Band:	Toadliquor
Album:	Back In The Hole
Style:	Doom metal, Sludge metal
Release date:	February 2024

01. First Crush
02. Recained
03. Entry Level Position
04. In Gold
05. Basement
06. Open Trough Funeral
07. Back In The Hole

After a quarter of a century, Toadliquor pick up right where they left off: with piercing cries of torment and droning sludge to rattle your bones.

Despite being one of the earliest examples of sludge metal in history, Toadliquor’s 1993 debut album Feel My Hate - The Power Is The Weight remained largely unknown, judging by its meager 3 votes here on Metal Storm. Sadly, after a couple of split releases, the band broke up in 1999, and their music of anguish disappeared into obscurity. Now, after a radio silence of 25 years, Toadliquor have resurfaced with an early contender for the sludge metal album of the year: Back In The Hole.

Their debut album showcased slow, morbid musicianship, accentuated by pained vocals and guided by the plodding of massive guitar riffs. And Back In The Hole kicks off with the exact same style, almost as if they'd never been gone. The buzzing guitars meander patiently but ruthlessly, laying waste to everything in their path as the singer screams his heart out with palpable feelings of grief, anger, and terror. Toadliquor’s approach probably won't appeal to every listener, as it's extremely abrasive and bleak. Yet, for those listeners who find pleasure in groovy, distorted doom riffing and emotionally impactful vocals, this musical devastation is like sweet honey for the soul.

Yet, it's also not all one-dimensional doom and gloom. Their long-awaited sophomore release also introduces new variety to their style. For example, in the middle of “Recained” and at the end of “Open Trough Funeral”, the musicianship becomes quite experimental, providing the unsettling and crazed sounds of nightmares. In contrast, the middle of “Entry Level Position” and the beginning of the title track display calm synths and tranquil ambience, before diving back into the crushing guitar-work. There are plenty of highlights strewn across the tracklist. One of my favorite moments is on the track “In Gold”, in which the tension-building drumming transitions to surprisingly triumphant guitar melodies, adding a spark of light amidst the anthems of suffering.

In conclusion, Toadliquor have succeeded in crafting an impressive comeback. On the one hand, they stay true to their old oppressive style, with the vocalist clearly on a mission to share his pain with the world. On the other hand, they've also expanded on their method, engaging in eerie and bizarre instrumentation and atmospheric interludes drenched in anticipation. But, when they're not kicking your skull in or sending chills down your spine, they also use the occasion to simply let loose and have fun with stoner metal riffs.

I will end this review with a request for all fans of truly ruthless sludge metal: Listen to this album and listen to their debut album. Soak in the sounds of the damned. Bang your head to the tune of the apocalypse. Thank me later.