Review by Felix on April 28, 2026.

It is always disappointing when a band leaves the highway in order to take a leisurely drive along the country road instead. This rule is always valid, because slowing down the tempo means nothing less than losing a lot of the furious outlaw attitude metal should have without any exception. Only funeral doom maniacs disagree… Toxikull have released a speedy album ("Cursed And Punished", but after five years they returned with a much more traditional work ("Under The Southern Light") which was still okay due to its crispy character. Further two years later, the dudes dish up "Turbulence" and the first thing you should know is that this title is as cool as it is misleading. Toxikull prefer to drive the country road. No need to hurry, safety first. Of course, all musicians are free to play the style they want. But it is just sad when their recordings result in an almost harmless full-length. Unfortunately, this bad scenario has come true. Big parts of "Turbulence" appear toothless. The material wants to convey an epic, heroic or hymnal feeling, but I am sorry, it remains merely an intention. A lot of songs lack density, real heaviness and at least an iota of aggressiveness. The promo text tries to fool us with statements like "Turbulence represents a maturity in the quartet's songwriting, blending the raw aggression of speed metal with the melodic grandeur of classic heavy metal." That's almost brazen. There is no grain of "raw, aggressive speed metal" and even the "melodic grandeur of classic heavy metal" cannot be taken seriously. Some sections are nothing but boring and classic heavy metal would not have started its triumphant march with songs like those we get on this work.

I have no doubt that the four dudes are convinced metalheads and this is reason enough for me to feel bad when writing a not so positive review. But if I want to stay true to myself, I must say that already the opener "Midnight Fire" doesn't send up any sparks, while vocalist Lex Thunder (questionable pseudonym, by the way) plays the Portuguese Rob Halford. Guess this is why the promo babbles about classic heavy metal. The following title track marks the next punch to the listener's stomach. Already the first guitar notes reflect a total absence of thrilling ideas. By contrast, "Dragon Magic" (is this title only stereotypical or completely embarrassing?) can be understood as the first – little – highlight, because it makes – just like a few tracks of "Under The Southern Light" – some transcendental Crimson Glory vibes hover through the room. Nevertheless, overused hard rock or heavy metal standards dominate the first half of the album. Thus, it is nearly logical that one song is damned to be a semi-ballad full of… ehm… great feelings… or pure kitsch. It's up to you, I tend to the latter and therefore I don't need songs like "Dying Star". By contrast, "Blessed By The Night" at least holds a solid chorus.

The second half falls through the net as well. Already in 1983, "Hard To Break" would have been dismissed as outdated. Given this musical content, even the acceptable production fights a losing battle. Okay, "Burning Spark" emanates a pretty lively aura, but even these songs are no match for former stompers like "Battle Dogs" or "Killer Night", not to mention rockets like "Cursed And Punished". This track was speed metal at its best and speaking of this style, "Strike Again" and "Flame Of Glory" lend "Turbulence" a few speedy moments. Especially the closer is a cool number, but to put it in a nutshell: too little, too late. So with a tear in my eye, I think it is time for me to say goodbye to Toxikull. I hope they will find their target group. Their more and more melodic and smooth approach does not meet my taste and therefore I cannot give a high rating, but I honestly hope that other metalheads come to another conclusion.

Rating: 4.5 out of 10