Cytotoxin hail from Germany and are a young band, having only formed in 2010. Recorded over a six month period was ‘Plutonium Heaven’ which I have been handed for review. The current average age of this band is around 23 – 25 years old. They describe themselves as brutal death metal. I haven’t heard them before today, but let’s check them out.
React Or Recede – A musical explosion blasts the way into the album. The drums are knocking our heads into havoc. The guitars force our being into a state of high alert. This is instant chaos comprised of a sound amalgamation of Napalm Death and Cannibal Corpse. The vocals are split between a deep, burping low and a squealing pig high. It is heavy, grumbling, speedy and intense. A sure fire way to awaken all your sleeping senses.
“Control room of block 4 full with nervous engineers preparing safety test, deactivating A.C.S (Automatic Control System) Chief engineer demands a 200mw performance contrary to regulations, 700mw is the low limit...”
In A Complex Velocity – It’s sometimes fairly difficult to explain the differences and variations between this style of music. In the end, it all comes down to the way they have structured the song. There isn’t much change in the overall description of the music; heavy, grumbling, speedy and intense. But there are changes in the structure which formulate additional aspects like double kick drumming and samples.
“As you have pulled the trigger, You signed your death sentence, The cancer digests the life, Disintegrate in an enormous speed...”
Human Mud – This one starts out with the gruesome sounds of a person quite possibly indulging in a bath of mud. This track truly represents its own genre of ‘pig metal’. I can’t understand any of the lyrics. It all sounds like “here piggy piggy” to me. I’ve never been able to take this style of metal seriously and I’m not about to now, but I can appreciate how extremely heavy it is.
“The indelible magma is glowing spilled deep beyond the surface, Tones of nuclear fuel establishes a meltdown of sand and iron, Contact with water underneath 5 megatons explosion as consequence, Europe will be erased, uninhabitable and contaminated...”
Plutonium Heaven – Here we have the title track on the album which runs for 04:17. Shockingly enough, it sounds much the same as the rest of it; pig squealing vocals, heavy ass rhythms and hammering drums. There are a few samples of news extracts in here. The music makes me think of the old story about the three little pigs and the big bad wolf trying to blow their house down. The vocalist in this case, would be the wolf impersonating the pigs and trying to lure them out. Though the wolf has all ready set a fire around their house so their choices are ‘come on out and be eaten’ or ‘make bacon for the wolf’.
“The natural vestibule; scorched by a fire blast, Impressive, protective forest; burnt, carbonized in ash, The wind reclaims position; rummaging ground and land, Lifting radioactive particles up; atomic component transport...”
2 Minutes For 2 Years – Here we have the shortest track on the album at 02:29 which I am surprised about. Usually with this style of music, bands tend to make the tracks quite short at around two to three minutes. It seems Cytotoxin enjoy the challenge. As I open the CD sleeve, I find a note which reads, “dedicated to all civilians, soldiers and children which died or suffered from the results of the Chernobyl incident in 1986 and Japan 2011.” As humoured as I am by this genre of music, I am humbled by their intention and purpose behind it all. When reading the lyrics, it truly helps to unravel the mystery behind the music.
“The reactor as a sea of despoilment – exit area, Bury the competence, arise in ash, Collective collapsed in a pandemonium – acting trivial, It’s the fee reality in the invoice of science...”
REMK-1000 – This is an interesting track, especially after what I just relayed in the previous song. It starts out with the sound of flames and a person or people gasping for air. There is also a sound in here, which has also been amidst a few other tracks, of what seems to be one of those radiation detector units. This is an instrumental track with samples throughout. There is a dark message behind it all and one which needs to be taken seriously. Overall, this is quite a depressing track.
Solemnities Of May – Here we have the final track on the album and also the longest at 04:50. Even as I read the lyrics along with the music, I can only decipher a word here and there, but overall it is difficult to decipher the vocals. As you read the lyrics though, you will find the music matches the cause. At the end of this track is an explosion of what one can only gather is the destruction of a nuclear plant which can only then proceed to mutilate all around it.
“A lovely day in May, the sun is shining, Prepare for the proud May solemnities, Wear your best clothes, revalue yourself, Chest out, back straight and walking tall, Follow the tradition, fulfilling customs, Free your mind and honour the state, Your whole town is contaminated, No reason to cancel the event...”
In essence, Cytotoxin have created what I can only label a great pig metal album. But behind those pig squealing vocals lies a very serious message about nuclear devastation. The music throughout this album is all basically the same with variations in the structure of each song. It is overall, very heavy, intense and grumbling music with a demonic pig squeal vocal which perfectly represents those in power to which they refer. The CD I received is the in-store version and has a silhouette image of an industrial area on the front cover. Inside the CD sleeve are all the lyrics along with a few photos of some of the crap some governments have generated. In the centre is a whole band picture of them outside a plant with full face breathing apparatus’ on along with corresponding band member information. There is also a section on the inner back page with some interesting notes / background information on the songs. You can also find CD production info within the cover. The CD itself has a picture of another industrial silhouette with logo and album title upon it. The very back of the CD cover has a numbered track listing. Now for my recommendations... basically, if you like really heavy and deep, burp-like vocal death metal which plays at knocking speeds and/or bands like old Cannibal Corpse and Napalm Death, then I am guessing you will like this. Regardless, I must refer you to the links below so you can, of course, make up your own mind.
LINKS
Cytotoxin Website
Cytotoxin Myspace
Cytotoxin YouTube
Review by Déa di Morté © 20 September 2011
All pictures and lyrical extracts courtesy of Cytotoxin