We’re heading over the county border this week with some more three sword style from Essex! however this time, it’s on the heavier side of things.
Starting out back in 2023, Toil came to fruition between a couple of old secondary school and college friends who just loved heading out to shows together. If you’re new to the band then you need to know…it’s heavy as fuuuuu. Toil currently span 3 EP/Split releases over the past 3 years and their shows go down hard.
I’ve been speaking to frontman Jay Bevins over the past couple of weeks so that we can dive into their full story from his personal standpoint. We bring you their beginnings, challenges and their future ambitions amongst even more which has helped shape the band to what it is today.
So…what’s in store for Toil for the rest of 2026 and beyond?
FIRST OF ALL WHERE ARE YOU GUYS BASED & HOW DID YOU ALL MEET?
We’re based in Essex! Two of us met way back in school, we met Ell at college and then met Sam at a gig a while back!
We started the band late 2023, and once we met Sam we got him to join, in early 2025 I believe.
WHAT WAS THE SCENE LIKE WHERE YOU WERE GROWING UP & HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN IT?
We had a little club for under 18’s in Brentwood back in the day called The Hermit, where they’d do a metal night every Friday, so we all used to go there every single week.
After we got too old to go there it was just much larger gigs in London, until we discovered the more underground stuff that we’re involved with today!
THIS MIGHT SOUND LIKE A DUMBASS QUESTION BUT HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH THE NAME TOIL?
We actually don’t remember at all, I think it was a placeholder that stuck around.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR SOUND TO SOMEBODY WHO HASN’T HEARD YOU BEFORE?
We sound like we want to be Raiden and Final Resting Place.
WHAT HAS BEEN SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES YOU’VE BEEN FACED WITH?
Finishing songs.
We have so many half finished songs than then get scrapped and repurposed into better songs, so we end up with less music, but of a higher quality.
WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR ALL TIME FAVOURITE ARTISTS?
Terror, Nails, Every Time I Die, Anaal Nathrakh, Converge, Full of Hell, The Body, Napalm Death, Crowbar, Sentence, Hellbound, Discontent, xCannanx, Conditioned2die, Blood Will Tell, Raiden.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SHOWS YOU’VE REALLY ENJOYED BEING A PART OF & DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE VENUE?
We played a show in Norwich for Sabaka Promo with 2nd Location, Heel Turn and Dispute which was crazy, so we definitely wanna get back that way to play more shows.
We also finally got to play with Hour of Reprisal recently, who put on a crazy show, have insane songs, and the message they bring in their music is what we think hardcore should be about.
Also they’re all super nice guys.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR DREAM TOUR TO GET TOIL ON?
Any tour or festival that gets offered to us, we’d take full advantage of, and have as much fun as possible while doing it.
The fact we’d have been invited to do something like that is a dream in itself.
WHAT HAS BEEN SOME OF THE BEST EXPERIENCES YOU’VE HAD TOGETHER?
Every single time we play a show. We usually make it a full day event, hang out, get some food, meet the other bands, watch the other bands, have some fun playing a show.
Recording live drums for the split was also pretty fun, and it sounds so much better than programmed drums, you really get the feel of how Sam plays with it being properly recorded.
HOW HAVE YOU FOUND THE ESSEX HARDCORE SCENE & THE UK CHANGE IN RECENT YEARS?
We’re fairly new to the scene in all honesty, so we’ve not been able to see the changes, but almost everyone in the scene is so welcoming and friendly and super stoked to have us play or see us or be at shows or whatever, so I think that’s whats gonna keep it going for such a long time, how welcoming everyone is to new faces and bands etc.
HOW IMPORTANT IS REPRESENTATION IN THE HARDCORE COMMUNITY?
We feel it is a huge part of hardcore, the foundations of what it’s all about.
Hardcore is and always has been political, and lyrically we try to fit into that, for the most part.
If you haven’t got anything to say about inequalities in the world then what are you even talking about. Using our voice and privilege (as four straight white dudes) for people who aren’t in a position to be able to, is super important.
WE MEET A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THIS SCENE. DO YOU HAVE A GREAT CONNECTION WITH ANYONE IN PARTICULAR AND WOULD RECOMMEND WORKING WITH?
Both Luke and Connor from Less than Zero, great guys, great shows, love the scene and put in work, deffo recommend working with them guys.
We met the Break Them guys at our first ever show, put on by Cut and Run (RIP) and became super friendly almost immediately.
That’s also how we met a lot of people actually, just through being at/playing a few of the same shows.
Other than that, theres so many faces that you’ll end up seeing more and more, the more you go to shows, which is one of the great things about hardcore. Whether its people in bands or people involved in other ways, it’s one big community.
CAN YOU TELL ME A BIT ABOUT THE ESSEX SCENE?
The Essex scene has to be our favourite, everyone involved is super friendly and is in it for the love of it. Connor and Luke, the guys who run Less than Zero, are putting on the best hardcore shows down in Southend, at the Lamb and Lion.
We also have people like Drop the Ego and No Division putting on shows in Essex.
Sam is starting up the video zine ‘Face the Enemy’ so that’s something to be on the look out for.
Joe, who has taken a lot of photos for us runs essexhardcorezine which is a physical zine and he also uploads film photos of all the shows he’s at, you can always catch him at the shows in Southend.
We also have Then and Now fest, put on by a few people involved in the scene, which is always a banger lineup every time.
We’re lucky enough to be able to claim Raiden, Splitknuckle, and Special Move as Essex hardcore bands, so the scene has always been thriving down where we are.
WHO HAS BEEN SOME OF THE LARGEST INFLUENCES IN YOUR SOUND?
The largest influences going forwards are probably gonna be bands like Final Resting Place and Fatal Realm, those bands that mix hardcore and death metal together really nicely.
WE CAN’T ALL BE MUSICIANS 24/7 SO WHAT JOBS/CAREERS DO YOU GUYS HAVE?
So I’m a body piercer, Ell is a plumber, Dom runs sound for events for a firm in London, and Sam is a video editor for social media.
HAVE YOU GOT ANY HOBBIES/INTERESTS THAT YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE PEOPLE?
Ell is super into horror movies and comics, Sam enjoys playing golf at the minute, Dom loves football, and I’m into getting tattooed I guess!
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE FROM YOU GUYS FOR THE REST OF 2026?
We’re working on a new EP currently, hoping to put it out this year. We’re leaning into that more evil sound so its fairly death metal inspired but still with the fun grooves and tempo changes etc that we enjoy.
We have a few other potential shows in the works as of right now, none are fully locked in just yet, but its looking like they’re all gonna be in different cities. Southampton and Essex by the looks of things currently.
HAVE YOU GOT ANY SHOWS COMING UP THAT YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO PLAYING?
We have a headline show in Norwich thanks to Sabaka Promo in early September! Norwich was unbelievable last time out so we’re very excited to be going back again, playing with the homies in Heel Turn. It’s going to be a sick show!
FINALLY, HAVE YOU GOT ANY OTHER ARTISTS/FRIENDS YOU THINK THE PEOPLE SHOULD CHECK OUT?
Yes – all Less than Zero shows in Essex, all Sabaka Promo shows in Norwich, all of the Smoke Over London shows in London.
Sam is starting an interview/mosh compilation video zine under the name Face the Enemy, check that out.
Joe who runs essexhardcorezine is a legend, he takes film photos of all the hardcore shows he goes to, and puts out a physical zine occasionally.
As for bands – Break Them, Heel Turn, 2nd Location, Hour of Reprisal, Higher Walls, Silence Me, The Burial Code, Sanguine Rose, Mob Handed, Power Failure, Raiden.
Toil are due to head back to Norwich this autumn with Sabaka Promo, tickets are currently available for this show so don’t miss out!
Keep supporting local bands and promoters and of course DIY UKHC.
You can listen to Toil on all major streaming services now!
So what are you waiting for? Go and give it a listen.
For further show information keep an eye out on their socials @toil.hc
Until next time, I’ll catch you in the pit!
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