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Toxic Ruin are a Thrash Metal band that formed in 2010 as The Ruin, but the name was changed to the current one in 2014. Musically, the band counts on their playing technique and songwriting skills to make very decent sounding Thrash Metal in which one can hear bits and pieces of such names as Forbidden, Vio-lence, Kreator and the like. It all somehow sounds very familiar, but if you want to reinvent the old-school Thrash Metal wheel, then obviously it would neither sound old school or even Thrash anymore, I think. Why on earth fix something that isn't broken, right?

Anyways, these lads from Sheboygan, Wisconsin know their Thrash; they know how it should sound and can also craft a tasty cocktail out of the ingredients they use, as well as some unusual ones like those falsetto vocal parts in the chorus of the title track. Other than that, the band's debut is a far more diverse and progressive sounding opus than many of their comrades in the same genre. They have also found a nice balance between faster and aggressive songs ("Rampage") and slower and heavier songs ("The Human Condition"), not overdoing either one of them such as adopting a hyper-fast or ultra-slow style at any point. Also, I really like the very technical, may I say Atheist-esque instrumental track, "... Of What Lies Beneath," on which these lads obviously desire to display what kind of musical arsenal they have in their possession.

Subterranean Terror is overall a nice calling card, which undoubtedly – and let's even say hopefully – will wake up some label owners to soon start negotiations with the band.