Review Summary: A woefully forgotten album deserving of a reprisal.
(disowned. I wrote this review in pure emotional haste so isn't that great.)
When you are talking to others about the Toadies, they are usually in these two categories; the ones who know Rubberneck and/or Possum Kingdom, and the others who know everything else. For the most part however, you're likely talking to the former category. Why is this the case? Well... you can blame Jimmy Iovine for that.
Hell Below/Stars Above took seven years to come out, and when it was released.. it bombed because Interscope didn't promote the record. Which in itself, is a damn shame, because Hell Below/Stars Above is one of the better albums to come from the post-grunge heyaday era; arguably better than Rubberneck itself.
What makes Hell Below/Stars Above such a good album, if not better than Rubberneck, is the development the band has made musically by every member of the band, in performances and song writing. While some of the guitar riffage is pretty similar to Rubberneck at times, there is a greater emphasis on melody and its just as intense; the album leaves you very little room to let you breathe between tracks, going from one audible assault to the next. The solos, courtesy of Clark Voleger, are worthy of special mention, and are greatly improved and technical; they don't just feel like they were inserted to fill in the spaces between, and his solos in "Push the Hand" and "Sweetness" are intense. Vocalist Todd Lewis has a greater vocal range, and he isn't just screaming just for the hell of it; he's able to sing and have some pretty good vocal melodies throughout. Todd is a better lyricist who is able to make even more catchier songs than "Possum Kingdom"; I would have never thought that a song that repeatedly says "YOU MUST GET YOUR HEAD AROUND IT!" (Motivational) could be hit single material. "Motivational" also boasts one of Lisa Umbarger's best bass riffs, which are more at the forefront of the album, alongside "Push The Hand".
On the topic of song writing; it isn't as dark and violent as Rubberneck, choosing to instead focus on sex and relationships, though this in itself can feel a little uncomfortable at times (e.g. "I'll eat/you slow/my sweetness"- ew). That is, save for the cunningly-written "Jigsaw Girl", the album's highlight track that sounds like a love ballad, apart from it's to a lover you killed; Lyrics like "Give me your hand/And I will hold it forever/on my nightstand/in a box with your love letters" will never get old. "Heel" is also cunningly written: Is it about a dog, or a woman? You guess. The Toadies also show they have a bit of range outside of making breakneck rockers- "Pressed Against The Sky" and "Doll Skin" show the band's softer and more emotional side worthy of eliciting tears, and the album's title track shows a transition from punk rock into gospel music in just a couple of seconds and somehow being able to pull it off extremely well.
Overall, outside of being exhausting and the lyrics a little cringey at times, the album is overall a grand improvement; much better than what most rock artists could come up with in 2001. And I really would have loved to see where they had gone next had they not broken up shortly after.
It is tremendously a shame that this album (predictably) bombed upon release, and not many people got to hear this; you should give it (another) listen too, maybe you'll find something you like. There is something for everyone here.
4.5/5
