Toadies officially reconvened, signing with Kirtland and recording No Deliverance with David Castell (Burden Brothers, Blue October) at Fort Worth Sound in Fort Worth, and Music Lane in Austin. Lewis says the band has gone... more » for a bare knuckle sound, amping up the psychotic stomp heard on Rubberneck and Hell Below... on the grinding, relentless title track as well as the seething, death-of-a-romance gem So Long Lovey Eyes and the towering, sludgy Man of Stone. The upshot is a taut, exhilarating listen that is quintessentially Toadies. Lewis is stoked on the freshness of this new record. I wrote it between first week of August and, what? About a month ago. Getting back into this, back into the feel of the Toadies, is cool. Lewis, Rez, Vogeler and new bass player Doni Blair (Hagfish, Only Crime) are optimistic that their indie incarnation will succeed, thanks to the support of their devout fans and equally supportive label. The music industry has changed so much, says Vogeler. A band like us can be on an independent label and still get the music out to the people
who want to hear it. Getting back to the bare knuckles element of the Toadies, continues Lewis, is what I really enjoy, after being away from it for so long. Vogeler and Rez concur. I m here and still doin it, furthers Vogeler, because the music s good. And Rez proclaims in his thick Texas drawl, The Toadies are back in business. And suddenly, everything wrong is right.« less
Toadies officially reconvened, signing with Kirtland and recording No Deliverance with David Castell (Burden Brothers, Blue October) at Fort Worth Sound in Fort Worth, and Music Lane in Austin. Lewis says the band has gone for a bare knuckle sound, amping up the psychotic stomp heard on Rubberneck and Hell Below... on the grinding, relentless title track as well as the seething, death-of-a-romance gem So Long Lovey Eyes and the towering, sludgy Man of Stone. The upshot is a taut, exhilarating listen that is quintessentially Toadies. Lewis is stoked on the freshness of this new record. I wrote it between first week of August and, what? About a month ago. Getting back into this, back into the feel of the Toadies, is cool. Lewis, Rez, Vogeler and new bass player Doni Blair (Hagfish, Only Crime) are optimistic that their indie incarnation will succeed, thanks to the support of their devout fans and equally supportive label. The music industry has changed so much, says Vogeler. A band like us can be on an independent label and still get the music out to the people
who want to hear it. Getting back to the bare knuckles element of the Toadies, continues Lewis, is what I really enjoy, after being away from it for so long. Vogeler and Rez concur. I m here and still doin it, furthers Vogeler, because the music s good. And Rez proclaims in his thick Texas drawl, The Toadies are back in business. And suddenly, everything wrong is right.
"Toadies defie comparison, they are a alternative band with a hard core solid metal center. Some of the best of metal in my view.
Allmusic says the Toadies are similar to Foo Fighters, Better Than Ezra, Hole, Weezer, Soul Asylum, and Live. I think if you took everything hard core about each of those groups, you might be close to Toadies. But there's really some kind of Black Sabbath and Metallica tossed in.
Frankly, this is way better than I expected. Your tastes have to run very wide to enjoy this group. They are hard core. And the label really should read parental advisory. The first cut uses the f word about 10 times what it takes to be an R rated film. The second cut just barely makes it R rated. The rest is fine.
The reason this group is so hard to pigeon hole, they are unique. They stand out in a mass of perfectly produced assembly line groups. The beat is solid, very listenable, memorable. The mix is well near perfect, crystal clear. I've heard so much badly produced / mixed music recently. This disc is a listening pleasure."
The Taodies are back.....With a Vengence!!
Seth C. Dortch | Florida, USA | 10/20/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Toadies rock. There is no better way to start a review of their new cd then by saying that. When their first album came out in 1994, they rocked. But now they are even better if thats possible.
The Toadies first cd was a tour de force of rock licks, catchy lyrics, and pure Texas attitude. With a dirty guitar and a almost ZZ Top feel. Then when Hell Below/Stars Above came out they almost completely abandoned their style. The album was more muted. Gone was a lot of the fire they made the debut such a gem. It seemed like the Toadies were done. But not so...
Not only are they back with No Deliverance, they are back with a vengeance! This is arguably the best album they have ever done. The licks are stronger, the rythum tighter, the vocals perfect, this is their defining cd.
Such songs prove this as the opener "Such Long Lovey Eyes" and the straight up southern rocker "I Am a Man of Stone". And the songs "Flower" and " Song I Hate" prove that not only are the Toadies back, but they are better than they were 14 years ago. Rock on!"
Stone-Cold Hard Rock Classic
Tome Raider | California, United States | 08/28/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I spend a lot of time and money seeking out great rock music. Most of my investment goes toward stuff from the late 60's and early 70's. I've long ago collected all the classic stuff, and now I focus on the obscure gems. But, occasionally, something new from the present-day emerges which captures my attention and earns my respect.
This is such an album. It has a unique sound, and each song is distinctive to the one before and after. Definitely hard rock, not pop or lite by a mile and then some. Driving, pulsating, but comfortable to listen to. No disonant sounds or songs which blemish. Honestly, I'll be listening to this non-stop for the next week or two. I don't do that often. Usually it is one listen and then the CD goes into the box until I happen on it again someday.
I will have to check out these guys' previous albums. They definitely know what they're doing, and I extend them my highest compliments."
Heavier than the radio singles
Stepone | TX | 09/06/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I know the Toadies almost entirely through their singles, and I've always been impressed at how many good singles they have and how well they've stood the test of time (they get played heavily in my city). There aren't many tracks here that will appeal to people who only like the lighter, poppier songs (Song I Hate being the most "Toadies"-ish), but if you like their heavier tracks, this is a solid, tight group of songs, with maybe one or two I'd skip in repeated listening. Nothing as great as Tyler or some of their best singles, though.
If you only know the radio songs but are curious about the deeper tracks, I'd describe it as Soundgarden via North Texas."
Not Quite "Rubberneck"
JBizzle | Under A Rock | 09/06/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Back in the day when the Toadies got their start, I was (& still am) a big fan of 'Rubberneckin'. I haven't heard much out of them since, though I know that they've released a couple albums over the past couple years. I was hopeful that thei new one would be as good as 'RN' from all those years ago. While I wasn't totally disapointed with it, it definately can't hold a candle to their original. It's not all that bad though, & when comparing this one to that one, there's just no comparison, & is kinda unfair judging one against the other. The CD still sounds like the Toadies too, which is nice since so often after not hearing from bands for a while they wind up coming back with some newly invented sound, not the case here. The album's sound isn't dated either, another problem with older bands trying to make come backs, not the case here. In closing, I would recommend this to rock fans, & definately to those who've gotten into Toadies in the past, it's not quite 'Rubberneckin', but still alot better than alot of the other stuff coming out these days. Check it out."