toxikull
Fronted by brothers Lex Thunder and Michael Blade, Toxikull’s style of music is classic heavy metal with touches of speed/thrash. Drawing quintessential influences from Ozzy Osbourne, DIO, Judas Priest, Accept, Overkill, Saxon, Manowar, Black Sabbath, WASP, Megadeth, Warlock, early Scorpions, Ratt, Sortilège, Rush, Icon, Picture, and many more, Toxikull is making its way to the top of the European underground metal scene, delivering razor-sharp steel on every stage they grace.
Throughout the years, they’ve embarked on two European tours and have stepped onto the stages of festivals such as Vagos Metal Fest, SWR Barroselas, Milagre Metaleiro, Trveheim, and Dying Victims Attack. They’ve toured as an opening act for Exciter, Angelus Apatrida, Crystal Viper, and S.D.I, as well as supported bands like Kreator, Tim “Ripper” Owens, and many others.
The band, based in Portugal, was formed in 2016, releasing their debut album “Black Sheep” and later, in 2018, the EP “The Nightraiser.” These two releases led the band to perform more than 80 shows in their first years, including appearances at some of the biggest metal festivals in Portugal and Spain.
In September of 2019, the LP “Cursed and Punished” was released via Metal on Metal Records. Power high-pitch vocals, screaming guitar solos, killer speed riffs, and a tight rhythm section took no prisoners and destroyed every soul that tried to resist Toxikull’s curse, elevating the concepts of speed, heavy, and thrash to the highest level. It generated a very positive response from fans and press around the world, especially in Europe and North America.
In 2020, during the promotion cycle of “Cursed and Punished,” they were forced to cancel their first headlining European tour as well as many festival appearances due to the circumstances created by the pandemic. But Toxikull did not back down…
To fight back, the band decided to release the “Warriors Collection,” a series of six individual singles with very special guests like Sean Peck, Zach Schottler, Marta Gabriel, and many more, released throughout 2021 and 2022 to keep the flame alive and connect with the die-hard metal fans in such dark times.
At the end of 2022, a headlining European tour occurred as a consequence of the significant underground success of the Warriors Collection, passing through all the main European countries.
In February 2024, it was time to release “Under the Southern Light,” described by the press as “one of the albums of the year.” Released by the German label Dying Victims Productions, this album was a game-changer and received a fantastic reaction from metal fans and the metal press worldwide. It portrays Toxikull’s personal experiences in the world, focusing on the duality of living in the southern lands of Europe, places with so much light, joy, and potential, but at the same time, with such scarcity of opportunities, no future, and infested with shadows.
With this album, Toxikull achieved their first sold-out show in Lisbon, followed by a 36-day European tour from March 29 to May 4, passing through the heavy metal circuit of Europe. Countries like Germany, France, Hungary, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Belgium, and many more were conquered by this Atlantic storm.
With a summer full of festival appearances, the main highlight was playing at Lisbon’s MEO Arena with the legendary KREATOR and at festivals such as Vagos Metal Fest, Trveheim and many more.
LABEL: DYING VICTIMS PRODUCTIONS (GERMANY)
COUNTRY: PORTUGAL
GENRE: HEAVY METAL