Toxic Holocaust has always remained one step ahead of the thrash revival pack due to creator Joel Grind’s commitment to quality songwriting and his ability to really tune into the vibe of the originators of this sound. For the most part, he’s done this all by himself, writing all the songs and playing all the instruments, except on his Relapse debut An Overdose Of Death, where he recruited Donny Paycheck of Zeke to play drums.

Now, for the first time, Grind has a full band behind him, as he’s added bassist Paul Gnaast and drummer Nikki Bellmore. In this case, it makes for a more cohesive album, as Conjure And Command is the best Toxic Holocaust record yet, bursting forth with unrestrained energy, attitude, and blasphemy. It clearly puts them to the front of the class.

Album opener “Judgment Awaits You” starts off slowly and then breaks into a frantic pace, which lays down the gauntlet for the rest of the album. There are pure burners, such as “Agony Of The Damned,” “Bitch,” and “In The Depths (Of Your Mind),” alongside more mid-paced tracks such as “I Am Disease,” which attains an epic malevolent grandeur all its own.

In past few years we’ve seen a lot of bands try to resurrect thrash by trying to copy the sound and copping the look. Fortunately, Grind’s inspiration goes deeper, and that makes for some thrilling albums.

(Relapse Records, PO Box 2060, Upper Darby, PA 19082)