Artist:     The Toadies

Album:     Heretics

Label:     Kirtland Records

Release Date:     09/18/2015

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Ya know, this is what really irks me about music these days – there are countless of (let’s just say) “artists” out there with limited talent that are getting huge exposure, purely because they are the chosen ones for marketing or publicity. Then a band that just oozes talent and originality such as the Toadies, while having a cult following, still struggles to get the widespread recognition that they so richly deserve.

I’m not sure if Heretics, their latest offering, is going to break down any of those barriers, but God knows it should. Taking a handful of fan favorites, sprinkling in a couple of new cuts and a very surprising cover and then stripping them all down to their acoustic bones, the Toadies have released a brilliant, yes, brilliant, album. It’s hypnotic, ethereal, eerie and majestic, with threads of Led Zep III, Beck and Roger Waters laced with mandolin (“Tyler”), acoustic slide all over the place and even horns on the killer remake of “Backslider.”

“Belly of the Whale,” “Beside You” and the twisted remake of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” are additional standouts, but the remake of “Possum Kingdom” and the hauntingly gorgeous “The Appeal” are simply stunning.

This is quite simply one of the best releases I have heard from any band in a very, very long time.

– Steve Walbridge