INTÖXICATED hailing from Osnabrück, Germany were formed in 2009 initially as BEER INVADERS. Since then, the Speed Metal outfit released their debut album in 2013. Ten years later, their sophomore album "Sadistic Nightmares" has been released via German Death and Thrash Metal specialists MDD Records. The album was recorded, mixed and mastered by Jörg Uken (ANVIL; GOD DETHRONED; SINISTER) at German Soundlodge Studio. It has a length of about 31 minutes.

The album starts strongly with "Street Metal Bastards", a fast track with powerful guitar riffing, crunching bass lines, and harsh vocals around the medium end of the vocal range with occasional tonal shifts to higher pitched notes. While the verse and chorus parts are not overly fast, the break for the lead guitar solo is blisteringly fast. It is the highlight of a good opening track, which sets the scene for the tracks to come. "Merciless" starts with tight and aggressive guitar riffing at crazy speed. The riffing for the verse parts has plenty of Thrash Metal vibes, while the chorus parts focus more on melodies. The vocals follow the riffing and the melodies. The lead guitar solo is very contributing and the best part of the track. "Merciless" is a mixture of Speed and Thrash Metal and one of the best tracks on the album. "Bad Habits" is a mid-tempo song, and it comes with a lot of Rock 'n Roll vibes. It is a simple and direct track with catchy melodies and hardly any twists in tempo and rhythm during the verse and chorus parts. It is a good live track and a sing-along for the crowd.

"Sold Our Souls" starts with a crushing bass guitar solo, transitioning to a fast track with lots of double-bass drums, simple riffing and anthemic choruses. The song has written MOTÖRHEAD vibes all over it. It is a short, filthy, and mangy track, and the chorus line "We sold our souls to Rock 'n Roll" says it all. "Sadistic Night" starts as mid-tempo song during the verse parts, and it includes a bit more technicality of the guitars and the drumming. There is a tempo shift towards higher pace for the chorus part, whose focal point is the powerful guitar riffing. "Sadistic Night" is one of the very few songs with a more complex structure and twists in tempo and rhythm. "Violation" is an up-tempo track with simple riffing and melodies during the verse and chorus parts. There is a highly paced bridge with a double-bass attack, preparing the very short and simple lead guitar solo. The vocal chorus line is as simple as the whole song and perfectly fits in to the song concept.

"Sex, Violence, And Death" is one of the Thrash-inspired tracks in terms of the riffing and the speed. The riffing is also a bit more technical at least during the verse parts. The chorus parts are direct with simple, but anthemic chorus lines. Highlight is another excellent lead guitar solo. The melodies for the chorus part are catchy and it is no surprise that "Sex, Violence, And Death" has been released as video, and the YouTube link is provided below. The album closes with "Howling With The Wolves" and it starts with a lead guitar solo at breakneck speed and plenty of double-bass drumming. The song is perhaps the one which represents the style of INTÖXICATED very well in terms of the directness and simplicity in the riffing, melodies, and vocals. The extended lead guitar solo is excellent and makes "Howling With The Wolves" to another album highlight.

It may have taken 10 years for INTÖXICATED to release their second album, but they stayed true to their style and values. "Sadistic Nightmares" is a mixture of traditional Speed, Thrash, and Heavy Metal meeting Rock 'n Roll vibes. The strengths of the album are the direct approach, the filthiness that comes out of every track, and the lead guitars. The album is well produced. Fans of Speed and Thrash Metal will love the album and should be ready for anthemic live shows of INTÖXICATED.