Review Summary: Cutting through the all-encompassing commercials and propaganda, Toxik’s Think This is a powerful thrash album that any self-respecting fan should own.
“On the television screen:
Do you have a body that sweats?
Sweat that has odor?
False teeth clanging into your breakfast?
Case of the dread?
Headache so steady it may outlive you?
Armpits sprouting hair?
Piles so huge you don't need a chair to sit at a table?
We shall not all sleep, but we shall be changed . . .”
From the poem “The Dead Shall Be Raised Incorruptible” by Galway Kinell
A serene and calm guitar plucks airy chords, creating a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. Then, slowly but surely, the press of ads and advertising overcomes the peace. The chaos of society is unleashed on this safe haven. And then all hell breaks loose, with fast and angry guitar riffs, pounding and relentless drums, and soaring and shrieking vocals. This is Toxik’s thrash masterpiece,
Think This.
This album is a technical thrash fan’s wet dream. Every aspect of this album is perfectly crafted. From the perfected thrash guitar duels of John Christian and John Donnelly, the robust bass lines of Brian Bonini, the high pitched, piercing vocals of Charles Sabin, and the furious and oppressive drumming of Tad Leger. Every part of the band comes together to create better than the sum of their parts. And the parts are pretty damn good. Nowhere is this more evidenced than in the ballad (Yes! A good thrash ballad! It exists!)
There Stood the Fence. The whole band creates an emotionally moving thrash song, in fact, one of the most moving songs I’ve ever heard.
However, the band misuses one element that creates a distraction rather than enhances the album. The use of samples of commercials and TV shows. While it is handled perfectly in the opener and title track,
Think This, it is screwed up in almost every other song. The best song of the album,
Shotgun Logic, a song full of great riffs, drumming, and vocal work, screws up the flow with a sample of ads at the beginning of the song. It messes up the transitions, which is very distracting. And this song isn’t the only one guilty of it.
Time After Time,
Greed, and
Machine Dream are all guilty of it. Some pull it off well, like the song
Spontaneous, but the overall use could be vastly superior.
Another distracting element is the Led Zeppelin cover track,
Out on the Tiles. While good, it just doesn’t
feel like Toxik. However, the elements of other songs that feel reminiscent of other bands, like the Voivod-esqueness of
Technical Arrogance and
Machine Dream still manage to feel like Toxik.
Overall, every other aspect of the songs are flawless. If you can get over the use of ads and TV shows that disrupts the flow of the album, this is one of the best thrash metal albums ever made. It is almost a perfect album, except for a few slight missteps. Worth any metal fan’s time.
Pros:
-Astounding dual guitar work
-Soaring vocals
-Great drumming
-Robust bass
Cons:
-Distracting ads
-Subpar Zeppelin cover
Recommended Tracks:
Shotgun Logic
Think This
Machine Dream
There Stood the Fence
