Style: Prog Metal, Prog Rock, Experimental
Review by: Ryan
Country: Australia
Release date: Many.

Toehider, the prolific Australian project that combines visual art and progressive music, are in the midst of releasing 12 EPs in 12 months. The first four releases contained songs in the style Toehider is mostly known for, 80’s style synthpop about Teen Wolf, medieval acoustic music, and conceptual prog metal. Those reviews can be found here. Now the second 4 EPs continue the chaos with power metal, fake cartoon theme songs about ducks, a 70s-style prog rock epic, and a spoken word cyberpunk synth-driven lullaby. 

EP 5 – Take on a Tank

Style: Prog, Power Metal, Thrash Metal
Recommended for Fans of: Sonata Arctica, Iron Maiden, Nanowar of Steel
Release date: Patreon – July 2, 2023 | Public – November 30, 2023

Picking up on the style he previously flirted with on 2017’s “Millions of Musketeers” from the album Good, and “How Much for that Dragon Tooth” from 2020’s I Like It, Toehider has gone full bore into that small gap between power metal and NWOBHM. Take on a Tank is a cocktail equal parts Iron Maiden and Sonata Arctica served with a fine cheese and a dash of Salt. It’s hard to choosing the strongest track of the four is hard since they all employ the style so well, but my personal favorite is the (not bird, but) batshit “You Love Heavy Metal… Don’t You?”: an ode to that kinship we’ve all experienced when randomly meeting another metal fan.

EP 6 – Children of the Sun 3: A Collection of Cartoon Theme Songs from an Alternate Timeline in Which All Cartoons Are Duck-Themed

Style: Saturday Morning Cartoon Theme Songs
Release date: Patreon – July 25, 2023 | Public – January 18, 2024

You know how you’ve always desperately wanted to know what theme songs to Saturday morning cartoons would sound like if we lived in a universe where every cartoon was about ducks? Well, Toehider has answered that call with the third installment of his cartoon theme song cover series, Children of the Sun.  Only this time, he’s broken through the multiversal barrier to bring us covers from the duck dimension. We get both the opening theme and end credits to cartoons including Truck the Duck (the subject of Andrew Saltmarsh’s Toehider Patreon-exclusive comic book), Quackbeard the fowl pirate, and Dr. Mallard, the quack celebrity therapist. We also get to revisit an old friend introduced on Quit Forever with the 16-bit theme to Uncle Aqua’s videogame tie-in, which I’m sure was a huge hit in the world of ducks.

EP 7 – Toad Hirer

Style: 70’s Prog Epic / Rock Opera
Recommended for Fans of: Rush, Gentle Giant, Kansas
Release date: Patreon – August 31, 2023 | Public – February 16, 2024

And now we enter the Toe-emple of Syrinx with (Toe-wenty112?) Toehider’s Toad Hirer, is an eighteen-and-a-half minute long 70’s style epic. The rock opera follows a tick-averted clockmaker who employs toads to craft his tock-only timepieces and the goings-on in his workshop – including one worker who begins to give birth through her back. The song flows through a myriad 70’s influenced styles like Rush, Gentle Giant, and maybe a dash of Jesus Christ Superstar all enveloped in Toehider’s whimsical world. Also, just in case you find either the vocals or the music distracting, Mike has graciously included both an instrumental and a vocals-only version of the song for your listening pleasure.

EP 8 – Stereo Night Ash: Music for Relaxation, Meditation, Decatastrophizing and Deep Sleep

Style: Spoken Word, Synth, White Noise
Recommended for Fans of: Devin Townsend, Grails
Release date: Patreon – October 26, 2023 | Public – March 18, 2024

An even more left field release from Toehider, Stereo Night Ash is an ambient project specifically made to listen to when one needs to de-stress, meditate, or relax. It harkens back to Devin Townsend’s Ghost and Snuggles and his current ongoing project DreamPeace, but with a spoken word cyberpunk story overlaid. Even the artwork is very unlike anything in Ol’ Salty’s past portfolio. While this release may be quite divisive, it absolutely nails exactly what it’s going for with its dreamy, soothing textures, and Mike’s nearly ASMR narration.

With this second installment, Toehider has gone even further into the experimental. This collection will mostly be love it or hate it for many. I do find myself mostly forgetting about both Children of the Sun 3 and Stereo Night Ash, while absolutely loving Take on a Tank and Toad Hirer. That being said, at this time, two more EPs are available on Toehider’s Patreon that may be some of his most interesting work to date. With the public releases looming and only two more EPs to complete, this experiment thus far has been largely successful with only a few middling moments.

Recommended Tracks: Meet Me at the Stronghold, You Love Heavy Metal… Don’t You?, Quackbeard!, Toad Hirer

Final Verdict: 7/10
Related Links: Official Website | Bandcamp | Spotify | Patreon | Twitch | YouTube | Facebook
Label: Toehider
Toehider is:
Mike Mills: All Instruments, Vocals, Production
Andrew Saltmarsh – Art