Music Review
When most people hear the term “Classic Rock” a multitude of bands such as AC/DC and Led Zeppelin come to mind. One band that almost never comes to mind, however, is Toad.
Toad was formed in Switzerland in 1970 by former Brainticket members Werner Fröhlich (bass) and Cosimo Lampis (drums), as well as Vic Vergeat (guitar), and Beni Jaeger (vocals) who left the band after their self-titled album was recorded.
The self-titled album “Toad” has good variety between tracks: the feel of the songs ranges from soft acoustic pieces to full blown heavy-psychedelic rock jams. With only seven songs and a bonus track that was released as a single, it’s surprising how dynamic the album is. No two songs feel exactly alike, with each one feeling like a snapshot into a different part of the early ‘70s Rock-‘n’-Roll movement. In particular, the first songs off of either side of the album (tracks one and five for those who aren’t acquainted with vinyl records), Cotton Wood Hill and Life Goes On, stand out as the most progressive compared to the rock music from the late 1960’s, and are heavy, dynamic, and well over eight minutes long each.
While each of the musicians are very talented, Fröhlich and Vergeat show off their skills the most throughout the album. Fröhlich’s bass parts are incredibly in-your-face, with a massive low end and lots of rich overdrive throughout the complex and fast-paced basslines, most notably on the tracks Cottonwood Hill and Tank. Vergeat’s guitar work is also spectacular, with his playstyle in both the lead and rhythm parts being very reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix yet completely unique in its own right with a treble-heavy sound that doesn’t disappear behind any of the other instruments.Toad is a true work of art as far as rock albums from the Vietnam era go, and a must-listen for any fan of hard rock. Between the excellent instrumentation and sound engineering courtesy of Martin Birch, best known for his work with Deep Purple, Jeff Beck, and later Iron Maiden. It’s a shame that this album never gained much attention outside of Switzerland. Overall, Toad’s debut album is deserving of a 9/10 rating. Though it may be a product of its time and never got far out of its home country when it debuted, it is still a beautiful example of what music was like in the Vietnam war era.
