Intoxicated : "the Dome"

Florida thrashers Intoxicated, despite being from Orlando, were influenced by the Tampa scene and about an hour and a half south of them, which of course leaned towards the more death metal side of the genre, and that can be heard even in 2026. They have been around since the mid-90s, but this is only the band's third full-length. They still retain their knack for writing hooky riffs. The vocals are in a raspy, almost spoken style, making them more articulated, which reminds me a little of Coroner. The title track has less groove than the previous song, as the double bass keeps it more in your face. 

These guys are certainly on the heavier side of thrash. "War Club" is a little more mosh-inducing until it reaches a more death metal speed. Guitar solos fire out from the corners of the song, though not handled as gracefully as the last Coroner album. But more purpose to them than Slayer's guitar chaos. The songs are tight three-minute bursts of old school aggression. There is more ominous intent behind "Tighten Your Eyes". I like the effects they use on the vocals , which gives some kind of variance. alomng with the slower pacing. They do throw in a pretty mean riff to give it more dynamics, making it one of the album's best songs. 

"Unescaped" is more hammering. It's also a little straightforward in terms of dynamics and sonic colors. The same could be said for "It's Dead," which glides on a tauntly picked riff. You can hear a touch of death in the verses. Some riffs have a hookier punch than others. "Shifted Cross" finds the guitar twisting and turning over the double bass's flow, continuing to pour on the death metal influence. "Rake the Grate" has a more Slayer-esque riff, with its pummelling groove. The last song has more groove but feels like it is riding the momentum of the previous song. 

The Verdict

Since I listen to hundreds of new metal albums every year and have been listening to thrash like this since the 80s, it is clear they are good at what they do, but if feels like they are just maintaining their vigor, which is impressive considering how far they go back but not experimenting with the formula enough to break new ground. I will give thi album a 9, meaning it's at the top of the game when it comes to bringing what you want from thrash, but offers nothing new to put it in the top tier of all new metal coming out, but thrash fans will find this worth their time.

 It drops March 27th on Redefining Darkness