Review by chrisc7249 on May 3, 2022.

Cytotoxin has made quite a name for themselves over the last few years. They put themselves on the map with their sophomore album Radiophobia in 2012, then they doubled down 5 years later with their follow up Gammageddon. In that time, they've risen through the ranks and find themselves among the top of modern technical death metal bands. In 2020, we received their highly anticipated fourth album, Nuklearth, which sees the band toying with some new ideas while still staying true to their roots. Though it's up in the air whether or not this is the best Cytotoxin album yet, it's a no brainer that this is still an amazing fucking album that solidifies their status as one of the best tech death bands in recent memory.

For those of you who aren't aware of Cytotoxin's core sound, imagine if Origin actually wrote interesting music all of the time instead of just half of the time. This is fast, brutal technical death metal that includes lots of sweeping guitars, gravity blasts and vicious vocals that sound like the gurgling of a thousand tortured souls choking on their own vomit in the pits of hell. Though, on this record, Cytotoxin does break from their shackles a little bit and try some new stuff. For one, the slam riffs are a lot more prevalent and better than before. Their penchant for making ultra groovy riffs that make you want to flail around like a madman have increased, and their ability to create such riffs in good fashion have tripled. The riffs on this album are fucking menacing. Slam bands with 20 years under their belt are kicking themselves after hearing this album and wondering why they couldn't even come up with riffs as good as these ones. Another change is the increase in melodicism, particularly in the solos. No more solos that are just walls of noise (though, there are quite a few on here), these have some more creativity and thought put into them and they really do stick out and shine well.

Speaking of solos, the guitar playing on this album is pure insanity. The sweeps are mind boggling, the tech riffs are played at Mach 1 speed and the tapping skills are on point. There's nothing these guys can't do with the axe. The bass player has some neat parts and he's mixed into the sound very well, and anybody able to follow the guitars on bass deserves praise in my book. Just don't expect any crazy bass solos like you would hear on an Archspire record. The drummer is also a fucking psycho. Dude has the tightest fills ever, and the use of two snares really elevates the music that extra notch. I wish more bands, especially ones in this style, did the same thing. He makes it sound really good. And, who could forget the vocals? Grimo is an absolute beast with the mic, always has been. His range seems to have gotten a little smaller than when we last heard him, but this guy still sure knows how to belch and growl with the best of them. You do not fuck with this guy, he sounds like a pissed off radioactive swamp monster, and it fits the theme of the band perfectly.

Nuklearth is filled with great songs. Besides an interlude and a shrug worthy outro, the other 9 songs we are presented with all fucking slap. There really isn't a weak point to the album and it's just one of those records where every song seems to be memorable. I see this album in thirds if we take out the 2 non-tech death songs. The second third of the album (songs 4-6) are great songs, but the weakest third of the bunch. The first three songs are even better, with highlights like 'Atomb' and 'Uran Breath' guaranteed to make you headbang like a motherfucker. The final three are the cream of the crop though, kicking off with the brilliant 'Coast Of Lies' followed by the equally genius 'Quarantine Fortress', but my friends, that is all nothing compared to the last real track, 'Nuklearth'.

This is a fairly new album but I'm willing to say that 'Nuklearth', the track, is perhaps one of the greatest tech death closing songs ever and a top 50 tech death song period. That song goes so fucking hard it's ridiculous. The riffs are at their absolute fucking best here and the solo to end the track is such a great way to end the album. Talk about a proper send off for an already amazing album. If only more bands took their closing song more seriously, we'd have more gems like this one.

Cytotoxin changes directions a bit here, but there's no misstep to be found. This feels like a logical next evolution in their sound and everything worked out about as well as it could. The songs are heavy, catchy and technical, and those are pretty much the three main boxes you want to check when making music of this style. Everything from the production to the vocals is tough to beat and the band has certainly done a good job of solidifying their status as legends of the genre. Nuclear.

FFO: Origin, Viraemia, Archspire

Favorite song: 'Nuklearth'

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by chrisc7249 on May 3, 2022.

Cytotoxin has made quite a name for themselves over the last few years. They put themselves on the map with their sophomore album Radiophobia in 2012, then they doubled down 5 years later with their follow up Gammageddon. In that time, they've risen through the ranks and find themselves among the top of modern technical death metal bands. In 2020, we received their highly anticipated fourth album, Nuklearth, which sees the band toying with some new ideas while still staying true to their roots. Though it's up in the air whether or not this is the best Cytotoxin album yet, it's a no brainer that this is still an amazing fucking album that solidifies their status as one of the best tech death bands in recent memory.

For those of you who aren't aware of Cytotoxin's core sound, imagine if Origin actually wrote interesting music all of the time instead of just half of the time. This is fast, brutal technical death metal that includes lots of sweeping guitars, gravity blasts and vicious vocals that sound like the gurgling of a thousand tortured souls choking on their own vomit in the pits of hell. Though, on this record, Cytotoxin does break from their shackles a little bit and try some new stuff. For one, the slam riffs are a lot more prevalent and better than before. Their penchant for making ultra groovy riffs that make you want to flail around like a madman have increased, and their ability to create such riffs in good fashion have tripled. The riffs on this album are fucking menacing. Slam bands with 20 years under their belt are kicking themselves after hearing this album and wondering why they couldn't even come up with riffs as good as these ones. Another change is the increase in melodicism, particularly in the solos. No more solos that are just walls of noise (though, there are quite a few on here), these have some more creativity and thought put into them and they really do stick out and shine well.

Speaking of solos, the guitar playing on this album is pure insanity. The sweeps are mind boggling, the tech riffs are played at Mach 1 speed and the tapping skills are on point. There's nothing these guys can't do with the axe. The bass player has some neat parts and he's mixed into the sound very well, and anybody able to follow the guitars on bass deserves praise in my book. Just don't expect any crazy bass solos like you would hear on an Archspire record. The drummer is also a fucking psycho. Dude has the tightest fills ever, and the use of two snares really elevates the music that extra notch. I wish more bands, especially ones in this style, did the same thing. He makes it sound really good. And, who could forget the vocals? Grimo is an absolute beast with the mic, always has been. His range seems to have gotten a little smaller than when we last heard him, but this guy still sure knows how to belch and growl with the best of them. You do not fuck with this guy, he sounds like a pissed off radioactive swamp monster, and it fits the theme of the band perfectly.

Nuklearth is filled with great songs. Besides an interlude and a shrug worthy outro, the other 9 songs we are presented with all fucking slap. There really isn't a weak point to the album and it's just one of those records where every song seems to be memorable. I see this album in thirds if we take out the 2 non-tech death songs. The second third of the album (songs 4-6) are great songs, but the weakest third of the bunch. The first three songs are even better, with highlights like 'Atomb' and 'Uran Breath' guaranteed to make you headbang like a motherfucker. The final three are the cream of the crop though, kicking off with the brilliant 'Coast Of Lies' followed by the equally genius 'Quarantine Fortress', but my friends, that is all nothing compared to the last real track, 'Nuklearth'.

This is a fairly new album but I'm willing to say that 'Nuklearth', the track, is perhaps one of the greatest tech death closing songs ever and a top 50 tech death song period. That song goes so fucking hard it's ridiculous. The riffs are at their absolute fucking best here and the solo to end the track is such a great way to end the album. Talk about a proper send off for an already amazing album. If only more bands took their closing song more seriously, we'd have more gems like this one.

Cytotoxin changes directions a bit here, but there's no misstep to be found. This feels like a logical next evolution in their sound and everything worked out about as well as it could. The songs are heavy, catchy and technical, and those are pretty much the three main boxes you want to check when making music of this style. Everything from the production to the vocals is tough to beat and the band has certainly done a good job of solidifying their status as legends of the genre. Nuclear.

FFO: Origin, Viraemia, Archspire

Favorite song: 'Nuklearth'

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by chrisc7249 on May 3, 2022.

Cytotoxin has made quite a name for themselves over the last few years. They put themselves on the map with their sophomore album Radiophobia in 2012, then they doubled down 5 years later with their follow up Gammageddon. In that time, they've risen through the ranks and find themselves among the top of modern technical death metal bands. In 2020, we received their highly anticipated fourth album, Nuklearth, which sees the band toying with some new ideas while still staying true to their roots. Though it's up in the air whether or not this is the best Cytotoxin album yet, it's a no brainer that this is still an amazing fucking album that solidifies their status as one of the best tech death bands in recent memory.

For those of you who aren't aware of Cytotoxin's core sound, imagine if Origin actually wrote interesting music all of the time instead of just half of the time. This is fast, brutal technical death metal that includes lots of sweeping guitars, gravity blasts and vicious vocals that sound like the gurgling of a thousand tortured souls choking on their own vomit in the pits of hell. Though, on this record, Cytotoxin does break from their shackles a little bit and try some new stuff. For one, the slam riffs are a lot more prevalent and better than before. Their penchant for making ultra groovy riffs that make you want to flail around like a madman have increased, and their ability to create such riffs in good fashion have tripled. The riffs on this album are fucking menacing. Slam bands with 20 years under their belt are kicking themselves after hearing this album and wondering why they couldn't even come up with riffs as good as these ones. Another change is the increase in melodicism, particularly in the solos. No more solos that are just walls of noise (though, there are quite a few on here), these have some more creativity and thought put into them and they really do stick out and shine well.

Speaking of solos, the guitar playing on this album is pure insanity. The sweeps are mind boggling, the tech riffs are played at Mach 1 speed and the tapping skills are on point. There's nothing these guys can't do with the axe. The bass player has some neat parts and he's mixed into the sound very well, and anybody able to follow the guitars on bass deserves praise in my book. Just don't expect any crazy bass solos like you would hear on an Archspire record. The drummer is also a fucking psycho. Dude has the tightest fills ever, and the use of two snares really elevates the music that extra notch. I wish more bands, especially ones in this style, did the same thing. He makes it sound really good. And, who could forget the vocals? Grimo is an absolute beast with the mic, always has been. His range seems to have gotten a little smaller than when we last heard him, but this guy still sure knows how to belch and growl with the best of them. You do not fuck with this guy, he sounds like a pissed off radioactive swamp monster, and it fits the theme of the band perfectly.

Nuklearth is filled with great songs. Besides an interlude and a shrug worthy outro, the other 9 songs we are presented with all fucking slap. There really isn't a weak point to the album and it's just one of those records where every song seems to be memorable. I see this album in thirds if we take out the 2 non-tech death songs. The second third of the album (songs 4-6) are great songs, but the weakest third of the bunch. The first three songs are even better, with highlights like 'Atomb' and 'Uran Breath' guaranteed to make you headbang like a motherfucker. The final three are the cream of the crop though, kicking off with the brilliant 'Coast Of Lies' followed by the equally genius 'Quarantine Fortress', but my friends, that is all nothing compared to the last real track, 'Nuklearth'.

This is a fairly new album but I'm willing to say that 'Nuklearth', the track, is perhaps one of the greatest tech death closing songs ever and a top 50 tech death song period. That song goes so fucking hard it's ridiculous. The riffs are at their absolute fucking best here and the solo to end the track is such a great way to end the album. Talk about a proper send off for an already amazing album. If only more bands took their closing song more seriously, we'd have more gems like this one.

Cytotoxin changes directions a bit here, but there's no misstep to be found. This feels like a logical next evolution in their sound and everything worked out about as well as it could. The songs are heavy, catchy and technical, and those are pretty much the three main boxes you want to check when making music of this style. Everything from the production to the vocals is tough to beat and the band has certainly done a good job of solidifying their status as legends of the genre. Nuclear.

FFO: Origin, Viraemia, Archspire

Favorite song: 'Nuklearth'

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Felix on January 5, 2020.

Here we have Melechesh's album from 2015. I have read that the name of the band means "King of Fire", but I am sure this is a common misconception. There can be no doubt that Melechesh is the Hebrew word for "the most intense intensity". Whenever the dudes get wild, they celebrate a brilliant orgy of sharpness, relentlessness and, yes, musicality. Already the fierce opener will blow unsuspecting listeners away. The mix of the typical metal elements with the oriental ingredients still works in an exciting way, and the level of intensity, as indicated above, is mostly second to none. Nevertheless, we also know that the experienced musicians have more to offer than just sheer franticness.

For example, they master the creation of a dense, melodic yet extremely heavy number as well. "Multiple Truths", a stomping mid-tempo piece with the characteristic sharpness of the guitars, provides evidence. The vocals spread a bitter aroma and contribute an insane feeling, a solo guitar is responsible for a fine melody at the end - and everything works perfectly. The same conclusion applies for "The Pendulum Speaks" with its swirling riff, the demonic vocals and the fundamental aggression. Melechesh's art opens the gates to infernal, fiery regions. They pull the audience into their songs with great easiness, while the music itself does not even show the smallest sign of ingratiation. The band is able to design very eventful songs that are immune against symptoms of fatigue. So many things happen - without hurting the flow of the respective track - that everybody is well advised to focus closely on the listening experience.

Nuclear Blast productions are mostly blessed with an adequate budget. As a consequence, they sound either completely soulless or pretty perfect. Fortunately, Enki falls under the second category. The cutting guitars deliver the main feature, but the entire album boasts with a very direct and expressive appearance. Furthermore, it has this dangerous charm that daunts non-metal fans. Although the admixture of the oriental harmonies indicates hot temperatures, the devilish vocals add a very cold touch. Finally, the rhythm section does not come off badly as well. Especially the machine gun called double bass increases the level of brutality successfully and accompanies the violent guitars very well. No doubt, there is nothing wrong with Enki, neither in terms of musicianship nor in terms of the technical implementation.

Critics might say that the album is not innovative, and the band forgot to take the next step. Frankly speaking, this kind of yammering is something I don't understand. As far as I can see, Melechesh have created their own niche of metal and thus, they have been more innovative than 99% of their metallic competitors. Furthermore, I am able to enjoy twenty old school thrash albums each year which have more or less the same musical approach. With that said, I have absolutely no problem to listen to a new Melechesh album that picks up the style of its precursor after a break of five years. I rather tend to criticize the tradition of their overlong folkloric numbers. "Doorways to Irkala" with its devoted percussion is acceptable, but not really necessary. Yet this type of songs must be understood as a part of the concept and at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. More than 50 minutes of great music remain. The only slightly questionable detail is that the single tracks need some time to develop their own individuality, but this also does not constitute a grave problem. Summing up, Enki prolongs the series of (very) good Melechesh albums, no more, no less.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Review by Felix on January 5, 2020.

Here we have Melechesh's album from 2015. I have read that the name of the band means "King of Fire", but I am sure this is a common misconception. There can be no doubt that Melechesh is the Hebrew word for "the most intense intensity". Whenever the dudes get wild, they celebrate a brilliant orgy of sharpness, relentlessness and, yes, musicality. Already the fierce opener will blow unsuspecting listeners away. The mix of the typical metal elements with the oriental ingredients still works in an exciting way, and the level of intensity, as indicated above, is mostly second to none. Nevertheless, we also know that the experienced musicians have more to offer than just sheer franticness.

For example, they master the creation of a dense, melodic yet extremely heavy number as well. "Multiple Truths", a stomping mid-tempo piece with the characteristic sharpness of the guitars, provides evidence. The vocals spread a bitter aroma and contribute an insane feeling, a solo guitar is responsible for a fine melody at the end - and everything works perfectly. The same conclusion applies for "The Pendulum Speaks" with its swirling riff, the demonic vocals and the fundamental aggression. Melechesh's art opens the gates to infernal, fiery regions. They pull the audience into their songs with great easiness, while the music itself does not even show the smallest sign of ingratiation. The band is able to design very eventful songs that are immune against symptoms of fatigue. So many things happen - without hurting the flow of the respective track - that everybody is well advised to focus closely on the listening experience.

Nuclear Blast productions are mostly blessed with an adequate budget. As a consequence, they sound either completely soulless or pretty perfect. Fortunately, Enki falls under the second category. The cutting guitars deliver the main feature, but the entire album boasts with a very direct and expressive appearance. Furthermore, it has this dangerous charm that daunts non-metal fans. Although the admixture of the oriental harmonies indicates hot temperatures, the devilish vocals add a very cold touch. Finally, the rhythm section does not come off badly as well. Especially the machine gun called double bass increases the level of brutality successfully and accompanies the violent guitars very well. No doubt, there is nothing wrong with Enki, neither in terms of musicianship nor in terms of the technical implementation.

Critics might say that the album is not innovative, and the band forgot to take the next step. Frankly speaking, this kind of yammering is something I don't understand. As far as I can see, Melechesh have created their own niche of metal and thus, they have been more innovative than 99% of their metallic competitors. Furthermore, I am able to enjoy twenty old school thrash albums each year which have more or less the same musical approach. With that said, I have absolutely no problem to listen to a new Melechesh album that picks up the style of its precursor after a break of five years. I rather tend to criticize the tradition of their overlong folkloric numbers. "Doorways to Irkala" with its devoted percussion is acceptable, but not really necessary. Yet this type of songs must be understood as a part of the concept and at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. More than 50 minutes of great music remain. The only slightly questionable detail is that the single tracks need some time to develop their own individuality, but this also does not constitute a grave problem. Summing up, Enki prolongs the series of (very) good Melechesh albums, no more, no less.

Rating: 8.3 out of 10

Review by Maciek on March 28, 2015.

It's been always my dream to find a good band that would mix extreme metal with Middle Eastern melodies as I always thought that it would be a perfect combination. Throughout many years I found only few examples when it worked well (in my opinion, of course, not everyone has to agree). I guess the first impressive example was Clawfinger with their "Two Sides" with guest vocals by Antoinette Saigh. I know it's not really a true metal band, but I cannot recall better mix of something close to the genre with Middle Eastern atmosphere around 1997. Next good attempt worth mentioning in my opinion is Cradle of Filth with their "Doberman Pharaoh", I still get goose bumps when listening to first sounds from it. And obviously Rotting Christ had a decent attempt in their "Enuma Elish".

But I was always waiting for some band which would focus on this magical mixture and release the whole album with that in mind and that's why I was following Melechesh for some time to hear their style develop and I have to say this band is getting better and better at it with every next album.

And I think that "Enki" is really close to that ideal Middle-Eastern-black-metal I'm craving for. It's their sixth album, so their technical level is now really impressive and it shows with more diversity in melody lines used. If you haven't heard the band before, I would compare it to Dimmu Borgir, but with the aforementioned Middle Eastern melody lines and I mean more harsh, old-school Dimmu, with less keyboards. Really impressive drumwork, with powerful blast-beats, especially the opening track "Tempest Temper Enlil Enraged", which reminds a lot of opening track from "Emissaries", "Rebirth of the Nemesis". The album has generally quite raw atmosphere, with tracks packed with many riffs, all kept in the same climate, much of the time filled with 3 or more guitar lines. It definitely is not an easy album to get used to, solid 3-4 listenings before you get the flow of the rhythms, passages and leading melody lines. What I really like is that the sound is not too polished, therefore it maintains dirty, chaotic style. The atmosphere is also enhanced by pitch effect used mostly on guitars playing leading melody lines.

Overall really well-done album with very good inclusion of Middle Eastern style in black metal. Very complex compositions, with a lot of experimentation with guitar effects, rhythms and constructions. Really good position on the shelf with black metal with monumental "Enki - Divine Nature Awoken" among my favourite tracks.

Overall score: 7 out of 10

Review by Maciek on March 28, 2015.

It's been always my dream to find a good band that would mix extreme metal with Middle Eastern melodies as I always thought that it would be a perfect combination. Throughout many years I found only few examples when it worked well (in my opinion, of course, not everyone has to agree). I guess the first impressive example was Clawfinger with their "Two Sides" with guest vocals by Antoinette Saigh. I know it's not really a true metal band, but I cannot recall better mix of something close to the genre with Middle Eastern atmosphere around 1997. Next good attempt worth mentioning in my opinion is Cradle of Filth with their "Doberman Pharaoh", I still get goose bumps when listening to first sounds from it. And obviously Rotting Christ had a decent attempt in their "Enuma Elish".

But I was always waiting for some band which would focus on this magical mixture and release the whole album with that in mind and that's why I was following Melechesh for some time to hear their style develop and I have to say this band is getting better and better at it with every next album.

And I think that "Enki" is really close to that ideal Middle-Eastern-black-metal I'm craving for. It's their sixth album, so their technical level is now really impressive and it shows with more diversity in melody lines used. If you haven't heard the band before, I would compare it to Dimmu Borgir, but with the aforementioned Middle Eastern melody lines and I mean more harsh, old-school Dimmu, with less keyboards. Really impressive drumwork, with powerful blast-beats, especially the opening track "Tempest Temper Enlil Enraged", which reminds a lot of opening track from "Emissaries", "Rebirth of the Nemesis". The album has generally quite raw atmosphere, with tracks packed with many riffs, all kept in the same climate, much of the time filled with 3 or more guitar lines. It definitely is not an easy album to get used to, solid 3-4 listenings before you get the flow of the rhythms, passages and leading melody lines. What I really like is that the sound is not too polished, therefore it maintains dirty, chaotic style. The atmosphere is also enhanced by pitch effect used mostly on guitars playing leading melody lines.

Overall really well-done album with very good inclusion of Middle Eastern style in black metal. Very complex compositions, with a lot of experimentation with guitar effects, rhythms and constructions. Really good position on the shelf with black metal with monumental "Enki - Divine Nature Awoken" among my favourite tracks.

Overall score: 7 out of 10