Belgian thrashers Toxic Shock to release new album in April and unveil first single

Alright folks, the five legendary thrashers from Antwerp are back on the European crossover scene with a massive mosh soundtrack! A full nine years after 20 Last Century, “Future Is Calling” hits harder, more straightforward and more aggressive than ever – I know, that’s something you read about every new record, but this time it’s actually true. Seriously, the new material doesn’t sound dusty or like it’s been reheated for the hundredth time – quite the opposite: the break over the past few years has obviously done Toxic Shock good, and they’ve clearly poured some serious fuel into the engine.

Everything falls into place here – the guitars are perfectly locked in, the drumming is tight, and above all Wally, the vocalist, has made a huge leap into the premier league of shouters. Sure, Toxic Shock aren’t reinventing the crossover thrash game – on the contrary, they pay tribute to the greats of the genre. Excel, Suicidal Tendencies, Testament – those are the obvious references. At the same time, you can clearly hear the band’s hardcore/punk roots – not least in their extremely fitting and well-executed cover of The Gun Club. And fun fact – on the Gun Club track, Toxic Shock occasionally sound like Lee Hollis in his prime Spermbirds days!

What really sets “Future Is Calling” apart, though, is its raw, unrestrained energy that never tips over into chaos. The songs are compact, get straight to the point, and still pack enough hooks to stick in your head. No unnecessary gimmicks, no self-indulgent noodling – just honest, hard-hitting crossover with attitude. This is exactly how 2020s thrash revival should sound. Moshpit guaranteed.

Tracklist:

1. Intro: Into the Garden of Grief
2. Reborn
3. 1239
4. Lifelong Sentence
5. Quick to Forget
6. Earth
7. HQ
8. Through the Poison
9. Procrastination-Frustration
10. Creepy Reaper
11. Sex Beat

Toxic Shock is a thrash and hardcore punk band from Antwerp, Belgium, formed in 2010. After a long search for a suitable singer, they found the perfect match in Wally. Their first release was a demo tape that saw the light of day in 2011, followed by an EP a year later.

In 2013, Reflections Records released Daily Demons, their debut album. Since then, the band has released a split 7″ with Iron Reagan, a Record Store Day 7″, and collaborated with Antwerp’s hip-hop masters Team Panini.

Their second album, 20LASTCENTURY, was recorded with legendary producer Flemming Rasmussen – yes, the same guy who worked with Metallica – in Denmark. 20LC was released in November 2017 on This Charming Man Records from Germany.

Next came a split with fellow Belgian ragers Reproach in 2019. It was initially released as a tape, followed by a Japan-only CD and a 10″ on Loner Cult Records and Here and Now Records. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the split was repressed a couple of times.

Their last release was a 12″ titled Reborn. It came out in Dec 2023. Leading indie and hardcore punk webzine Idioteq had this to say about the release: 

“From the undercurrents of Antwerp’s underground scene, where the echoes of thrash metal and hardcore punk collide, we once again present you Toxic Shock, a band that has been relentlessly carving its name into the hearts of the underground community. Their latest offering, Reborn, was conceived … under the watchful eye of Martin Furia. Furia, known for his guitar prowess in the German thrash titans Destruction and his own project Bark, lent his expertise to this track, infusing it with the raw, unfiltered energy that Toxic Shock has become synonymous with. The recordings … have captured not just sound, but the very essence of a band at a pivotal moment in their journey.”

Legendary Danish producer Flemming Rasmussen worked with Toxic Shock for their second album 20LASTCENTURY. Known for producing classic Metallica albums like Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and …And Justice For All, Rasmussen is no small name, though he has rarely worked with metal bands. That changed when he heard Toxic Shock. Flemming Rasmussen himself said:

“The demos were rough, punky, and promising. I really wanted to work with this.”

Toxic Shock’s first show was with Black Breath in Antwerp. After that, more shows followed in Belgium, England, Germany, France, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Austria, the Netherlands, and the Czech Republic. They have supported many great bands, including Testament, Iron Reagan, Black Breath, Suicidal Tendencies, Slapshot, D.R.I., Negative Approach, Poison Idea, Agnostic Front, Power Trip, Phil Anselmo & the Illegals, Cro-Mags, Sepultura, Ceremony, and Eagulls.

They have played at major festivals such as Graspop, Pukkelpop, Sjock Festival, Antwerp Metal Fest, Brakrock, Desertfest, Sonic Blast, Into the Grave, Jera on Air, The Sound of Revolution, Free and Easy Festival and many more.