Toxic Holocaust: Fist Local All Ages Show in Two Years! Thurs March 15th @ Barbary, Philly PA

Lord of the Wasteland: Toxic Holocaust Returns to Philadelphia 8/17/11

There is a reason why I've always made it a point to never miss a Toxic Holocaust gig within a 2 hr driving distance from Philly. Actually there's several now that I'm thinking about it....but really it's because Joel, and now Phil & Nikki, have never failed to live up to our expectations; they've ALWAYS delivered that sonic wave of nuclear charged Thrash Metal that our eardrums need to be assaulted with. And their show at the Kung-Fu Necktie this time around wasn't any different.



For those of you that have never made it out here, the Kung-Fu Necktie is a pretty decent spot, it's more or less your average sized Kenzo/Fishtown corner bar. When you walk in you pass through a little vestibule which opens up to the bar area. Pool table directly in front of you hogging up the center of the room, several booths along the wall to your right and the bar stretching along the left hand side. The bar leads up to a back room which is a decent size, plenty of room to move around with the small stage tucked against the back wall. This place is also 'Mosh Friendly' so if you come out, don't just stand there like my grandparents.



Unfortunately this is not an All Age venue, it's a bar...obviously, so by playing here your just cutting out about half of your local following. Stop playing 21+ shows guys! I think the last All Age Toxic Holocaust show in Philly was at the Electric Factory with Gwar back in 2008....



I caught them the last time they came through here with some people I can't even recall. But this time around they've got a new album under their belt (which you should already own if your sitting here reading this!) and two other bands sharing the stage with them: Holy Grail and the Krum Bums.



I've seen Holy grail in the past and as much as I like what they're going for, they just lose me on the whole progressive/metalcore stuff they've sunk into. Sorry guys, just being honest here. And the Krum Bums, eh, whatever.



I got there just before Toxic Holocaust started setting up so we had a little time to mill around a bit and say what's up to friends etc. Once I heard the amps go on I pushed my way through the crowd (this place was packed) and made my way up to the front. From the second the first chord was struck to the last crack of the drums I don't think my head stopped moving once. I didn't really dig the track off their new album "I am Disease" when they played it the last time they came through, and I was a little worried about what else was gonna be on that album, but luckily Conjure & Command turned out to be a pretty strong album.



These guys have been around for well over 10 years now and have a crazy amount of material, so you'll always get a hit with a wide variety of stuff. They mixed it up with a good bit of new material off of C&C as well as the classics off their previous 3 studio albums as well as the Reapers Grave EP etc. I'm still waiting to hear Summon the Best....



And what kind of a Toxic Holocaust show would it be without shooting the shit with Joel afterwords? I don't think I've ever met a more humble, approachable and genuinely appreciative guy. I've seen a bit of mud slung his way online but this guy has his feet planted firmly on the ground and that's right where his head and his music is. Thanks again for authenticating/autographing my Critical Mass demo! See you guys next time!

Toxic Holocaust - Wed 8/17/11 @ Kung Fu Necktie @ Phila, PA

Another 21+ show in Philly...imagine that.
$10 at the Door
7pm-10pm

Kung Fu Necktie (bar)
1248 North Front Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122-4602
(215) 291-4919

Toxic Holocaust/Inepsy Split

Split album, Tankcrimes / Unrest Records
June 11th, 2010

Tracks 1-2 by Toxic HolocaustTracks 3-4 by Inepsy

Tracks 1-2 are covers of Inepsy
Tracks 3-4 are covers of Toxic Holocaust

Released as a 12" in two versions:
Standard version: Black vinyl, cover art by Chany(Inepsy) shown above.

Die Hard version: White vinyl, cover art by Away(Voivod), screen-printed
recycled chipboard covers with metallic ink, metallic obi strip. Shown below.


1. Bombshell Rock
2. Conspiracy WWIII
3. Hell on Earth
4. Atomik Destruktor

Toxic Holocaust & Possessed: Blackest Of The Black Tour 2010

Oct. 23 - Pala, CA - [to be announced] (DANZIG warm-up show) *
Oct. 25 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theatre
Oct. 27 - Little Rock, AK - The Village
Oct. 29 - San Antonio, TX - San Antonio Live
Oct. 30 - Houston, TX - Warehouse
Oct. 31 - Dallas, TX - Palladium
Nov. 02 - Knoxville, TN - Valarium
Nov. 03 - Louisville, KY - Expo Five
Nov. 04 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
Nov. 05 - Columbus, OH - Alrosa Villa (no DANZIG)
Nov. 06 - Royal Oak, MI - Royal Oak Music Theater
Nov. 07 - Chicago, IL - Congress Theater
Nov. 09 - Minneapolis, MN - The Cabooze
Nov. 10 - Fargo, ND - The Venue
Nov. 12 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theater
Nov. 14 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory Concert House
Nov. 15 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SODO
Nov. 16 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater

Toxic Holocaust - March From Hell

Toxic Holocaust - Live at The Lost Horizon in Syracuse NY.

October 11th 2009
Setlist:

1. Metal Attack
2. Endless Armageddon
3. Wild Dogs
4. Feedback Blood and Distortion
5. War is Hell
6. Reaper's Grave
7. Death Brings Death
8. Gravelord
9. 666
10. The Lord of the Wasteland
11. Nuke the Cross

DOWNLOAD VIDEO

Taken from the folks at UVTV

Toxic Holocaust - Summon the Beast: Live @ Slaughter By the Water 2010

Toxic Holocaust - at Slaughter By the Water Thrashfest 4.10.2010

roseman (kevin) | MySpace Video

Slaughter By The Warter DVD (2010) Coming Soon!

Slaughter By the Water: Oakland CA 4/10/2010

Toxic Holocaust (ZZ Tox) Halloween night in Georgia 2009

Toxic Holocaust: Debut Video For “Lord Of The Wasteland”

TOXIC HOLOCAUST has debuted a brand new video for their “Lord Of The Wasteland” track online now at this location. “Lord Of The Wasteland” was shot at various live gigs during the band’s extensive 2009 tour schedule. The song comes from TOXIC HOLOCAUST’s Relapse debut An Overdose Of Death… that is available now on CD, LP, and digitally.

Joel Grind Interview: FaceCulture (2008)

The following is a four part serious which is one of the most through interviews I've seen done with Joel. I'm also having trouble posting it so I'm just gonna throw up a link and let you figure out the rest, enjoy:
http://www.faceculture.tv/index.php?cnti_key=11746855

Joel Grind Interview: 2/15 /10 Relapse Records Podcast

Click here to hear the podcast

An Interview with Joel Grind from Toxic Holocaust (2004)

Originally conducted by Scoots and taken from Kicked In the Face:

Toxic Holocaust is the new obsession for fans of raw, blasphemous thrash metal. After releasing a pair of demo tapes in '99 and '02 and a handful of split appearances, TH finally released their first full length lp, Evil Never Dies, on Nuclear War Now! Productions in 2003. It instantly jumped to the head of top ten lists everywhere, the vinyl selling out within a few months. The sound harkens back to the vibe of such 80s legends as Bathory, Sodom, and Kreator. Since 2001 the band has been the product of one man, Joel Grind. I recently had a chance to talk to Joel about his influences, upcoming releases, and the possibility of a future tour:

Scoots: Venom or Bathory?

Joel Grind: Ok, start with the hard one first, right? I think Bathory's first three records were more of an influence on the TH sound, but I would have to go with Venom without a doubt. Of course I'm talking about the first three records from them also, and some of Possessed. Bathory is a very close second though.

Scoots: Do you remember where you were when you heard Quorthon had died?

Joel Grind: No, not really. If he would have died right after making The Return... it would have been a real tragedy.

Scoots: Who do you think has been the most influential metal band in the last fifteen years? Have they influenced you?
Joel Grind: The most influential metal band in the past 15 years would probably be something like Cradle of Filth. I fucking see every wimp Black Metal band on Earth trying to copy that sound. No influence on me that's for sure.

Scoots: Toxic Holocaust is now a one man band, but you originally had other members involved. Is there anything you miss about having bandmates?

Joel Grind: Sure, I miss playing live, actually rehearsing songs, etc. I think the promotion for TH would be better if I could tour as well.

Scoots: Did you consciously set out to emulate Quorthon's "total control" work ethic?

Joel Grind: No, it happened by accident because I'm a dick. I just don't want other people in this band that aren't dedicated, and/or on the same page as me, influence and style wise. If you want something done right, do it yourself.

Scoots: The fact that TH is essentially a solo project pretty much rules out live performances. Has any thought been given to finding other musicians to work with for live dates?
Joel Grind: Well, I've discussed this with Straight to Hell (Providence hardcore band) as being sort of the back up band for TH. These guys would make my songs sound 100x better and probably 100x faster!
Scoots: What instrument would you play in a live setting?
Joel Grind: I would most likely play guitar and sing, or just sing, either way.

Scoots: How did you hook up with the guys in Straight to Hell?
Joel Grind: If I recall correctly, Aaron (vocals) got in touch with me through email. He said that he heard and liked TH and it just went from there. I was the one who approached him about it after I heard the STH EP.
Scoots: Tell me a little about your newest release, the Deathmaster 7" out on Gloom Records.
Joel Grind: Nate really did a great job on this release. I think it has the 80's vibe in the packaging as well as the music. And as an added bonus: no shitty Photoshop effects. The music was recorded 6 months before Evil Never Dies and was supposed to be released on Warlord Records from Italy, but it never materialized. Yosuke told Nate that I was looking for this to come out, and it went for there.
Scoots: Iron Bonehead will be putting out your Power From Hell EP, any idea when that will be out?

Joel Grind: Well Patrick from I.B.P. said that it's going to the plant in two weeks. I hope there aren't any delays. This release deviates slightly from the good ol' TH sound in that it has a little more "rocking" element to it in the tradition of Warfare, NME, Bulldozer, Venom etc. The other song is a cover of Onslaught's Power from Hell. The recording is rawer too. It was recorded on a 4 track, but don't expect a wimpy boombox black metal recording where you can't tell if it's drums or the air conditioner running.
Scoots: Providence's Armageddon Label will be re-releasing Evil Never Dies, how did you hook up with them? Will this be a straight repress, or will there be anything new included?

Joel Grind: I think the cover colors may vary a little. We haven't really gotten into detail too much with this. I'm happy to see they are interested in a repress though.

Scoots: Right now the demand for your music seems to outpace the actual supply of recordings. Evil Never Dies is apparently going on its third different vinyl release, for instance. Have you been working on new material?

Joel Grind: Yes, I'm working on my second album for Nuclear War Now. I've got 4 songs complete and riffs for more. Expect more of the same Toxic Thrash as on END. What I will probably do is record these songs and release it as a promo just to get the word around about the next album. I think it will be released sometime early 2005.

Scoots: Nuclear War Now has some of the most impressive and creative packaging for their vinyl releases, especially the "diehard edition" versions. Have you and Yosuke discussed details such as vinyl color or extra inserts on the upcoming release?

Joel Grind: So far there's been some talk of 180 gram vinyl, gatefold etc. Things can always change, but for right now it looks like this will be part of the next LP. I have 100% faith in Yosuke to put out another killer LP like he always does. I have paid a killer artist to do the cover...just wait.

Scoots: Will the next album be all originals, or will you include covers as well?

Joel Grind: All originals again. To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of putting covers on LP's. I think they are more suited for comps, ep's, bonus tracks etc.

Scoots: Everyone who I've played your records for has compared the sound to the cream of the mid-80s thrash crop, yet you're actually a pretty young guy. Have any of the older metal crowd given you a hard time?

Joel Grind: That's really cool. I guess I'm Thrash reincarnated. Really though, no one really gives me a hard time. In fact I was talking to Dave from Manticore the other day on the phone and he made the assumption I was in my 30's. When I told him I was 22 he was shocked, but thought it was insane that my stuff sounds like it does. The way I look at it is this, Possessed, Slayer, Metallica, Exodus etc were all young when they started out.

Scoots: Were you surprised by how well Evil Never Dies was received?

Joel Grind: Yeah I am actually. I appreciate everyone that supports TH.

Scoots: How would you compare metal in the 80s versus metal today?

Joel Grind: In the 80s most bands were unique sounding from each other. I mean look at Germany, bands like Sodom, Destruction, Kreator, Living Death, Violent Force all sound different from each other. Today there usually are a few popular bands and a million clones that all sound the same. Everyone records at the same studios, have the same vocal style, same riffs and on and on. Basically you buy one CD you buy them all.

Scoots: Why do you think that is? Do you think the internet and the ease with which people can find music now, even obscure music, has cut down on the uniqueness of regional sounds for instance?

Joel Grind: I wouldn't doubt that has something to do with it. I mean nowadays you have Black Metal bands in Brazil claiming to play Norse-core. How fucked up is that? Plus, I think people are just lazy and/or running out of ideas.

Scoots: What are the best and worst trends in metal today?

Joel Grind: Well, this is sort of a bogus answer, but I don't really know. I mean, I don't think there are any good trends today. All the bands I like from today's metal scene all sound different from each other. The worst trend today would be referring to Linkin Park and similar bands as metal.

Scoots: How much thought should a listener give to lyrics to songs like "666"?

Joel Grind: I'm not into telling people how to interpret anything I say. All my lyrics are written in a tongue in cheek way. If people wanna rape a nun and blame TH go right ahead.

Scoots: Do you feel constrained to write about subjects such as war and the occult as a metal artist, or are these simply the things that typically occupy your thoughts?

Joel Grind: No, I don't feel I'm under pressure to write about that stuff if that's what you mean. I just don't think metal has any place for lyrics about flowers, trees etc. I like violent and satanic lyrics, because I think it fits the music, simple as that.

Scoots: Is there much of a music scene where you're from in Maryland? Do you consider yourself a part of it?

Joel Grind: Not one good band at all! And no I'm not part of it.

Scoots: Any final thoughts?

Joel Grind: Thanks for the interview! If anyone is interested in writing for TH info the address is:
Joel Grind
PO Box 791
Elkton, MD 21922
USA
e: casketcrusher2000@yahoo.com
Fuckin' Thrash!!!!!!!!!

Toxic Holocaust - Radiation Sickness

Demo, Nuclear Hell Records
December 1st, 1999

Originally released as a cassette limited to 40 copies hand-numbered in gold ink.

There is also a CD-R version.

Joel Grind has stated in interview that guitars and drums on this demo were played by a couple of people other than himself.

1.Nothing Will Change
2.Get in the Pit
3.Follow and Believe (live)
4.Raised in Hell (Venom cover)
5.Hang the Pope (Nuclear Assault cover)
6.Living in Fear
7.Fuck Fuck Fuck
8.Fighting Against Yourself
9.Nothing Will Change (live)
10.Fighting Against Yourself (live)

Toxic Holocaust/Oprichniki Split

Split album, SAY-TEN Records
2001

This split was released as 7"Ep on clear blue vinyl in 2003 and contains 2
tracks from each band. The story with this record goes that the first pressing of
the disc had each side incorrectly labeled (songs on side Oprichniki being Toxic
Holocaust and songs on side Toxic Holocaust being Oprichniki) but to all the
hassles and confusions with the pressing plant, the bands decided to release the
disc anyway.

There is also a very limited pressing tape version self-distributed by both
bands without a cover.

Tracklisting for the cassette release is:

Toxic Holocaust:
01. Follow and Believe
02. World at End
03. Nuclear Attack
04. At the End of My Rope
05. Creation
06. Blessed or Cursed?
07. New Dawn Fades (Joy Division Cover)

Oprichniki:
01. Time to Go
02. Unimportant Things
03. Idiot's Plea (Live)
04. Falling Down (Live)
05. Imprint (Live)

Toxic Holocaust
1.Follow and Believe
2.World at End

Oprichniki
3.Time to Go
4.Unimportant Things

Toxic Holocaust - Implements of Mass Destruction / Nuclear Apocalypse:666

Split, Skullfuckingmetal Records
2002

Released as a CD-R with xeroxed covers.

There exists two versions of this CD-R.
This release was distributed by both Skullfuckingmetal Records and Joel Grind himself.
For this reason some copies come with or without a sticker at the top of the disc containing info on the release.

Hellacaust
1.Intro
2.Shadow of Sin
3.Heaven in Ashes
4.Apocalyptic Chaos
5.Unholy Legions
6.Hellacaust

Toxic Holocaust
7. Fallout
8. Evil Will Reign
9.Nuclear Attack
10.Blessed or Cursed
11.Hell on Earth
12.Satans Unholy Altar

Toxic Holocaust - Critical Mass

CD-R Demo, Self Released
February 2002

The cassette of the Critical Mass CD-R was released in Europe as a
cooperation release between Deathstrike Records, Hades Paradise Distribution and
RACB Records in a limited edition of 222 copies.

Rancor Records released a different cassette for the US in an edition of 111 copies.

The CD-R version from Nuclear Hell Records is limited to 333 copies, making a total of 666
copies.

The Demo has been re-released on vinyl in early 2006 with new artwork, layout &
a photo collage in a Gatefold cover with large full color poster (18" x 24").

First 100 copies are splatter vinyl.
Also a Limited picture disc version is
available.

1.Intro
2.Damned to Fire
3.I´m Not Dead
4.Dead to the World
5.Demise
6.Warfare
7.The Need to Kill
8.Sacrifice (Bathory cover)
9.Prelude to War
10.The Stalker
11.Atomik Destruktor
12.Whores & Vodka

Toxic Holocaust - Evil Never Dies

Full-length, Witches Brew
October 1st, 2003

- Original CD released on Witches Brew limited to 1000 hand numbered copies.

- Released on vinyl by Nuclear War Now! Productions.

- Pro-cassette version by Scenester Bloodbath Records, limited to 100 copies with three bonus tracks, all Sodom covers (Outbreak of Evil/Witching Metal/Burst Command til War)
- Also released on Gloom Records in 2005 with the Death Master 7" and 'Created to Kill' as bonus tracks, and with a different cover.

- Picture disc released by Hell's Headbangers, limited to 333 copies with one bonus track: Louder Than Hell (NME cover) ; 1-6 is side "Radiation", 7-12 is side "Fallout"- The song "War is Hell" is featured on Earache's 2008 "Thrashing Like a Maniac"
compilation

- Reissued by Relapse Records in 2008
100 clear
300 yellow
300 black and
300 black/yellow.1.Evil Never Dies
2.War Is Hell
3.Enemy of Jesus
4.Damned to Fire
5.Exxxecutioner
6.666
7.Summon the Beast
8.Demise
9.Warfare
10.Dead to the World
11.Fallout
12.Atomik Destruktor