Interview with Toxic

Toxic hail from Norway and just released a strikingly solid album called "Fear". I recently interviewed the band to find out more.

Please introduce your band members and tell what instrument you play.
Trash Hamer: Vocals, Guitar
Geir Ove Bernhoff: Guitars, Vocals
Daffy: Guitars
Rolf Lura: Bass, Organ, Cello and Double Bass
Kristian Moen: Drums

Tell us a little about the history of your band.
Toxic was founded back in May 2003.
We soon started to make our own songs.We released our debute album "Intoxicated", and made a video called "Chronos" that was broadcasted on several TV stations all over the world. It also recieved a Gold Medal in the Euro Film Festival. Toxic was signed by the UK based label "Rocksector in the spring of 2008.Their second album "Fear" was released in September 2008. This album have already received several good reviews, and the songs from that album is spinning on several radio stations around the world. So now Toxic are planning aq lot of gigs and tours, starting with a 2 week tour in the UK in October.

Who are your musical influences?
We are infuenced by band from the 70's up to today. Some bands that I would like to mention are:Led Zeppelin, System of Down, Queen, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest + many more.

I enjoyed your album “Fear”, but it took me a few tries to really get into it. How would you describe your music?
Yes, I have heard several people say that, and they've also said this: Once you'd got Toxic's CD spinning a few times, it's hard to put it away. The album is very exiting. It has a lot of variation, both from song to song and within the same song.It also has both soft beautiful parts, and really heavy ones. So it's something for any one with a taste for rock music.But there are several "straight in your face" songs on the album, that catches you immidiately. You won't get bored.

How did you come to get signed by Rocksector records? How has that relationship gone so far?
We spotted Rocksector, when we were out surfing on MySpace, looking for someone to help us booking a UK tour last year. Rocksector has done a splendid job for us.It's not so very easy to find someone to trust 100%, in this cruel business.

What are some of the songs on your album about?
Toxic do not have those "love and kiss" lyrics. The lyrics often trying to point a finger on things thatare negative in the world, like greediness and unfairness. Both the song "Greed", "Every Beating is a Lie" and "Feed my Bitch" are made with such lyrics.



Where do you get the topics for your songs?
Both from reading a lot, and from experiences in the every day life.

What are some your favorite tracks on your album? Why?
Lucifer: It's got an unique and stunning riff, and also a mystifying and diabolic part with organ and cool singing. I am the Fire: Straight in your face kick ass rock'n'roll
Tinnitus: A interesting song including a various number of cool themes. Such as Norwegian folk music,and some beautiful cello playing.



What is the music scene like in your part of Norway? Is it fairly active or not?
There is a lot of bands here in Stavanger/Norway, but the live scene ain't that good. Everyone sits on their own shelf, there ain't any cooperating at all.

Are there any great unsigned bands in your area that you would like to mention?
I would like to mention a band called "12", they're cool: http://www.myspace.com/nr12nr

You have a number of dates set up in the UK for October. Have you ever played in the UK before? What are your expectations about these dates?
We did a 8 day tour in the UK last year. The rock scene in England is much better than the Norwegian one. Our tour manager have found some good venues, and announced our tour in several medias. So I hope that there will be a good crowd turning up on our gigs.

Will you be playing in Europe or anywhere else in upcoming months?
After our upcoming 2 week UK tour in October, we're gonna do some gigs here in Norway.We also have several good contacts in the USA, that are trying to sort out an US tour for us. So, we're hoping to do a US tour next year.



What are you doing that sets your band apart from other bands playing the scene these days?I've heard from several people that we've managed to make our own unique sound. You can of course hear influences from other bands in our music, but still we have something special. We're combining melodical soft partieswith hard and groovy ones.

In what aspects do you think that need or would like to improve upon?
We'll need to get out and do a whole lotta gigs, to show the world who Toxic are.

If you could only listen to three albums over the next month then what would you pick and why?System of a Down: Any album. Their album just grows for every spin Judas Priest: Sad Wings of destiny. It's their second album and the're still got their feet on the ground.+Rob Halford sings like a God.Queen: Queen 2. It's their second album and the're still got their feet on the ground.+Freddy Mercury sings like a God.

Is there anything else that you would like to say about your band or your music?Check out our MySpace, it's worth it: www.myspace.com/toxicnorway

Toxic-Fear

Rocksector
2008

These guys hail from Norway and are not to be confused with 80's New Jersey thrashers Toxik. That first line was all that I really felt comfortable about writing after several days of trying to work something out. That's right, I was sure of that one line and that was about it. I started working on this review days ago, I played it several times and then scrapped what I started writing. I agonized over it, okay maybe that’s an exaggeration because writing reviews is fun and agony is not so I never truly agonized over writing a review. Perhaps I was puzzled, yes that’s a little more accurate but that doesn't totally explain it. I played this CD getting an immediate sense of kind of 90’s metal at first yet I know that wasn’t completely accurate and something was nagging at me to keep listening to this to try and sort things out. The sound here is basic in that the music being played is not exactly complex yet the influences were a trifle more difficult to pin down. After like seven plays I began sweep the smoke away and see what was really going on back there. I think at the heart of many of the songs presented here is a large of chunk of 70’s metal maybe Sabbath for one as a prime influence. Then perhaps even some hints of Bang and Pentagram but more 1980’s Pentagram. I think I was at first lead in one direction by the sharp production, but really once I was able to concentrate the realization came to me that these guys are far more subtle than they at first appear. Okay, maybe I am riding around in circles here, but it’s like they come on with huge bursts and then once in the song they settle into a somewhat different direction that’s far more winding. They also go through definite shifts as the guitar is the focus and then they cut to where your attention is riveted on the vocals and each part just drags you along. The more I listened to this CD the more I realized that they were doing so much and I also became much more appreciative of what they were accomplishing. It's like opening a small present and getting far more than you first imagined. On several occasions Toxic start out like a pounding type of band, but then they turn and become far more of an involved, storytelling kind of band. Both aspects work with each other and they manage to present a strong balance as well. This was a tough nut to crack as far as me trying to interpret all that was happening yet it was certainly worth all the energy and time I spent on it. Now I know what they are doing and with that realization I can continue to reach in and really enjoy the precision and all of the aspects that these guys tied into this one.

http://www.myspace.com/toxicnorway