Toadliquor Return With First New Music in Over 25 Years

The enigmatic doom sludge outfit Toadliquor (not to be confused with “toad licker” which is what you call someone who gets high off of hallucinogenic frogs) has somehow returned from the shadows to record another album. Toadliquor was formed in 1989 in Arroyo Grande, California (not to be confused with Ariana Grande, California, which would be a terrible place to live). They put out one album in 1993 called Feel My Hate – The Power Is The Weight – R.I.P. Cain.

The album stayed pretty obscure because, in the ‘90s, the dominant format for music shifted from vinyl records to CDs and Toadliquor stubbornly refused to release a version of their album on any format but vinyl. They put out a few compilation tracks and one single after that—all on vinyl—before vanishing. Considering that CDs are pretty much only useful as coasters these days, it would seem that Toadliquor has been vindicated in their vinyl-only policy. However, Southern Lord finally released most of their material on CD in 2003 in a collection called Horators Lament, although they then released the same recordings in 2018 on a vinyl collection called Cease & Decease.

Now Toadliquor is back with their first recorded material in over 25 years and their first new full-length in 31 years. The new album is going to be called Back in the Hole and will be released by Southern Lord—on vinyl, naturally—on February 23. Alongside the announcement of the new record, the band released their lead single off of the album called “First Crush.” The single is a devastating sludge track with crushing guitars and vocals that sound like a ghost trapped in the ether screaming to get out. It’s a good time all around.

The album is available for pre-order right now from Southern Lord.