Album Details

• Artist: The Toadies
• Album: No Deliverance
• Label:
• Year of Release: 2008
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: solitaryman on 2008-09-13

Holy crap, it's The Toadies! I was one of many who lost much time in his youth spinning their infamous "Rubberneck" album, and have to admit I thought the band just fell off the map soon after. I never caught wind of any of their work afterwards, and thanks to my fellow ME'ers for surprising me with news of No Deliverance. I first popped in this disc looking for a trip down nostalgia lane...while not exactly the same band, they're damn close. There may not be another "Possum Kingdom" on this record, but it's solid and calls to a time when mainstream rock had a substance to it that couldn't be refuted.

The band has continued on admirably without the services of original bassist Lisa Umbarger (who apparently caused the split-up some years back), and the core original 3-piece sounds as Toadie-like as ever. The over-the-top riff frenzy of opener "So Long Lovely Eyes" sets the tone right off the bat, and each song after keeps it going. It's surprising to me how similar vocalist Todd Lewis sounds to Chris Cornell at times. In fact, on tracks like "Nothing To Cry About" and Flower", one might also think they're hearing old Soundgarden leftovers. If I had to identify the album's catchiest number, the one that would pull the most weight on airwaves today, I'm looking at "Hell In High Water". 

So, here they are again, one of the grunge scene's past darlings still kicking all these years later. Admirable. The music hasn't lost any of it's previous swagger, perhaps more modern and radio-ready but altogether the Toadies we came to love once upon a time. Past fans should own it, and newbies might look to take a new look at an old favorite of so many flannel shirt-wearing misfits of a gone but not forgotten era. 

User Reviews and Comments

on 2008-06-11 hstisgod Said:

I wont yet rate this, cause I've only heard the title track thusfar. However, I like what Im hearing..Its not a large change from where we last heard The Toadies, either way, its great to have em back. Only now we're all gonna have to wait till the buzz dies down get a ticket to a show.
Rating: 8/10