Toxic smile
| Toxic smile | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Genre (s) | Progressive metal |
| founding | 1996 |
| resolution | 2018 |
| Website | www.toxic-smile.de |
| Founding members | |
| Marek Arnold | |
| Daniel Zehe (until 2004) | |
| Last occupation | |
Keyboard, saxophone |
Marek Arnold |
singing |
Michael "Larry B." Brödel (since 1997) |
| Robert Brenner (since 2000) | |
| Stephan Pankow (since 2016) | |
Drums |
Robert Eisfeldt (since 2009) |
| former members | |
singing |
Thorsten Schomann (1996–1997) |
bass |
Frank Stramm (1997-2000) |
Drums |
Antonius Grützner (2004-2009) |
guitar |
Uwe Reinholz (1996-2015) |
Toxic Smile is a progressive metal band from Germany.
history
1996 to 2000
Toxic Smile was founded in January 1996 by keyboardist Marek Arnold and drummer Daniel Zehe in Leipzig . At that time the two musicians were studying popular music / jazz ( saxophone and drums ) in Leipzig . In May 1996 guitarist Uwe Reinholz joined them. In the early days Thorsten Schomann was the singer of Toxic Smile, he was replaced by Larry B. in 1997. Also in 1997 bassist Frank Stramm joined the group. The band began to work on their own songs and demo recordings were made . In 2000 there was a change within the band. Bassist Frank Stramm left Toxic Smile and was replaced by Robert Brenner. On October 1st of the same year Toxic Smile released the debut album "Madness And Despair" on the label F.act-records.
2001 to 2004
The band first became popular in Asia. She signed with the major label BMG Korea and revised her debut album again for a record release. Some songs were newly produced and the existing songs from the first album were remixed. In August 2001 the result of the work was documented with the publication of the CD "MAD". The CD was released exclusively in Asia, the single "Daydream" entered the charts. A promotional tour of South Korea followed . The Korean guitarist Ahn Hete supported the German band. Between October 2001 and November 2002 the band invested a lot of time in developing new pieces. A year later, the band separated from the record label BMG Korea due to differing views on the direction of the new songs .
In 2004 the second Toxic Smile album "RetroTox Forte" was released on the Famous Kitchen label. Work on it was completed long before the release date. Between February 2003 and April 2003 Marek Arnold and Uwe Reinholz recorded the album in the Wizard Studio. Between July and August 2003 it was mixed and mastered by Andy Horn - at Famous Kitchen Studios. Immediately after the album was released, the band started working on the "unplugged" + orchestra project "... in classic extension" in summer 2004. In September 2004, drummer and founding member Daniel Zehe left the band. For him Toxic Smile hired the drummer Antonius Gruetzner. Together with him, the work on the "Klassik" project was continued and it ended after almost two years with the release of the bootleg DVD "Toxic Smile - in classic extension", which was released in November 2006. It includes an unplugged concert with orchestra conducted by Paul Momberger, the conductor of the Neue Philharmonie Frankfurt, and the a cappella ensemble "Condé-singers".
Since 2005
The musicians of Toxic Smile took a break to reinvent themselves. Some then pursued other projects, including Marek Arnold dedicated himself to his new progressive rock band Seven Steps to the Green Door and Larry B. joined the band Stern-Combo Meißen in summer 2008 as the new singer . In 2008 the musicians got together again to work on new pieces. During the production process for the EP "Overdue Visit" and after he had recorded his drum parts, drummer Antonius Grützner left Toxic Smile after four years. The EP was produced by Marek Arnold and released in the summer of 2009 and heralded a new album.
The band found a new drummer in Robert Eisfeldt (also in 2009) and began work on new songs for their third full-time studio album. In the spring of 2010, Marek Arnold and Robert Brenner followed their colleague Larry B. to the star combo Meißen and took over the vacant positions on bass and second keyboard (until 2012). Work on the new album continued parallel to the new task. These were completed in 2010 and with " I'm Your Savior " the fourth and first full album in 6 years was released on January 1st, 2011. Since 2012 Marek and Larry have been working in parallel on the new prog rock project "Cyril", whose debut album was released in early 2013. In November 2013 Toxic Smile released the next studio album "7", like all albums since 2009 on the German label " progressive promotion records " (PPR). The concept album "Farewell" will be released on December 6, 2015, again on the PPR label. It contains only one song, almost 43 minutes long, and for the first time since DVD production it also uses a string ensemble. With the completion of the work on the album Uwe Reinholz leaves the band, the new guitarist is Stephan Pankow, who is also active on Seven Steps to the Green Door together with Marek Arnold .
In the 2 years after the release of "Farewell", the band's musicians are working on new material. T. is already included. Nevertheless, the band decided to end the collaboration with Toxic Smile, especially in view of the increasing time and organizational problems. On April 8, 2018 Toxic Smile gives the last concert at the Artrockfestival VI in Reichenbach, where the band's breakup is officially announced. Rereleases of the DVD "... in classic extension" and the out-of-print CDs "I`m your savior" and "RetroTox Forte" are appearing almost at the same time on the PPR label.
Marek Arnold continues to work with Stephan Pankow at Seven Steps to the Green Door and with Larry B. at CYRIL.
Discography
Studio albums
- Madness And Despair (2000)
- MAD (2001)
- RetroTox Forte ( 2004/2018 )
- I'm Your Savior (2011/2018)
- 7 (2013)
- Farewell (2015)
EPs
- Overdue Visit (2009)
Singles
- Daydream (2001)
- Owner of a lonely heart (2001)
DVDs
- In Classic Extension (2006/2018)