Reviews:

From Rose Selvagggia: (By Nikita)

   L'etichetta inglese ha il merito di ripubblicare un album uscito in vinile nel lontano 1986, e mai, ristampato in CD prima d’ora. Oltre ai brani originali ci sono ben 3 bonus tracks inedite. I Toll, che erano Time Gane (Stereolab), Paul Lemos (Controlle Bleeding) e Pacif 231, dimostrano che questo album composto più di 20 anni fa è molto attuale, ma se vogliamo essere sinceri, sono le band attuali che non fanno altro che riproporre atmosfere create già negli anni '80, a volte senza inserire innovazioni ma facendo quasi "un copia e incolla" di brani già creati da altri, anche nel genere industrial, e questo disco lo può confermare. Chi si avvicinerà ad ascoltare “Christ Knows” potrà farsi ammaliare da rumori industriali, voci malate e melodie ossessive, insomma da una piacevole atmosfera industrial old-school che rivede finalmente la luce dopo due decenni.

From Synthesis: (by Troy Southgate)

  BILLED as old-school British Industrial, "Christ Knows" originally appeared on Broken Flag in 1986 as both an LP and cassette. Gary Mundy‚s esteemed label hasn‚t released anything since 1989, but was renowned for show-casing a host of talent by groups such as Skullflower, Controlled Bleeding, Con-Dom, Ramleh and various others. In fact, it‚s fair to say that Toll - comprised of Matthew Frith, Tim Soar and Gary Mundy - were a Ramleh side-project. This 2007 edition has been re-mastered by Attrition‚s Martin Bowes, contains three additional bonus tracks and the cover is a darkened blue-grey of stone shafts, dimly-lit passageways and heavy plant machinery. The 'Introduction' is a brief, reverberating oilcan which gradually evolves into a muffled brass section and a drawling sample about graveside mortality. 'Broken Frame' is excellent. The agonised vocals sound rather like a cross between Nick Saloman and Nick Cave and are sandwiched between a heavy bass guitar and Zag Ring's unremitting cymbals. The ominous rumbles and sparks of 'As We Live and Breathe' are very much before their time and I'm sure this will have influenced a whole generation of power electronics artists, although it‚s comparatively laid-back when compared to some of the more contemporary examples of this genre. The ambient swirls and use of rambling voice-samples are nicely-placed, as are the knee-trembling 80s basslines. The much shorter 'Perfecting Naivety' is assisted by Pacific 231 and is a constant, trippy echo that employs various discordant shudders and tones, whilst the booming, Sabbethesque bass of 'Brute Freeze' is like a precursor of classic Doom. The electronics here are performed by former label-mates Controlled Bleeding and there are some unusual harmonies to give the whole thing a truly satanic feel. 'Out From Your Shell' provides another demonic bassline and the hysterical vocals are massively influenced by Throbbing Gristle. The accompanying racket sounds like someone trying to play the cello with a hedge-trimmer. 'Matter of Fact' opens with a nursery-rhyme melody that allows you to recover for a moment or two until the pained vocals return with a more restrained voice singing the simultaneous chorus. Jangling wind-chimes and a wall of ambience greet the arrival of 'Parched', although this time the bass is more erratic. Again, there are two sets of vocals used here: one verges on Hadley-style New Romanticism, whilst the other whispers menacingly and then chokes on its own laughter amid a congealed maelstrom of electronic fusion. The sludge-style bass used for the title-track, 'Christ Knows', resembles a heavy version of 'Shadowplay'. In fact, if it wasn't for the untimely demise of Ian Curtis you could almost imagine a more ambitious and experimental Joy Division producing something along these lines had they survived well into the mid-80s. Indeed, it's well known that Curtis was already exploring the possibilities of this genre prior to his death. A great track. 'Unfinished' was originally the final track on the LP and cassette versions of this album, and it‚s a combination of Hank Marvin guitar and Industrial barrage that sounds like someone built an ammunitions factory in Dodge City. 'Radio Moscow', the first of three bonus tracks, is a move away from the earlier style of Toll and the bass guitar sounds like something borrowed straight off a Stranglers album. However, the clever use of electronics acts as a reminder that this is not one of your standard 80s recordings. The rhythmic beat of 'There Must Be More Than This' has a slightly tribal ring to it, coupled with screaming vocals and more powerful electronics. The raw, neo-Punk aggression is typically English. 'Forge' is different yet again, with more of a dance-beat and some great feedback from the electric guitar. The bass is also more active this time, running up and down the scales with great dexterity. Another fantastic track on what is a tremendous journey through the highways and byways of musical extremity. Much congratulations and thanks are due to Cold Spring for re-releasing an album like this, because for those of us who missed it the first time round it‚s a useful way of studying the roots of the Industrial scene and gauging precisely how much Toll were influenced by their predecessors and how they became an inspiration to others. Hopefully, 'Christ Knows' will lead to a revival of the style that characterised the early British scene. Top marks.

From Heathen Harvest: (by Hoerikwaggo)

  This was initially released on vinyl in 1986 by Broken Flag and has been re-released for its 20th anniversary with the usual bells and whistles. (Re-mastered with unreleased bonus tracks and new cover artwork) As far can be ascertained this appears to be Toll’s one and only release. The bonus tracks have never been released and it is unclear when they were recorded, but given the brief lifespan of the band and the similarity to the preceding songs, chances are high that they were recorded about the same time – possibly reject tracks from the same recording session. Not that they are inferior to the rest of the songs, but neither do they provide anything drastically different.

  This is largely instrumental release consisting largely of rhythmic industrial pounding and some meandering synthwork, although vocals do surface occasionally, most notably on “Broken Frame.” These vocals are acceptable given the style of music, but they definitely sound like a product of their time and alongside a few other elements, such as some of the synthwork, has not dated well. Far more impressive are the tortured screams which feature on later tracks. The vocalist is not the only member who could have done with some practice; the bass passages aren’t anything that someone with a few months of bass playing under their belt couldn’t have pulled off. But in case, the wrong impression is starting to form in the readers mind, let me hasten to add that _CK_ has as a whole, dated remarkably well and that neither the vocals or bass should be seen as a negative; on the contrary the bass provides rhythmic dimension to the music that would otherwise be absent (“Radio Moscow” in particular would suffer without the bass) and it is effectively utilised, complementing the industrial pounding. Recommended for anyone who has an affinity for 80’s old school industrial.

From Ritual: (by Alessandro Adriani)

  Anno 1986. Scaltriti dalle turbolente frenesie dei Throbbing Gristle e degli SPK, in tutta Europa sorgono ed emettono frastuoni decine e decine di gruppi, alcuni tetano, osano ma miseramente falliscono. Non i Toll, però. La Cold Spring torna sul luogo del delitto e, ancora una volta, storna una stampa per la prima volta su CD, materiale per puri intenditori, ora arricchito da tre ottime bonus tracks. Uscito in principio in cassetta e vinile, formati tipici delle produzioni industriali dei primi anni '80, per l'inglese Broken Flag (nel cui catalogo possiamo passare in rassegna parecchi italiani, ossia Maurizio Bianchi, Giancarlo Toniutti, Sigillum S, Geirstein) 'Christ Knows' si avvale della partecipazione di musicisti del calibro di Tim Gane degli Stereolab, che massacra una batteria elettronica nell'introduzione e in 'Unfinished', dei Controlled Bleeding, killer perfetti in 'Brute Freeze' e di Pacific 231 nella solitaria nenia 'Perfect Naivety'. Unica nota negativa per l'artwork, rigenerato, o meglio, adattato ai tempi odierni. Di gran lunga superiore l'originale, confrontare per credere. Stupefacenti.

From Crucial Blast:

  The whole 1980's Broken Flag/UK Industrial scene has always fascinated me. I started exploring the label's artists and discography a couple of years ago when I started to really hunt down Skullflower records in earnest, and discovered the label's history online primarily through websites like Monotremata. For those that are unfamiliar with this chapter of underground UK music, Broken Flag was a label established in the early 1980's by Gary Mundy, a longtime guitarist in legendary improv-noise outfit Ramleh and a key figure in the early years of Skullflower. Broken Flag released several seminal LPs from bands like Skullflower and Ramleh, as well as a ton of cassettes from Ramleh, Controlled Bleeding, Total, Con-Dom, and many others. One of these Broken Flag cassettes was the "Christ Knows" tape from a band called Toll, a sort-of Ramleh side-project that featured Mundy, Matthew Frith, and Tim Soar. The cassette would eventually also be released on LP through the label in 1986, and part of it's word of mouth mystery over the years is due to the additional players on these recordings: two of the tracks feature a pre-Stereolab Tim Gane on electronic percussion, and avant/industrial legend Paul Lemos (of Controlled Bleeding, Skin Chamber, and freakout-prog unit Breast Fed Yak) contributed electronics to some of this material as well.

  Toll's music stood out from the largely free-skronk/destroyed electronics of the Broken Flag roster, blending weird, post-punk style hooks and wiry guitars with washes of psychedelic electronics, heavily affected layered downer singing and haunting chant-vocals, eerie industrial drones, heavy low-frequency ambience, caustic fried electronic noise, pretty, minimalist casio melodies and basslines that remind me of old Cure songs, grinding machine rhythms banged out of thunderous sheet metal, guitar drones, violin, heavy spacey dark dirge riffs, and a dark and weird sense of humour mixed together into an eerie twilight dream fog. Their sound evokes a similiar sort of hallucinogenic, urban paranoia that is found in 80's UK power electronics/noise/skum, but Toll's approach is more surreal and subdued, like Nurse With Wound mixed with dark 80's post-punk and grim, grinding Industrial fear. There are parts of this album that even sound almost like an instrumental early singles-era The Cure jamming with the ripping early power electronics of Ramleh. This is a pretty strange, amazing album, the original LP has been out of print for years, but Cold Spring recently re-issued this legendary album, along with three additional unreleased tracks. Kudos to them for resurrecting this creepy dose of 80's post-Industrial gloom and sparing me the wallet demolition of trying to obtain the original LP! Recommended.

From Zero Tolerance: (By Simon Collins)

  Toll were formed by Gary Mundy in the mid-80s in-between two incarnations of Ramleh, and Cold Spring`sre-release of `Christ Knows` - originally released on vinyl by Brokan Flag in 1986 - is an important historical document of 80`s experimental music. Cold Spring are marketing this as `classic old-school British Industrial`, which seems a bit misleading. That description evokes either the uncompromising electronica of Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire, or the power electronics of Whitehouse and Sutcliffe Jugend, and Toll aren`t much like either. The sludgy, discordant guitar n` drums underpinnings of `Christ Knows` situate Toll more in the noise-rock lineage of bands like The Birthday Party, Ramleh (duh!) and Skullflower with similarities to American groups like Scratch Acid, Big Black, and Die Kreuzen also apparent. Guest musicians include Paul Lemos of Controlled Bleeding, Tim Gane (later of Stereolab), and Pacific 231. The three bonus tracks are more rhythmic and danceable, hinting at 90s industrial metal. I recommend checking out an mp3 excerpt before buying this, though, because this may not be the kind of industrial you`re used to.

From Blow Up: (by Paolo Bertoni)

  Broken Flag fu etichetta significativa nell'era dell'industrial britannico dei prima anni '80. Molte cassette ma anche una decina di vinili che oltre a prove di Skullflower e Ramleh, progetti che coinvolgevano Gary Mundy, l'uomo dietro la label, videro in catalogo M.C., Giancarlo Toniutti e Toll. Proprio "Christ Knows", datato '86, viene oggi provvidenzialmente ristampato da Cold Spring, con l'aggiunta di tre inediti tra cui Radio Moscow dalle spinte funk alla 23 Skidoo. Anche in Toll c'era Mundy, affiancato da Matthew Frith e Tim Soar, ed il disco è un interessante ibrido che scorre tenebroso tra i picchi sperimentali di una catacombale Christ Knows e di Parchesche, a parte la voce, rimanda ai primi Nurse With Wound, l'impronta post-punk di Broken Frame, un coacervo alla P.I.L. invelenito da sfrigolii e rumori, gli orrorifice squarci di Brute Freeze e Unfinished, ed episodi quali Matter Of Fact e Out From Your Shell affini a Psychic TV. Curiosità non omettibile la presenza in due episodi di Tim Gane, proprio lui, prima McCarthy e poi Stereolab.

From DSide: (by Joker)

  L’inglese Cold Spring Records ci ha sempre reso facile la via verso la dedizione, certi delle loro decisioni, non ci stupisce affatto che abbiano scelto di proporre la ristampa di questo pezzo di vecchia storia Industriale inglese marcato Gary Mundy (già Ramleh), Matthew Frith e Tim Soar: ‘Christ Knows’ dei Toll (all’epoca in vinile per la storica etichetta ‘Broken Flag’ - 1986 - capitanata per l’appunto da Mr. Mundy, e che vedeva la partecipazione anche d’un paio di italiani nelle sue produzioni ‘decadentemente moderne’). Siamo alla fine del 2006, eppure vent’anni sembrano ieri.. (presente SPK?) ritrovati abilmente in un CD che pare quasi confondersi tra tutti gli altri, ma che lascerà colpiti vecchi e nuovi amanti del genere. Con la partecipazione di nomi come Tim Gane (Stereolab), Paul Lemos (Controlled Bleeding) e Pacific 231, il disco è stato completamente rimasterizzato nel febbraio 2006, e s’avvale delle dieci tracce originali più tre bonus tracks (‘Radio Moscow’, ‘There Must Be More Than This’ e ‘Forge’); non ritroverete la vecchia copertina sostituita (seppur accortamente citata all’interno), ma l’’assenza’ d’un vinile alto e spesso come quelli d’un tempo, nel suo ‘non-booklet’.

  ‘Broken Frame’ è uno dei brani meno sordidi e di sicuro interesse, mentre con ‘As We Live and Breathe’ riconosciamo i mattoncini impiegati per le basi d’una cultura che oggi amiamo solo ricordare, in tal modo. Quasi sette minuti per ‘Parched’ dai ricordi orientaleggianti, ma i minuti contano.. se a seguire c’è la splendida omonima ‘Christ Knows’ (4.07), non ci sono parole per questo brano che colpisce con un diretto allo stomaco e lascia che ogni lacrima che riga il viso sozzo, corroda di tristezza la sua strada, senza esitare, lentamente, penetrante fino alle ossa. Si riprende poi con ‘Unfinished’ dove le industrie metallurgiche sapranno riconoscere una casa, e ancora urla, bassi, distorsioni, ecletticismo, abrasività (‘Radio Mosquito’), atmosfere cupe.

  La Cold non perde un colpo, siamo solo noi che riusciamo a dimenticare tra discoteche, abiti e pettegolezzi.. la nostra stessa Storia. Raccomandato per chi invece di parlare, sa comprendere davvero, le nostre radici.

From Vital Weekly: (by NMP)

  Another forgotten gem of sonic darkness has been taken into the shiny light of British label Cold Spring Records. The album titled "Christ knows" was originally released in 1986 by the legendary British project Toll. Toll was a side-project of members from the band "Ramleh", - a band that together with Whitehouse established the abrasive offshoot of the Industrial-scened called power electronics. The traces of power electronics drifts somewhere in the sound spheres of Ramleh-side-project Toll, even though the album never peaks the same levels of extreme sonic expression that was the case with an album like Whitehouse's pioneering album "Erector", which is considered the first brick of power electronics history. Listening to this re-issue of "Christ knows" is like a powerful flashback into the glory days of early industrial with punk-like guitar-distortion and screeching noises of low technology machinery. More than focusing on harsh expression the album deals with atmospheres of sheer darkness. Some tracks like the cynic "As we live and breathe" concentrates on icy noise drones in combination with extremely heavy sounds of distorted bass guitar resulting in an everything but friendly atmosphere. Other tracks include excellent vocals and more uptempo guitar-based soundspheres drifting somewhere in-between the cyberpunk-style of Chrome and the more upfront Industrial-expression of SPK. The album features members of Controlled Bleeding (Paul Lemos) and Stereolab (Tim Gane). Fans of first mentioned band will unquestionably appreciate "Christ knows" meanwhile fans of the latter will be devastated in case they expect something similar to the Stereolab'ish soundspheres. The rest of us can just sit back and enjoy this sonic travel back to the early days of true Industrial. Highly recommended!

From Medienkonverter: (by Veit)

  Oha! Cold Spring hat mal wieder etwas ausgegraben. Aus den Äonen der Zeit, als Computer noch sehr teuer und noch die Dimensionen von Autos hatten, als das Internet noch nicht erfunden und Frau Margaret Thatcher in Großbritannien an der Macht war. Aus dieser Ära stamm "Christ Knows", nämlich aus dem Jahr 1986. Die Musik- und Ausdrucksform Industrial war bereits durch Throbbing Gristle geboren worden, blieb aber zunächst im Untergrund. Insofern darf man mit "Christ Knows" nicht das verbinden, was man heute allgemein unter Industrial versteht. Früher war der Einsatz von Gitarren, Bass und Schlagzeug nich ganz normal und in Ermangelung digitaler Sounds hat man einfach alles genommen, was man in die Finger bekam und was sich interessant anhörte. Außerdem war Industrial damals noch stark experimentell angehaucht, was man "Christ Knows" auch heute noch anhört.

  Gary Mundy hatte Toll als Nachfolger des Projekts Ramleh ins Leben gerufen. Neben Mundy gehörten noch Matthew Frith und Tim Soar dazu. Für "Christ Knows" haben Toll zusätzlich noch mit Time Gane (Stereolab), Paul Lemos (Controlled Bleeding) und Pacific 231 zusammengearbeitet.

  Damals war Toll nichts für die breite Masse und heute auch nicht. Denn obwohl es Gesang gibt, fehlen meistens klassische Soundstrukturen, Melodien und manchmal gar jeglicher Orientierungspunkt. Dumpfes Grollen, Fiepen, kreischendes Metall, eine vergewaltigte Violine, mal hier ein Chor, mal da Background-Gesang. Dabei laufen viele Songs in einer Art Endlosschleife, in der sie ihre Variationen erfahren. Trotzdem gehen Toll nie zu weit und "Christ Knows" bleibt stets hörbar, aber gewöhnungsbedürftig. Für damalige Verhältnisse trotzdem sehr gewagt und fortschrittlich, auch wenn manchem dieser Sound nur ein müdes Lächeln abringen kann.

  Neben der remasterten Aufnahme der LP, der man ihr Alter leider trotzdem anhört, sind auf "Christ Knows" noch drei Bonustracks enthalten, was eine sehr gelungene Dreingabe ist. Also nichts wie ab in die Vergangenheit, 20 Jahre zurück, um noch einmal zu erfahren, wie sich Musik damals anfühlte.

From Mentenebre: (by Fernando O Paino)

  Siempre resulta todo un placer comentar un disco ya conocido, fundamentalmente porque sabes de lo que estás hablando, puedes moldear y dar forma a tu gusto, acotando lo necesario sin miedo a equivocarte. Este es el caso de “Christ Knows” la obra predilecta de Toll, un proyecto inglés de corta vida capitaneado por Gary Mundy. Mundy autoeditó este trabajo en su propia discográfica, Broken Flag. Originalmente la portada era negra, con letras blancas y una inquietante fotografía centrada también en blanco y negro. El disco fue editado originalmente en 1986 –aunque se grabó durante los dos años anteriores a su lanzamiento-, un año en el que ya resulta sencillo comprender el porqué de estas fusiones entre diversos estilos musicales. Este trabajo está influenciado fundamentalmente por tres aspectos: el primero y más importante es el propio Gary Mundy, que dos años antes había pertenecido a Ramleh, un conjunto de base electrónica que recomiendo no perder de vista. Por otro lado el álbum asimila por completo el estilo de los irlandeses Virgin Prunes, así como el de otras bandas inglesas como In Camera o Sex Gang Children, –recuerdo al lector que durante el año de la edición de este disco, el movimiento post punk estaba caduco, dos de las tres formaciones antes mencionadas ya no existían- tal y como se demuestra en mayor medida en el corte número 8, 'Parched'.

  Virgin Prunes, naturales de Dublín, inaugurarán un subgénero muy original dentro de la incipiente tendencia Post Punk y Positive Punk que se estaba desarrollando en toda Inglaterra a principios de los ochenta. Coincido con otros autores en definir el estilo de los primeros Virgin Prunes como Dadaism Goth, o goths dadaístas, inspirándome en la comparación con el movimiento sociocultural Dadá, acontecido a partir de 1916. Básicamente, lo que esta tendencia exponía y pretendía era destruir la sociedad, la cultura y el arte tradicionales para descubrir la auténtica realidad; algo parecido a movimientos musicales posteriores, como el industrial. Es por ello además, que Virgin Prunes será una banda muy apreciada entre la gente de tendencia industrial –término adoptado por ser la discográfica Industrial Records la encargada por primera vez de promocionar y editar este estilo de música-

  Como vemos, Toll combina este estilo destructivo con el industrial más primerizo experimentado por Throbbing Gristle, uniéndolo a bajos y voces desgarradas que son herencia del post punk. La principal razón para adquirir este disco bajo la edición que ahora presenta el sello inglés Cold Spring, es que se incluyen tres temas extras que no aparecían en el trabajo original. En “Christ Knows” encontramos un referente más para comprender la evolución que ha sufrido la música independiente de los años noventa y del siglo actual. “Christ Knows” es un cuidado trabajo en el que colaboraron artistas como Paul Lemos de Controlled Bleeding o Tim Gane de los consagrados Stereolab.

  Toda una 'piedra rosetta' que no debe faltar en la discografía de un amante de la música independiente de los ochenta

From Ascension: (by Walter Piano)

  E' sicuramente una sorpresa rivedere su compact-disc la ristampa di un vecchio lavoro marcato Broken Flag (seminale e fondamentale etichetta nella storia della musica industriale). Ma le sorprese non finiscono qui dato che, oltre ad una curata rimasterizzazione del lavoro, alcuni personaggi ben noti ai primordia della cultura industriale hanno pensato bene di arricchire questo "Christ Knows" con alcuni interventi del tutto personali... In practica ci ritroviamo dunque tra le mani le 10 tracce originali di "Christ Knows" con l'aggiunta di tre bonus track e lo spruzzo musicale d'autore di nomi quali Controlled Bleeding, Stereolab e Pacific 231.

  Un lavoro discreto che evidenzia come la vena sperimentale dell'epoca si mantenesse su ottimi livelli anche se, personalmente, ritengo che questo I Toll composero questo "Christ Knows" tra il 1984 e il 1985; la stampa in vinile è datata 1986... Venti anni comunque portati bene per una scuola industriale che, nella sua ricerca compositiva, partiva da basi musicali su cui si inserivano rumore e altri elementi. Provate ad ascoltare brani com "Out From Your Hell" e "Matter Of Fact": vi sembrerà che i Public Image Ltd degli inizi abbiano qui incontrato il morbo industriale più malato. Notevole anche "Parched", un pezzo capace di trasportarvi verso un inquietante ed orrorifico minimalismo sonico.

  Secondo me, i pezzi più riusciti del lavoro rimangono l'omonima "Christ Knows", "Radio Moscow" e "Broken Frame": piccoli manifesti di una sperimentazione radicale che, pur sbrindellando i canoni musicali percedenti, ne rispettano la forma.

  Un plauso alla Cold Spring per questa operazione di recupero sonoro e un invito a proseguire in questa direzione... Nell'archivio Broken Flag ci sono gemme sperimentali che meriterebbero assolutamente di ritornare alla luce in questa epoca così oscura.

From Terrorizer: (by Alex Boniwell)

  From the depths of the UK's murky industrial past comes Toll, whose 'Christ Knows' album was originally released on Broken Flag (run by Gary Mundy of Skullflower / Ramleh) and has now been resurrected with love by Cold Spring. Featuring Tim Gane (Stereolab) and Paul Lemos (Controlled Bleeding), 'Christ Knows' is a gem from the dirt-encrusted past. Its doom and gloom-laden tracks say as much about Thatcher's Britain as any punk disc from the same period; the future for the underclass was bleak and Toll knew how to tell us. Droning vocals scraped over monolithic bass lines as sparse percussion and electronics added to the paranoid doom and general suffocation. Not a happy disc, but one that will please purveyors of lost industrial doom. As with any reissue there are bonus tracks, two of which ('Radio Moscow' and 'Forge') come over like Killing Joke jamming with Cabaret Voltaire, which isn't a bad thing.

From Filth Forge: (by Simon V.)

  Cold Spring presents another reissue, this time of a twenty-years old lesser classic of the British industrial history: the only album recorded by Toll, a band that featured Gary Mundy of Ramleh and saw the contributions by Tim Gane (now in Stereolab), Controlled Bleeding and Pacific 231. LP and tape version were originally released by Broken Flag in 1986, and for the first time this music sees the light on CD, enriched by a track originally appeared on the "Ohrenschrauben" sampler and two unreleased ones.

  Toll's sound is very experimental and unpredictable, achieving a different result in each single composition, shifting from a more organic approach to the pure noisy soundscape composition. For example, opening "Introduction" is a short massacre of electronic percussions, while following "Broken Frame" is slower and calmer, an obsessive distorted litany for bass, scratches, looped voices and drums, actually the closest thing to a song featured on the CD. "Brute Freeze", with the help of Controlled Bleeding on electronics, and "Out From Your Shell" sound more hypnotic, with their tortured guitar roaring, the background electric saw and bashing noises, and the insane vocals, whereas "Matter Of Fact" adds a gentle childish melody played on a broken toy piano to metal bashing, howling voices and tornados of electronics.

  The influence of Nurse With Wound's dada collages is strongly felt on "Parched", where looped noises and distortions float in the background of sinister, dischorded piano keys and unsettling echoed chants, whereas "Radio Moscow", on the contrary, combines almost post-punk guitar and bass to creeping and distorted radio frequencies. One of the most interesting moments is "Unfinished", originally the last track of the LP, which uses the same industrial percussions of the intro adding acoustic strings, to then turn everything into a crushing wall of noise.

  Toll's "Christ Knows" may not have been the most groundbreaking or fundamental industrial album of the 1980s', since a lot had already happened when it was released back in 1986, but it's still a small piece of history you can bring home for the first time on CD, drowning back into ancient memories, or discovering it for the first time. Recommended to completists, collectors, archaeologists and whoever was born too late to have experienced those distant years of pioneering experiments and uncompromising attitude.

From Black Magazin: (by M. F.)

  Cold Spring Records veröffentlicht mit dieser CD einen kleinen Klassiker des Industrial-Genres wieder, welcher 1986 als LP bei Broken Flag erschienen ist. Kopf des Trios Toll ist Gary Mundy, der auch schon mit Bands wie Male Rape Group, Ramleh und Skullflower in die Industrial-Geschichte einging. Gegenüber dem Power Noise und Gitarren Feedback der gerade genannten Bands ist Toll fast schon als eingängig zu bewerten, wenn auch das Ganze noch immer im Industrial-Bereich festzumachen ist und auf dem Album Kollaborateure wie Pacific 231 und Controlled Bleeding für sich sprechen. Aber der an Sixth Comm erinnernde Gesang, der Einsatz von Bass und Gitarre, wie die fast schon Songhaften Strukturen lassen "Christ Knows" anders klingen, als man es von Broken Flag gewöhnt war. Die 10 originalen Tracks der LP wurden von Martin Bowes (Attrition) neu gemastert und um drei Bonustracks ergänzt, so wie die CD mit einem neuen Artwork versehen wurde. Ein nervöser handgemachter Klassiker seiner Zeit und ein interessantes Zeitdokument des Genres, welcher auch heute noch erstaunlich frisch klingt, was bei dem heute üblichen Industrial-Computer-Sound auch keine große Kunst ist.

From Necroweb: (by Deathbringer)

  Auch wenn Toll's "Christ Knows" als British Industrial angepriesen wird, von dieser Bezeichnung sollte man sich nicht blenden lassen. Denn "Christ Knows" ist kein neues Produkt, sondern ein Re-Release der gleichnamigen LP von 1986, die um drei unveröffentlichte Tracks erweitert wurde. In den letzten 20 Jahren aber hat sich der Begriff Industrial etwas gewandelt, während man heute mit Industrial wohl eher mit krachigen, harten und leicht noisigen Electronummern verbindet, galt damals alles was irgendwie 'krumme' und ungewöhnliche Töne in sich barg als Industrial. Und so ist es kaum verwunderlich, das man auf "Christ Knows" keinesfalls aggressiv stampfende Songs mit einer gewissen Tanzbarkeit vorfindet, sondern eher eine elektronische Dark Ambient Experimental-Mischung mit leichten Rock- und Noise-Elementen.

  Das neue Mastering ist wirklich gelungen, man hört dem Material seine 20 Jahre überhaupt nicht an, dennoch können von den Originaltracks aus heutiger musikalischer Sicht nur "Broken Frame" und "Unfinished" auf sich aufmerksam machen, die übrigen Tracks mögen damals durch ihre Andersartigkeit für Aufmerksamkeit gesorgt haben, heutzutage sind diese Songs aber alles andere als spektakulär. Ganz anders sieht das jedoch bei den drei neu hinzugekommen Titeln aus, denn das sind wahre Experimental-Schmankerl mit richtig dreckigem Akustikgitarren-Sound.

  Alleine schon wegen den drei neuen Tracks und "Broken Frame" kann man den Re-Release von "Christ Knows" all jenen empfehlen, die experimenteller Musik mit Gitarrenklängen zugetan sind. Als Beiwerk bekommt man dann sozusagen noch etwas angestaubten, aber immer noch guten elektronischen Dark Ambient. Und sind wir mal ehrlich, fünf wirklich sehr gute Songs bekommt man auch nicht alle Tage auf einer CD serviert.

From Twilight Zone: (by Michele Viali)

  Lascia senza parole la ristampa di questo titolo dimenticato, proposto ora per la prima volta su CD con tre bonus tracks, a distanza di vent’anni dall’originaria uscita su LP e cassetta.

  I Toll furono uno dei vari progetti di Gary Mundy, titolare della Broken Flag, etichetta inglese non più attiva da tempo e dedita all’industrial/noise nell’Inghilterra degli anni 80, luogo che ha visto la nascita di questo genere, grazie soprattutto ai Throbbing Gristle, ma anche a labels discusse e oscure come Come Organisation, United Diaries e la stessa Broken Flag, di cui purtroppo raramente si sente parlare.

  Gary Mundy creò il progetto Toll coadiuvato da nomi importanti del panorama industriale dell’epoca come –tra gli altri- Tim Gane, già in Stereolab, e Paul Lemos in Controlled Bleeding, dando vita, rispetto al resto del catalogo, ad un lavoro “abbordabile” e anomalo che risente degli echi post-punk e wave del periodo soprattutto nelle ritmiche e nell’uso della voce (i Virgin Prunes non sono così distanti) e ciò a differenza della maggior parte della produzione Broken Flag dedita di solito alla power electronics più distruttiva e a tematiche disturbanti.

  Non è dato sapere se questo sia l’inizio (magari!) di un ciclo di ristampe del catalogo Broken Flag o valga come prezioso e solitario recupero di un tassello (cosa più probabile); rimane il fatto che la Cold Spring mostra la sua profonda preparazione nel riesumare gemme industriali cadute nel dimenticatoio, un atteggiamento che rende onore al team della label inglese.

  I puristi storceranno il naso, sia perché l’originaria copertina è stata sostituita, sia per il supporto CD, decisamente poco “industrial” rispetto al vinile e al crudo nastro tipico di queste produzioni degli anni 80. Ma Christ knows non è un disco rivolto agli appassionati, che avranno già sotto stretta protezione l’originale copia del 1986, è piuttosto una ristampa rivolta ai tanti ascoltatori che devono ancora scoprire chi ha inciso la storia di questo genere con passione, dedizione e crudeltà.

From Compulsion: (by Tony Dickie)

   Christ Knows is a great scoop for the Cold Spring label following somewhat related releases from Sutcliffe Jügend, Novatron (Anthony Di Franco of Ramleh/Skullflower). Toll was Gary Mundy's short lived mid-eighties project following the cessation of activities from his power electronics outfit Ramleh in 1984 believing they had achieved all that they could.

  Originally issued on vinyl on Mundy's own Broken Flag label in 1986, Toll featured Gary Mundy, Matthew Frith, Tim Soar with guest contributions from around the globe including Tim Gane (Un-kommuniti, who'd later gain acclaim as part of Stereolab), Controlled Bleeding and Pacific 231. Toll represented a strong move away from the power electronics of Ramleh, replaced by a loosely structured song based material to free-flowing noisescapes.

  There's a harshness and spontaneous feel to much of Christ Knows which at times throws up the dense, sludginess of sound that would be elaborated upon by the reactivated Ramleh and in Mundy's work with Skullflower. On Christ Knows though it's created through a bass heavy sound, pounding drums (both real and processed) and vocals that are firmly pushed deep into the mix. 'Broken Frame', by far the most structured of tracks here, unfurls to a slow paced Swans like dirge, with uncharacteristically upfront vocals. It like many of the tracks here are underpinned by experimental soundscapes often shrill and piercing. Harsh drones, violin shrieks and controlled guitar squall provide a bedding for the unintelligible hollering of 'Out From Your Skull', while the dense fogginess of the title track with its muddied vocals is right outta the Skullflower songbook. Pacific 231 and Controlled Bleeding supply convoluted electronics to a track a piece, with the droning 'Brute Freeze' the pick of the collaborations but Christ Knows is at its best when pushing noises and effects against the loose improvised structure, as they do on 'Matter of Fact' which eases from melodic electronics to discordant sound washes with a collection of colliding voices, recalling, strangely enough, the original formation of Death In June partly due to the pounding drums and bass sound. Much more experimental is 'Parched' which plunders strings over an incessant deep throb and a concoction of voices that creates something quite haunting.

  In hindsight Christ Knows is something of the missing link between the two very different manifestations of Ramleh. It surely must have raised some eyebrows when originally released in 1986. It's a less easily identifiable sound broaching harsh soundscapes, the sludge-rock type of things - with electronics! It's certainly deserving of wider exposure, especially amongst industrial archivists. Christ Knows is reissued by Cold Spring with three previously unreleased tracks and new artwork.

From Lunar Hypnosis: (by Ginnie Moon)

   Cold Spring has unearthed and reanimated a masterpiece. Originally issued on vinyl in 1986, this music is contemporary with bands such as Chrome and Helios Creed, reflecting a time when "industrial" had as much an affinity with punk ("real" punk, not Green Day!) as with anything remotely danceable.

  This release illuminates the dark caverns of "industrial" music a la Monte Cazazza rather than what became of it with Nine Inch Nails. Nothing against NIN mind you, but only pointing out that there is more, oh so much more to industrial than what it's known for today. Ironically enough, Toll's "Christ Knows" hearkens back to the days when industrial music really was "with teeth".

  The atmosphere here is dark in a disturbing but unpretentious way. It rises up like a big dark fish from an innerworld lake; the stuff of nightmares and neuroses. It's not based on house thumping anthems like KMFDM or goose-step-pseudo-militaria like Front 242 or Nitzer Ebb; "Christ Knows" hearkens to the psychotic, bad-acid-trip days when industrial was not against punk, but a hybrid head of punk. To grasp the connection between this sort of industrial and punk, check out Crass' "Penis Envy" or "Christ, The Album" and then listen to "Christ Knows". The familial resemblance is astounding.

 If you tend to like your industrial on the clearly deranged side, make sure you hear this. Dust off your strait jacket and fall into your headphones. Everything you love about Coil, The Hafler Trio, Psychic TV, Nurse With Wound, Sunn 0))) and Scorn will entice you to hit "repeat" and go mad. These sounds are psycho-acoustic and neuro-caustic; if you let yourself, you will come away from the experience of this album changed; cleansed; transformed.

  Three "bonus songs" of material have been added to the original album. They appear as the last three tracks on the CD, and are different in tone and timbre from the original album tracks. These tracks hint at what later became "mainstream" industrial and gothic music; the throbbing basslines, the "gothic echo", the jangly guitars and seizure-inducing drumtracks.

  Whether you're in it for a bit of music history or just out to hear something you've never heard before, Toll's "Christ Knows" is the perfect thing for a bleak winter evening. It'll take you to the depths of clangorous depravity and deliver you to the glistening black sands of industrial's wrong shore. (10/10)

From Alternativmusik.de:

   20 Jahre ist es her, dass unter dem Bandnamen Broken Flag ein Album namens Christ Knows erschien. Nun, im Jahre 2006 präsentiert das britische Label Cold Spring eine Wiederveröffentlichung dieses Tonträgers, der zum ersten Mal auf CD erscheint und zusätzlich drei bisher unveröffentlichte Titel beinhaltet. Der Re-Release erscheint unter dem Projektnamen Toll und das Versprechen aus dem Haus Cold Spring lautet, dass es auf diesem Werk „Classical old-school British Industrial“ zu hören gibt. Da der Terminus „Industrial” ein mehr als weites Feld ist, lohnt es sich, diesen Release an dieser Stelle einmal näher zu beleuchten…

  Wer bei dem Begriff „Industrial“ an Bands wie die Nine Inch Nails denkt, dürfte in seiner Erwartungshaltung an diesen Tonträger eine denkbar falsche Erwartungshaltung haben. Wer bei dieser Genre-Bezeichnung an lauten Krach denkt, ist bei Christ Knows ebenfalls an der falschen Adresse. Toll vermögen es auf dem Album, verstörende Klangwelten zu erzeugen, die nicht von Tempo und Lautstärke leben, sondern von bedrohlichen Klangflächen mit verstörendem Zwischenton, mal mit mehr und mal mit weniger Rhythmus…

  Das nach dem Intro folgende Stück Broken Frame bietet bereits genug verstörendes Potenzial. Eine langsame Percussion, darüber ebenso langsame Bassriffs und verstörende Synthesizer-Parts entwerfen ein Klangbild, das zwar noch so etwas wie eine Songstruktur im klassischen Sinne besitzt, aber dabei eher ein bedrohliches Szenario vor Augen entstehen lässt. Dabei immer wieder unverhoffte Zwischentöne: Ein Fiepen, arhythmisch wirkende Schlagzeugeinsätze und der bewusst schräg gehaltene Gesang.

  In diesem Spannungsfeld bewegt sich auch das weitergehende Album. In einem Stück wie Perfecting Naivety wird auf die Struktur auch schon einmal ganz verzichtet und komplett auf Verstörung gesetzt, während ein Titel wie Unfinished durchaus wieder Struktur besitzt und dabei neben einem treibenden Rhythmus auch halbwegs harmonisch wirkt (zumindest „harmonisch“ in einem industriellen Sinne).

  Unfinished ist gleichermaßen auch der letzte Titel des regulären Broken Flag-Albums. Während die LP an dieser Stelle endete, folgen auf der remasterten Wiederveröffentlichung noch drei weitere Stücke, die sich gut ins Klangbild der vorangegangenen Töne einzufügen wissen. Einzige leichte Änderung gegenüber den vorangegangenen Titeln ist das teils erhöhte Tempo, wie zum Beispiel bei Forge, was dem Stück eine etwas treibendere Wirkung gibt als die teilweise leicht ambient anmutenden Stücke des restlichen Werks.

  Auch mit prominenten Namen wird auf Christ Knows nicht gegeizt: So hat man sich unter anderem Unterstützung von dem in diesem Kontext genrefremd wirkenden Tim Gane (Stereolab) wie auch von Paul Lemos (Controlled Bleeding) geholt. Diesen Tonträger nun als leicht zu bezeichnen, wäre sicherlich vermessen. Vielmehr ist dieser Tonträger ein interessantes und gelungenes Dokument aus den frühen Zeiten des Industrials, zu dem man allerdings in der richtigen Stimmung sein sollte, wenn man vorhat, die Scheibe in den CD-Player zu legen… Ansonsten läuft man Gefahr, genervt zu sein. Wer aber den verstörenden Zwischenton und frühe Industrial-Spielarten liebt, würde hier an der falschen Stelle sparen.