After a six-year hiatus, the Toadies finally released their second album, Hell Below/Stars Above, in 2001. If 1995's Rubberneck was a pretty heavy album, with guitars swimming in a post-grunge murk, Hell Below/Stars Above finds the band trudging through primeval sludge, awakening the ghosts of heavy metal past. Songs like "Little Sin" evoke hard rock deities Soundgarden, and throughout the release, lead singer Todd Lewis adds plenty of Robert Plant/ Chris Cornell-style high-pitched syllables to counterpoint the "Hammer of the Gods" rhythm section bassist Lisa Umbarger and drummer Mark Rezinek endow the album with. Besides "Little Sin," highlights are the adrenaline rush "What We Have We Steal" and the requisite pseudo-allad "Jigsaw Girl." Hell Below/Stars Above isn't all that original, but it's nirvana to some headbangers in an era when ap-metal was the only metal played on the radio.
So I saw the Toadies for the second time this past Wednesday. When I heard they were coming to my little college town I got pretty excited. All that comes through here usually are country and Texas country (apparently there's a difference) bands, which of course I do not care about. Toadies, however, that's some news.Outside of the state most people know the Toadies only for "Possum Kingdom" an...
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He's not.OK.Just not.Allow me to justify this apparently very controversial statement.I want people to understand, I enjoy the White Stripes. I own a few of their records. I think Jack can write a catchy tune and is a very good song writer. I enjoy most of what I hear from them. I also think he has a brilliant mind for marketing. He's made an empire by creating a brand that is easily identi...
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So I saw the Toadies for the second time this past Wednesday. When I heard they were coming to my little college town I got pretty excited. All that comes through here usually are country and Texas country (apparently there's a difference) bands, which of course I do not care about. Toadies, however, that's some news.Outside of the state most people know the Toadies only for "Possum Kingdom" an...
More >
The Toadies rock. Even if you dont know it. Its like Santa Claus. I mean, the guy is cracking a bullwhip inches over the tiny heads of elves making toys - yes still doing it in JUNE when you are running around on the beach in Cancun covered in henna tatoos, when Eggnog and is the LAST thing on your mind. For 364 days a year (365 this year) this man thinks about Furbys, because he is the ORIGINA...
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He's not.OK.Just not.Allow me to justify this apparently very controversial statement.I want people to understand, I enjoy the White Stripes. I own a few of their records. I think Jack can write a catchy tune and is a very good song writer. I enjoy most of what I hear from them. I also think he has a brilliant mind for marketing. He's made an empire by creating a brand that is easily identi...
More >
This is my first MOG entry. I uploaded a Toadies song for no real reason other than I've been singing a lot of karaoke and I like singing what little Toadies stuff that the local pub has. I don't know why the band split, but I never felt like they reached their full potential...
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 "Hell Below/Stars Above")
