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Toxocara: The great rebellious

05/02/08  ||  Global Domination

This review was written by ex-staffer/cocksmoker Desolator.

Toxocara is a damn fine death metal band I discovered thanks to my volunteering on February’s Audio Autopsy edition. Yes that’s right, I’m reviewing a death metal band this time. I had no idea what to expect from a band of this moniker, or album name, because “The Great Rebellious” sounds like something a hardcore or punk band would come up with. And a band name such as Toxocara… I just didn’t know.

The groove and sound give me the ethereal image of a chain being pulled out through my throat. Nevermind how it got into my stomach in the first place, or how it survived the digestive fluids. Let’s focus on this lovely image of mine and how it relates to the music. And it’s just the foreground image too. The background imagery I get from listening to or thinking about “The Great Rebellious” is an interior of abandoned sewerage plants. I assume those things exist. My shit’s gotta go somewhere!

But despite the sewerage plant images that float in my head, I don’t want you to think that the vocals are gurgles. I mentioned this because when I am subjected to hearing such vocals, montages of unspeakable shit going down a drain tend to hijack the conceptual spotlight in my mind. And that is similar to the sewerage plant theme. But no, the vocals are more growled. And strongly growled. They are similar to the vocal styles that bands such as Vomitory and Aeon use.

Not that gurgles are bad, it’s just not what the vocals are on this album. But for the record, sometimes gurgles can be shit if they are of the br00tal breed. You’ll find none of that here.

This death metal specimen is very well produced and it avoids being sterile. It seems like it came close to being neutered, but the beast of Toxocara ended up ripping apart the surgeon and turning the room into an abattoir before the scalpel could touch its balls. So from what my jumbled analogy tells you, it has an edge, being well produced and far from sterile. Toxocara knows that this edge should not be smoothed out too much in the post-production stage.

The bass could be a little bit heavier, but it certainly adds a nice backbone to the guitars. And we have a thing for backbones, don’t we? We should because we all need one. The drums aren’t too technical, but by the long dick of Satan they get the job done. Some of the drumming is creatively executed and often stands out well. But the drummer didn’t let his ego or e-penis stand before the band, so none of it is out of place.

Some keyboard work and (possibly) movie samples can be found on this album, but the band decided to only use them when they felt they were absolutely, positively necessary. This is not exactly an album that boasts more movie samples than riffs. The samples and keyboard tunes fit in well and are sensibly used.

If you like Vomitory and Aeon, you should at least check these guys out. Toxocara isn’t a clone of any of these bands, but they embody the same spirit.

By the way I just found out that Toxocara is some sort of parasite.

8.5 chain-wielding sewerage parasites out of 10.

  • Information
  • Released: 2008
  • Label: Twilight Vertrieb
  • Website: www.toxocara.com
  • Band
  • Martijn Moes: guitar
  • Kevin Quilligan: vocals
  • Michiel van der Plicht: drums
  • Sanne van Dijk: bass
  • Vince Zwarts: guitar and vocals
  • Tracklist
  • 01. Godking
  • 02. The Connate Conflict
  • 03. Wake of the Controversy
  • 04. U-48 (Dive of Death)
  • 05. Among Amon
  • 06. Fusillade the Coalescent
  • 07. The Stories of the Palatinian Succession
  • 08. Maenadic Mausoleum

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