displays speed, mid-pace doom and gloom, aggression, sorrow, desperation and occult mystique, all in a compact runtime of 40 minutes. The mark of a great band with great music is how much they can accomplish in a short amount of time and Spectral Wound are certainly a great band that fans of dark music will enjoy.

Best songs: 'Frigid And Spellbound', 'Soul Destroying Black Debauchery', 'Fair Lucifer, Sad Relic', 'Mausoleal Drift'

Rating: 8.4 out of 10

Review by Felix on May 30, 2019.

Nuclear Assault? Dr. Living Dead? Suicidal Tendencies? If you like to dwell within this triangle, Toxic Shock from Belgium could be the band you have been waiting for. The dudes combine a very stable thrash fundament with less usual elements. A little bit cyco, a little bit cyber and now close the cycle? Not so fast! Toxic Shock's output commutes between "real" metal and more punk-influenced tunes. "Iceberg" mirrors the heavy metal affinity, "Great Great Gift" with its gang-shouts depicts the punk genes and pieces like "Serpent's Tongue" lie somewhere in between. This mixture gives the material a pretty heterogeneous touch, but this is not at the expense of quality. The guys from Flanders are able to manage all stylistic challenges. It comes therefore as no surprise that the highlights cover the different approaches without exception.

The already mentioned "Iceberg" opens the album with a typical heavy metal chorus and scores with both great riffs and a dynamic solo part. Moreover, its interplay of the slightly angry lead vocals and the boisterous background shouts characterizes almost every song. The pretty strong sound does the rest. The transparent, sharp and well-balanced production puts TwentyLastCentury into the right perspective and underlines the close connection to the bands I have listed at the beginning. (Lunatics Without Skateboards Inc. from the Netherlands also belong to the bands that come to my mind when listening to the here presented album, but I do not know whether many people still remember this relatively unknown formation.) However, I wanted to speak about the highlights; "366ick Days" stands out in view of its high-speed chorus and it emphasizes the punk side of Toxic Shock, even though it varies the tempo. The real crossover track here is "Great Great Gift", a fantastic adrenaline rush that says all it has to say within breathtaking 96 seconds. By contrast, "Headknives" has also trace elements of punk, but the expressive riffing and the heavyweight mid-tempo follows the doctrines of pure metal. Nevertheless, some tempo changes also pave the way for speedy sequences.

These four tracks are my favorites, but they are just the (attention: pun!) tip of the iceberg. The album does not suffer from mediocre pieces, each and every one is worth listening. "Evil Presence" is another very casual song and its riffing after 40 seconds reveals that Toxic Shock are familiar with "Brain Death" from Nuclear Assault's masterpiece called "Game Over". Of course, this classic remains unrivalled (nobody is able to challenge songs like "LSD", "Stranded in Hell" or "Vengeance"), but this does not mean that Toxic Shock have to take a seat in the second or third row. They do not lack any kind of important features, because they combine energy with musicality, liveliness with aggression and bittersweet frolics with pretty intelligent lyrics ("The Rape Continues" does not present idiotic fantasies, its lyrics deal with the exploitation of nature). Hence follows that they definitely enrich the metallic crossover niche. Even fans of formations like Gang Green, who like "Another Wasted Night" as well as "Just One Bullet", should check this album.

Rating: 8 out of 10