Weird n’ wild Speed Metal from the 80’s heavily inspired by Hardcore and Punk Rock, condensed into 22 fast and filthy minutes made in Sweden.

Weird n’ wild Speed Metal from the 80’s heavily inspired by Hardcore and Punk Rock. That combustible mixture is exactly what you’re going to get in Under Siege, the striking debut mini-album by a Swedish metal horde that goes by the unique name of Tøronto (why a band from Sweden was named after the biggest Canadian city is beyond my comprehension), following up on their highly-acclaimed 2018 demo Nocturnal High. Comprised of vocalist and guitarist Edvin Aftonfalk and bassist Dag Landin, here under the stage names Eddie Flawless and 79-83, respectively, and also featuring drummer Leo Ekström Sollenmo (from Lethal Steel and Temisto), here under the name Lt. Oxtreme, as well as one Seb Cyborg on lead guitars, this vicious quartet formed in 2017 partly out of the ashes of the sorely missed Swedish Progressive Death Metal squad Morbus Chron is ready to kill armed with their newborn spawn, providing fans of bands such as Razor, Warfare, Inepsy, Discharge and Motörhead, among others, a fast and furious ode to the 80’s free of any artificial elements, sounding “unselfconsciously” minimalist and raw throughout its eight bangers which average only around two or three minutes each, just to give you an idea of how compact and precise Tøronto are in what they do.

And you better get ready to be smashed by the quartet in the dirty and rebellious opening tune Fast and Filthy, a thrilling fusion of Speed and Thrash Metal with classic Punk Rock where Seb and Eddie will cut your skin deep with their razor-edged shredding while Eddie distills his inebriate vocals in great fashion; and their berserk sounds invade our senses mercilessly in Fire in Sight, another old school metallic extravaganza where Lt. Oxtreme pounds and hammers his drums nonstop. Put differently, this is a Thrash Metal hurricane tailored for admirers of the genre who wish they could go back in time to the 80’s (and stay there forever, of course), whereas the rumbling bass jabs by 79-93 ignite the pulverizing ode to all things metal titled Frostbite Bitch, and such beautiful name couldn’t have had a sound that’s more acid and headbanging than what it already does, spearheaded by Lt. Oxtreme and his classic, smashing beats and fills. And inspired by the early days of titans like Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica we have Mud City Maze, with the incendiary riffs blasted by Eddie and Seb being effectively complemented by the band’s heavy-as-hell kitchen, all spiced up by Seb’s traditional and always exciting solos.

Then the band offers us all 23-11-0, and whatever those numbers mean the band translates them into 80’s Speed Metal for our total delight, with Eddie sounding absolutely mental with his raspy vocals while Lt. Oxtreme doesn’t let the level of adrenaline go down not even for a single second. Adding a welcome touch of Rock N’ Roll to their fulminating sonority, they offer our ears the rhythmic Ride the Rails, perfect for hitting the road with your buddies or to enjoy a cold beer while Tøronto kick some ass onstage, whereas  in Bunker (Under Siege) the music leans towards classic Punk Rock but with the band’s core Speed and Punk Metal essence intact, resulting in a song made for uniting all punks and metallers of the world in the name of good heavy music. Moreover, Eddie’s demented growls are nicely supported by his bandmates’ visceral backing vocals, while Seb keeps exhaling sheer electricity through his guitar solos. Finally, Eddie’s and Seb’s Megadeth-inspired riffs are the main ingredient in the closing song Lights Out at Bedlam, quickly morphing into another sonic assault by those Swedish rockers while 79-83 blasts thunder and rage from his bass.

If you want to join the 100% Swedish and (unfortunately) 0% Canadian unity known as Tøronto in their quest for Speed Metal, Punk Rock and lots of booze, go check what they’re up to on Facebook, listen to more of their music on Spotify, and obviously purchase your copy of the short and sweet Under Siege from the Dying Victims Productons’ BandCamp page or webstore in regular black vinyl format or as a special edition on colored vinyl, both containing a poster, a sticker, a post card, a download code and a patch, as well as from Apple Music. In a nutshell, our roten and decaying society is under siege by a fantastic four-piece squad hailing from Sweden, and they only need 22 minutes to decimate us all just the way we like it in uncompromising extreme music.

Best moments of the album: Fast and Filthy, Fire in Sight and Ride the Rails.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2020 Dying Victims Productions

Track listing
1. Fast and Filthy 3:24
2. Fire in Sight 3:33
3. Frostbite Bitch 2:59
4. Mud City Maze 1:29
5. 23-11-0 2:04
6. Ride the Rails 3:50
7. Bunker (Under Siege) 2:26
8. Lights Out at Bedlam 2:52

Band members
Eddie Flawless – vocals, guitars
Seb Cyborg – lead guitars
79-83 – bass
Lt. Oxtreme – drums