Nine years is a long time to leave people hanging, but Antwerp’s Toxic Shock are making it count. “Creeping Reaper” is the second track off “Future Is Calling,” their incoming full-length on This Charming Man Records, and it hits like crossover thrash that’s been coiled up for too long — Excel, Suicidal Tendencies, Testament in the DNA, hardcore and punk in the muscle.
The song comes with artwork by Arno van Putte — check his work at instagram.com/schedels_arnovanputte — and the band’s already confirmed a shirt is incoming. That’s usually a good sign someone believes in the image.
Vocalist Wally had something to say about the lyrics: “I like to believe that destiny and death don’t get the final say. I claim as much ownership as I can over my life, fear, and the moment of my end.”
“Future Is Calling” — their first record since 2016’s “20 Last Century” — drops in April, and from what’s been shared so far, the break hasn’t made them comfortable. The album reportedly includes a Gun Club cover where the five-piece occasionally lock into something that sounds a lot like Lee Hollis-era Spermbirds. That’s a comparison you either get immediately or you’ve got some listening to do.
Pre-orders are live at thischarmingmanrecords.com.
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