#redefiningdarknessrecords — Public Fediverse posts

Florida death thrash dealers Intoxicated came down the promo sump with a nest of surprises I didn’t anticipate. Learning that once again I selected promo from a forgotten 90s band shocked me. Finding out that not one but two of Intoxicated’s members also serve in known party rock entity Andrew W.K. bamboozled me even more. These little factoids all came to me long after I had imbibed deeply of their upcoming third LP The Dome, which sounds fresher and far more vicarious than what I might’ve expected otherwise. But can it compete with a modern thrash scene desperate to revitalize the glory days of olde?

If there’s one thing that Intoxicated do well, it’s finding and exploiting their references. Riffs sourced from the bloodied piles amassed by the likes of Destruction, Death Angel, Dark Angel, and Sodom abound, all laced with the deathly wiles of Death to give them extra oomph.1 Anthrax-esque drumming doubles down on speed and extremity as The Dome gallops and blasts through its lean 30-minute runtime.2 A lightly proggy songwriting bent, again reminiscent of Death’s more sophisticated fare, gives The Dome a bit more variety than your average thrash revival record. Nonetheless, Intoxicated feels most at home brawling at bars and swaggering down back alleys in head-to-toe leather.

The Dome by Intoxicated

When they double down on sleaze and hooks, Intoxicated shine brightest. High-octane cuts like “Carved in Stone,” “The Dome,” “War Club,” and “Drowning the Weak” ooze vitriol and gush piss and vinegar all over the place, making for one nasty arena in which to open up pits and push around posers. Sole original member Erik Payne’s raspy barks and serrated growls feel right at home in this pocket, spewing matter-of-fact verses in the classic thrash tradition with a consistency and effectiveness that belies his age (“It’s Dead”). While that vocal talent provides The Dome with a significant measure of personality, it’s Erik’s and John Sutton’s riffs/leads and Mike Radford’s multifaceted drumming that steal the show, routinely shoving great ideas and weaving durable stitching throughout remarkably tight runtimes (“Shifted Cross” and “Rake the Grate,” for example, feel far more substantial and meaty than their featherweight sub-3-minute lengths suggest).

There’s a lot to love in The Dome, but there’s also a lot of potential to go further. On the production front, The Dome is very clean and modern, which in some ways detracts from Intoxicated’s brutish delivery (though its clarity makes the drum tones stand out in fantastic fashion). Additionally, while you can hear Gregg Robert’s bass burbling underneath the surface, it lacks the prominence it needs for listeners to reliably nail down what unholy magic he’s doing with it. As far as songwriting goes, The Dome is quite strong but songs that lack punch instantly get lost in the sauce. In some cases, that’s the result of a lack of unique riffs or interesting ideas (“Sever the Strings,” “Tighten Your Eyes”). In others, it’s nothing more than a pacing or tracklist placing issue where The Dome’s momentum is slightly disrupted or impeded (“Unescaped”). And of course, the fact that multiple writers could so readily identify reference points from a number of classic acts speaks to the level of influence they had on Intoxicated’s current sound, which, for some, might make The Dome seem unoriginal or derivative.

Even so, The Dome is a wholly enjoyable and easily repeatable record by an unsung act hailing from the 90s era of thrash and death. The references they pull from are good company to keep, so if some of the material here borders on worship, at least Intoxicated have good taste. As the dust and rubble settle, The Dome is a fun, raucous, and feisty little gem, and it would be a shame for it to go unnoticed.

Rating: Good
DR: 6 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Redefining Darkness Records
Websites: intoxicatedflorida.bandcamp.com | intoxicatedfl.com | facebook.com/pg/intoxicatedFL
Releases Worldwide: March 27th, 2026

Atomic Witch – Death Etiquette Review

By Tyme

Cleveland, Ohio’s death thrash quintet, Atomic Witch, began as Bulk & Skull in 2012—a nod to the comic relief duo from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers—before changing their moniker in 2016. After releasing a few singles and EPs, Atomic Witch partnered with Redefining Darkness Records and producer Dan “The Man” Swanö for their debut album, Crypt of Sleepless Malice, in 2022, which created a splash in the death thrash pool with its visceral riffs, horror-themed lyrics, and completely unhinged vocals. Three years of lessons learned later, Atomic Witch and new producer Noah Buchanan (Nunslaughter, Solipsist) at Cleveland’s Mercinary Studios have reopened the crypt to unleash sophomore effort, Death Etiquette, upon the phantasmic masses. Do these Midwest marauders have what it takes to infect a crowded scene even further, or should we stake this vampire’s heart now and slam the coffin door shut?

As Death Etiquette comes not only crashing through but completely mangling the gate, it’s clear Atomic Witch hasn’t tweaked their formula. In just over two minutes, album opener “Morgue Rat” packs everything Atomic Witch does well into one brief, bristling bruiser. Frenetically furious riffing melded with drummer Nick Amato’s (Axioma) rolls and fills hit you right between the beady eyes before the track settles into a nice, mid-paced chug-a-lug. Like Stallone turning his trucker hat around in Over the Top, when singer Nick Martinis pulls his neon green ski mask down over his face, shit’s about to get real, and when he delivers the very cheeky Drowning Pool-ish line “Let the bodies hit the morgue,” it’s also clear Atomic Witch don’t take themselves too seriously. New bassist David McJunkins’ low-end rumblings, in conjunction with Amato’s battery, keep the frantic riffs and twisted solos of Jesse Shattuck and Jonah Meister in check. Death Etiquette delivers short and sweet thrash first and foremost, falling somewhere amidst the sonic Bermuda triangle of Slayer, Forbidden, and Xoth. At the same time, there are sprinkles of Sentient Horror-like death (“Of Flesh and Chrome”) and a little bit of black metallicism (“Dream Rot”) boiling in Atomic Witch’s cauldron. Performances reign supreme here, and it’s the vocal pyrotechnics that take center stage.

Eschewing the punkier, more straightforward approach of fellow Midwest acts like Midnight and Wraith, Atomic Witch differentiate through the crazed vocal tandem of Martinis and Shattuck. Betwixt the two, Martinis carries the bulk of the responsibility, and his snarly screams—reminiscent of Havok’s David Sanchez—bring some extra lethality to the material and highlight the catchy choruses (“Morgue Rat,” “Worms and Dirt”). While the completely bonkers, high-pitched, full-throated power falsettos—landing within Rob Halford, King Diamond, and Mark Osegueda territory—and deep, guttural growls of Shattuck serve as an insane accompaniment to Martinis’ raspy delivery (“Death Edging (Come to the Light)”). Both coalesce perfectly on my favorite track, and album closer “Vicious Mistress,” a Venom song title if ever there was one. Carrying over from the debut’s “Love Curse,” the track features a swaggering groove composed of bendy chords and flirty riffs, the high-low vocal trade-offs accentuating the hectic solos and furious instrumentals with a romping effect.

Death Etiquette benefits from Noah Buchanan’s rawer production. As masterful as Swanö is, I found the mix on Crypt of Sleepless Malice too mutedly polished. And while Atomic Witch may have sacrificed some DR in the process, the slightly louder mix works for me with this material. A testament to cohesiveness, the songwriting on Death Etiquette is tighter and more focused too, as Shattuck and Meister continue to refine their ability to craft engaging music. And while even the shorter tracks feel fully resolved, despite their brevity, the twenty-seven-minute runtime did leave me wanting a little more meat on my plate.

Atomic Witch continue to make a name for themselves in the death thrash space, and Death Etiquette is another solid step forward. And while they’re not doing anything too groundbreaking or boundary-pushing, these two first noteworthy releases indicate a band embarking on a decently consistent career. I suppose only time will tell. Atomic Witch seems like a fun band, and I found Death Etiquette a fun listen. I’d certainly opt to catch them, and their ski-masked frontman, live should they make a stop anywhere near my stomping grounds. I’ll be spinning Death Etiquette more as this humid summer trudges on and will be keeping my eyes peeled for what Atomic Witch does next.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320kbps mp3
Label: Redefining Darkness Records
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Releases Worldwide: July 25th, 2025

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