#4 - Top of 2014

Toehider - What Kind of Creature am I? (Bird's Robe Records)

Moving deeper into the absolutely best records of 2014, we arrive at this strange creation, a product of the imagination and creativity of Mike Mills, the main man behind everything Toehider. This is the band's second full length release preceded by a large number of singles and EPs. This is a record of pure progressive rock imagination with songs touching on various aspects of the genre and daring to experiment with different aspects of it. Going over the tracks of the disc, we start with the speedy "You and I both loose (but 5 wins)" with a very infectious refrain. Next, we have the more melody driven "Whatever makes you feel superior", followed by "The Thing With Me" a Queen-like lightning-fast track. The record continues with "What Kind of Creature am I?", a epic melodic journey of (self) discovery and keeps pounding you with the groovy "Smash it out". Then, we take a breather, as "Spoilt for Choice" is one of the most relaxing moments of the album, and prepare our selves for the highly humorous "Whoa", served with some extra irony. Next we have "Under the Future We Bury the Past", a bluesy piece with Mike's low singing completing the Jazz Bar feeling of the piece, almost straight out of Blue Velvet, culminating in some REALLY high "Kate Bush" vocals. This is followed by a prog rock epic "Meet the Sloth", a personal favorite and an awesome track relating a fantastic story about a fateful meeting with... a Sloth. The album concludes with the comedic short "Geese Lycan", leaving you wanting for more. A bombastic release that deserves all this  praise and more!

98/100

Below, as a special surprise, the video containing the complete album with lyrics, that the band itself uploaded to Youtube! If you enjoyed it please consider supporting Toehider at their Bandcamp here.