Some bands fade away quietly. DEATHCORP was never quiet—they just got buried. From 1985 to 1991, the Detroit-based speed/thrash metal outfit tore through the underground scene with a ferocity that earned them a cult following but no formal release. Now, over 30 years later, their long-lost album, TOXICA, finally sees the light of day—a raw, unfiltered time capsule from thrash metal’s most volatile era.
Originally recorded in 1991 at the peak of thrash’s creative explosion, TOXICA feels less like a debut and more like an exorcism—urgent, uncompromising, and way ahead of its time. The album captures that pivotal moment when classic thrash began mutating into darker, more technical territory. Picture early Slayer colliding with the primal atmospherics of proto-black metal—and you’re getting close. It’s not just nostalgia—it’s a recovered blueprint for what heavy music could have been.
What makes TOXICA especially gripping is its sheer conviction. These aren’t demos dressed up for modern ears—these are untouched recordings, packed with jagged riffs, scorched vocals, and a drummer clearly playing like the tape might catch fire. You can hear the hunger in every track, the sense that this band wasn’t just trying to be heard—they were trying to outpace the genre itself. In an era where overproduction dulls the blade, TOXICA is sharp, bloody, and real.
For longtime tape traders and diehard fans who kept the DEATHCORP name alive through word-of-mouth alone, this release is vindication. But younger metalheads will find something surprisingly current in the chaos. As modern acts like Power Trip and High Command reintroduce rawness into the scene, TOXICA fits like a missing link—brutal, unpolished, and oddly prophetic.
With two more albums (Cold Blooded War and Rest In Pieces) slated for release in the next two years, DEATHCORP’s second life is shaping up to be as uncompromising as their first. These aren’t nostalgia projects—they’re long-buried manifestos finally getting their broadcast. And if the band’s cryptic “more worldwide releases to come” teaser is to be believed, this resurrection is just beginning.
TOXICA was mastered by Bill Metoyer, the legendary producer known for his work with Slayer, W.A.S.P., Armored Saint, Trouble, and many others.
“When Deathcorp first contacted me about mastering their LP from the late 80s, first thing I thought was… Cool name, wonder why I am not familiar with them?
When I heard the first song they sent to master, Nightmares, I wondered, WHY AM I NOT FAMILIAR WITH THEM?!
I believe anyone else who hears this record that has not heard of them before will be thinking the same thing.
Good old school thrash!” — Bill Metoyer
Some thrash records mellow with age. TOXICA didn’t get the chance. It sat in the dark, sharpened its teeth, and waited. Now, it’s ready to rip.
