Chyld / former Slik Toxik drummer Neal Busby recently found some rare pro-shot live footage of Slik Toxik on YouTube, which was uploaded back in August 2020. 

Busby: "Amazing what you find on YouTube, pro-shot mini concert from the Phoenix Concert Theater in Toronto from 1991. I can't remember why it's a shortened set and why I'm not playing my own drum kit. I think we were playing with some other bands? Anyways, the band sounds great, in its prime with the original line up, enjoy!"

Former Slik Toxik frontman Nick Walsh chimed in after Busby's initial social media post:

"It is dated incorrectly. This was not 1991. I actually have this 'bootleg' show and it was circulating as though it was Phoenix, AZ on some labels."

Walsh later confirmed the footage is from a JUNO Awards Canadian Music Week launch party.

After more than 30 years, Toronto-based Chyld - who were part of the scene that gave us Slik Toxik, Sven Gali, Winter Rose and Slash Puppet - made a comeback in 2019 with a new single, "Burning Alive". They recently released an official video for new song "Ride Out". Check it out below.

The song features Walsh reunited with Busby, who orginally launched Chyld with bassist Pete Dove

Walsh: "After a hang with my old friend and Slik Toxik band mate Neal Busby, catching up and sharing stories, Neal talked about how he and another old friend of mine, Pete Dove (Slash Puppet), were resurrecting their traditional heavy metal band from the '80s, Chyld. That day and conversation led to what you are about to hear and see. A song that I believe was written in 1983 at the height of that 'new' sound called heavy metal is now primed up for 2020. When I had the opportunity to take part, I couldn't pass up feeling 16 yrs old again."

Line-up:

Nick Walsh - lead vocals
Pete Dove - bass 
Todd Lefever - guitars
Neal Busby - drums

From that era Chyld was born after guitarist Glen Cunningham met singer Rob Villemaire and joined forces with drummer Neal Busby. After a lengthy search bassist Pete Dove joined the ranks after his departure from another band. Chyld began rehearsals in Toronto with a diligent schedule that produced results very quickly, and with an arsenal of original songs they were ready to take on the Toronto metal club scene centered around the infamous venue, Larry's Hideaway.

In 1986 they recorded three songs, which resulted in the debut 7 inch single "Lite The Nite / Ye Morlok" being released on their own independent label Chyldysh Records. Sadly, it never got the attention it deserved at the time, but later achieved legendary status in the European metal world and sold on eBay for hundreds of dollars. Sadly, Chyld packed it in sometime in 1986 for reasons even the band cannot remember.

In 2012, inspired by the surge of interest in the old 7" single, Chyld reformed and recorded one old song, "Burning Alive". Tragically, it was the last song that singer Rob sang, as he passed away in 2017. His vocals sat in a computer for 7 years until drummer Neal Busby took the reins and decided the song had to be finished and recruited super fret demon Todd Lefever to record the guitars and get the song ready to be released to the world.

Check out Chyld on Spotify here.

Photo by Ron Boudreau