Black metal has been transformed into some creepy and well-crafted shapes over the decades. Over the years, we’ve embraced dozens of great artists with their own take on black metal, combining intense soundscapes, along with some elements more familiar in crust punk and hardcore. TOADEATER, a post metallic, blackened crust band from Osnabrück, Germany, are about to release one of one of the most unique and fully realized records in this niche this year, and we’re stoked to be a part of their pre-premiere hype before their unleash their crushing debut “Codex” on August 31st. Today, we’re giving you a full stream of the record, along with the band’s track-by-track commentary, giving some insights on tough lyrical issues!
Out of the marshlands of lower saxony, TOADEATER emerges with their debut, combining the mighty Neurosis with Black Metal, Post Black Metal, and Blackened Crust – Fucking Kill Records
These three dudes from lower saxony deliver the soundtrack for the darkest days to come and continue with blasting and atmospheric Black Metal with a strong DIY-Attitude as you may know it from their demo tape. To be honest, this isn’t just another Post Black Metal Longplayer; it’s introverted, aggressive but also massive and unique in itself. – Kellerassel Records
Limited Vinyl Preorder via Fucking Kill Records can be found HERE. Tapes will be available via Kellerassel Records and can be ordered at THIS LOCATION / Cover Artwork by Hagiophobic / Recorded, mixed and mastered by Fabian Schulz, www.sunsetterstudio.comSunsetter Recording Studio in Bremen in February 2019.
Leviathan was one of the first songs we wrote. We decided to use Leviathan as an opener for “Codex”, because it is an aggressive and quite fast song with a lot of blast beats and guitar shredding, giving a first good impression about what one can expect from the Album and preparing the listener for more Atmospheric Songs that are going to come. The meaning of the Song also fits in with the cover Artwork. Similar to Lilith returning as a snake trying to persuade Eva about the pleasures of betrayal, the person this song is dedicated to is deceived by inner voices trying to grab him into darkness. The title “Leviathan” can be interpreted as a symbol for a separation from god. “Live for what? Die for What? As you wish, I take the axe”.
An Ode To my Spy: The Song is basically a mix of pressing wall of sounds, a mix of melodies + fast blasts, and atmospheric parts. Like the song title indicates the song deals with persecutory delusion. It can be interpreted from a personal kind of view but also seen as a criticism of the abysses the extensive use of “social media” entails. Another small band already said: “Just because you’re paranoid. Don’t mean they’re not after you”.
The Disarmed Gaze: A quite fast song that comes to the point without no big compromises. The lyrics deal with the feelings of losing interest in things you once loved, and the dangers of trapping into a vicious circle, as everything will never be as good as it once was.
One can hear some electronic soundscapes creating a dark atmosphere. Our guitarist who created the interlude was also listening to electronical music (besides Metal and Hardcore) in the process of writing the record, so this is what came out as a result.
Parasite was the only Song we re-recorded from our Demo Tape. It was the first song we wrote that clearly had more Black Metal than Crust Influences, so it felt allright re-recording it for an album that is leaning way more into (Atmospheric) Black Metal than Hardcore or Crust. Lyric wise, it is pretty self-explaining if you read the lyrics. You fight your inner demons (“the ankles long bloody, the nails are torn”) that haunt you like a nightmare, but you finally realize that these demons are just a part of you. “It is fed by my desperation”. One can never get rid of the parasite without destroying oneself.
In Retrospect: Another older song that was written short after the founding of the band. The Song turned out to work very good for live shows, maybe because of the mix of slow (but still stomping) and fast heavy parts.
Sleep is probably the slowest Song on the record, however, it is a song that means a lot to us. The lyrics combined with the overwhelming melancholy is giving the song an intense feeling. The lyrics are based on a poem by Ukrainian lyricist Taras Schewtschenko and are dealing with the unfortunate combination of experiencing depression and wishfulness. (“…and to be buried without a trace, no matter if you lived or not on earth”).
Codex is the last song on the record and also the song that we chose to use as a title for our debut. The Song starts of quite heavy and is ending with an instrumental part final closing the record. Lyris are about a person who always choose the easiest path in his life. A person suffering from existential angst. All opportunities in life seem to be open and available, but anxiety is always obstructing the way.
