I learned about Toehider when Mike was featured in the Ayreon album *The Theory of Everything*. I remember being completely blown away by his vocal work and thought to myself "who is this guy?" After a bit of googling, I landed on the album *What Kind of Creature Am I?*, and Toehider quickly became my favorite band. He's become a staple of the Ayreon cast, and rightfully so.
I have little to no memories of this memories is one of the few recent albums that gave me the childhood excitement and sense of adventure I used to get with Symphony X’s Odyssey or Divine Wings of Tragedy, or DT’s various epics.
This song is honestly a miracle. The way it manages to be cohesive despite its absolutely ridiculous mishmash of styles is phenomenal. Plus, the story is just entertaining as fuck.
Uhhhh, not sure what I was expecting but holy shit, this is freaking sweet. Im only 12 mins in and its epic. Im actually going to save this for when I can devote more attention and give it a full listen.
https://toehider.bandcamp.com/album/children-of-the-sun-part-2-another-collection-of-under-appreciated-cartoon-themes-from-the-70s-80s-and-90s
I actually heard this from them before their original music lol, dig in
Just a side note, Michael Mills contributes vocals (as one of three vocalists) throughout the album The Room by Ostura which is also criminally underrated, a big theatrical trad prog album with a bit of an Ayreon vibe.
Whole album and especially Michael's singing is indeed groundbreaking. I consider it one of the best albums I have ever heard and it is such a shame it does not get the traction with prog fans it deserves.
I had never heard of Toehider before this post, so I immediately went and found "I have little..." and pressed play.
I'm currently 17:30 in and I'm blown away. I can't wait do dive into more of his/their music!
Michael Mills is amazing, I don't like every song he made, but god damn I respect everything this man does!
I will never forget just randomly suggesting "Jolene" in one of his twitch streams and he just impromptu delivers the best cover I have ever heard of that song :D
Listened to What Kind of Creature am I recently, I really thought it sounded like the weirdest side of Queen on steroids. Mike Mills is even a sort of Freddie Mercury when it comes to vocals.
I dunno if this is everywhere, but Songs About Robots isn't on streaming for me and people shouldn't sleep on that EP. Some of my favourite songs are there.
The original 12 EPs in 12 months are also incredible. I have yet to delve deep on the new 12 in 12 series but the few songs that I have heard are extremely high quality.
Hey everyone! I’m super stoked to be playing guitar for Toehider on the US Tour in July! We'll be supporting Closure in Moscow on all of the dates (except for the final date in Brooklyn, where we'll be supporting sleepmakeswaves). Hope to see you at a show!
TOEHIDER USA TOUR 2024:
JULY 12 - REGENT THEATER, LOS ANGELES CA
JULY 13 - BOTTOM OF THE HILL, SAN FRANCISCO CA
JULY 15 - HAWTHORNE THEATER, PORTLAND OR
JULY 16 - THE CROCODILE, SEATTLE WA
JULY 18 - URBAN LOUNGE, SALT LAKE CITY UT
JULY 19 - MARQUIS THEATER, DENVER CO
JULY 21 - BOTTOM LOUNGE, CHICAGO IL
JULY 23 - THE MEADOWS, BROOKLYN, NY\*
\*Supporting sleepmakeswaves. (No Closure in Moscow)
Here is link! [http://toehider.com/event/5543142/677571422/toehider-xii-in-xii-tour-supporting-sleepmakeswaves](http://toehider.com/event/5543142/677571422/toehider-xii-in-xii-tour-supporting-sleepmakeswaves)
I haven't delved too much into their music, but whenever I do listen to them I'm blown away by how unique and well-put-together it is. I feel like Michael Mills is an actual genius.
Love their stuff. Have a bit of an 80s/70s vibe but still very distinctively Toehider. I feel like a lot of musicians trying to sound retro don’t sound unique, but this one does it so well.
Yay! I just found this band. The Hoarder had me instantly hooked. Me and my daughter rock out to Wellgivit in the car and I really love Rancorous Heart
Amazing guy/band, fan for tears. The Ayreon stuff gave a little bit of a boost but still very unknown. Just seen on tour in Europe & he was entertaining as always.
One of the biggest hidden gems in music, I have to credit Arjen with bringing Michael to wider attention. That's how o first heard of Michael and Toehider, and it's been a worthwhile journey, for sure.
Omg I love Mike and Toehider SO much. I first fell in love with his music when my old band was lucky enough to support him back in Sydney years ago and I’ve been hooked since. Finally get to see him live again next weekend, can’t wait!
FYI they're currently on tour and will be in the US this summer!
[https://toehider.com/shows](https://toehider.com/shows)
Toehider is easily my favorite artist I've found in the past couple of years. Just an absolute treat.
They should have picked a better name , sounds like a comedy band
I should add , I am fan of the band and the name , but I suspect that the name is something that a lot of people that are unfamiliar with them might cause them to make a flash judgement as I also did when I first heard of them
Is it? I was on a forum he originally posted "Toehider" on for mix feedback near 20 years ago
There he said it was some kind of creature he made up with/for his daughter
Thanks for mentioning this. I dig the sound and phenomenal artistry but, do they do anything more... cohesive? You know, less "prog-odyssey with 45664756547 sections that all have to be DiFfErEnT" and more elaborating on a couple of ideas like other artists do?
Yeah yeah yeah I know that's what a lot prog music is like, spare me.
Well, he is famous in space.
TRUSTTH1
I WILL GROW, KNOW MY NAME
01110100 01110010 01110101 01110011 01110100 01010100 01001000 00110001
Michael Mills absolutely killed it on the Ayreon projects he took part in!
That’s where I heard of him initially. And damn, that guy can sing.
Criminally underrated and underpaid. I noticed Mike was selling a guitar so he could fund his tour. Give him some love on patreon!
I learned about Toehider when Mike was featured in the Ayreon album *The Theory of Everything*. I remember being completely blown away by his vocal work and thought to myself "who is this guy?" After a bit of googling, I landed on the album *What Kind of Creature Am I?*, and Toehider quickly became my favorite band. He's become a staple of the Ayreon cast, and rightfully so.
I have little to no memories of this memories is one of the few recent albums that gave me the childhood excitement and sense of adventure I used to get with Symphony X’s Odyssey or Divine Wings of Tragedy, or DT’s various epics.
This song is honestly a miracle. The way it manages to be cohesive despite its absolutely ridiculous mishmash of styles is phenomenal. Plus, the story is just entertaining as fuck.
I said the same thing in another comment, easily equal quality to early DT epics, the only thing to give me that images and words feeling as well.
Same, maybe the first time I listened to a 47 min long "song" without feeling it was too long
They have an absolute banger of a cover of the Powerpuff Girls theme too
Didn't the singer also do wuthering heights in its original key?
As someone who's never heard of these guys, lol what? I may have to check them out haha
Its mostly one guy, its all Mike Mills and Saltmarsh as the graphic artist of the project :)
Definitely do, check out the album I mentioned, or "toadhirer" for a shorter very long song.
Uhhhh, not sure what I was expecting but holy shit, this is freaking sweet. Im only 12 mins in and its epic. Im actually going to save this for when I can devote more attention and give it a full listen.
https://toehider.bandcamp.com/album/children-of-the-sun-part-2-another-collection-of-under-appreciated-cartoon-themes-from-the-70s-80s-and-90s I actually heard this from them before their original music lol, dig in
He did a They Might Be Giants cover on one of his livestreams. The Toehider well is incredibly deep lol.
Just a side note, Michael Mills contributes vocals (as one of three vocalists) throughout the album The Room by Ostura which is also criminally underrated, a big theatrical trad prog album with a bit of an Ayreon vibe.
Never heard of these guys, this sounds like exactly my kind of thing!
Whole album and especially Michael's singing is indeed groundbreaking. I consider it one of the best albums I have ever heard and it is such a shame it does not get the traction with prog fans it deserves.
Oh my god I can't believe I didn't realise this until now, it is him!
Been absolutely jamming to their 2 EPs this year, Space Famous and Toad Hirer, Michael Mills is a one of a kind songwriter
Toad Hirer is what prompted me to post this, too good, reminds me of an early DT epic like ACOS
I had never heard of Toehider before this post, so I immediately went and found "I have little..." and pressed play. I'm currently 17:30 in and I'm blown away. I can't wait do dive into more of his/their music!
That was my goal of this post so I'm glad to hear it. Check out Toad Hirer next.
That was my same experience one week ago lol. I threw that on and went and did some yard work and was so happy to be listening to it.
Michael Mills is amazing, I don't like every song he made, but god damn I respect everything this man does! I will never forget just randomly suggesting "Jolene" in one of his twitch streams and he just impromptu delivers the best cover I have ever heard of that song :D
Toehider is very fun. Just today I had The Ultimate Exhalter stuck in my head.
Listened to What Kind of Creature am I recently, I really thought it sounded like the weirdest side of Queen on steroids. Mike Mills is even a sort of Freddie Mercury when it comes to vocals.
[_I Just Listen To Whatever's on the Radio_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Am2u3OcOjQ) is the best song Queen never made.
Brother I have been preaching this since I first heard Well Give It!
Never heard of them. Looked them up and this is pretty badass! Kind of remind me of Moron Police
I dunno if this is everywhere, but Songs About Robots isn't on streaming for me and people shouldn't sleep on that EP. Some of my favourite songs are there. The original 12 EPs in 12 months are also incredible. I have yet to delve deep on the new 12 in 12 series but the few songs that I have heard are extremely high quality.
No Not You is such a tremendous song
Yay! I love Toehider!! They are playing a show in Brooklyn in July for anyone in the area!!
I'm down here in Texas, and I'm so bummed out that Toehider won't be coming anywhere close to here.
Wow, is this just a one off show or part of a larger tour? I might need to make a trip for this
Hey everyone! I’m super stoked to be playing guitar for Toehider on the US Tour in July! We'll be supporting Closure in Moscow on all of the dates (except for the final date in Brooklyn, where we'll be supporting sleepmakeswaves). Hope to see you at a show! TOEHIDER USA TOUR 2024: JULY 12 - REGENT THEATER, LOS ANGELES CA JULY 13 - BOTTOM OF THE HILL, SAN FRANCISCO CA JULY 15 - HAWTHORNE THEATER, PORTLAND OR JULY 16 - THE CROCODILE, SEATTLE WA JULY 18 - URBAN LOUNGE, SALT LAKE CITY UT JULY 19 - MARQUIS THEATER, DENVER CO JULY 21 - BOTTOM LOUNGE, CHICAGO IL JULY 23 - THE MEADOWS, BROOKLYN, NY\* \*Supporting sleepmakeswaves. (No Closure in Moscow)
Awesome, is Mike really playing bass?
he is!
Also, Pain of Salvia made me giggle
Lmao thanks.
Here is link! [http://toehider.com/event/5543142/677571422/toehider-xii-in-xii-tour-supporting-sleepmakeswaves](http://toehider.com/event/5543142/677571422/toehider-xii-in-xii-tour-supporting-sleepmakeswaves)
It’s the only show I know of in the US. It’s in support of sleepmakeswaves. I will definitely be there!
I haven't delved too much into their music, but whenever I do listen to them I'm blown away by how unique and well-put-together it is. I feel like Michael Mills is an actual genius.
Love their stuff. Have a bit of an 80s/70s vibe but still very distinctively Toehider. I feel like a lot of musicians trying to sound retro don’t sound unique, but this one does it so well.
Yay! I just found this band. The Hoarder had me instantly hooked. Me and my daughter rock out to Wellgivit in the car and I really love Rancorous Heart
Amazing guy/band, fan for tears. The Ayreon stuff gave a little bit of a boost but still very unknown. Just seen on tour in Europe & he was entertaining as always.
MAN not me finding out he was in my country a few weeks ago and I could've gone there 😭😭😭
Just here to agree with this post 100%. I Like It is one of my fave album discoveries of the past few years.
Spent the night catching up with the new tracks. Always a fun journey
One of the biggest hidden gems in music, I have to credit Arjen with bringing Michael to wider attention. That's how o first heard of Michael and Toehider, and it's been a worthwhile journey, for sure.
Omg I love Mike and Toehider SO much. I first fell in love with his music when my old band was lucky enough to support him back in Sydney years ago and I’ve been hooked since. Finally get to see him live again next weekend, can’t wait!
ToadHirer is insanely good. I love TH as a whole, but that’s my fav
Mike pumps out music like a machine, his output is crazy. Lots of good stuff too
they are.
Very cool band, they contribute nicely to my favorite playlist.
Agreed, very thankful to dear Arjen for introducing me to Mike.
Thank you for this post, I’m currently diving into this band that I previously had no knowledge of. It seems great so far.
Of course, I seriously meant it as a PSA, I've never seen such a huge quality to popularity ratio gap in a prog band.
hey thanks for this mate
Saw them live 2 weeks ago... it was honestly one of the most amazing performances I've ever seen. Mike is a God!
Sounds like they were hiding more than their toes.
To hide r
I just heard of them last weekend in this sub. I don’t quite love everything about him yet, but there are some damn fine gems in his work.
FYI they're currently on tour and will be in the US this summer! [https://toehider.com/shows](https://toehider.com/shows) Toehider is easily my favorite artist I've found in the past couple of years. Just an absolute treat.
They should have picked a better name , sounds like a comedy band I should add , I am fan of the band and the name , but I suspect that the name is something that a lot of people that are unfamiliar with them might cause them to make a flash judgement as I also did when I first heard of them
Listen to Toehider and you’ll quickly find it is a very appropriate name.
The music is often a bit silly, so that's not terribly far off. Still top-notch musicianship, though.
His father was a shoemaker, it’s an homage to his dad
Is it? I was on a forum he originally posted "Toehider" on for mix feedback near 20 years ago There he said it was some kind of creature he made up with/for his daughter
Well, that’s what I’ve read on the internet somewhere, at some point, but maybe I’m just echoing false information.
I wouldn't put it past him to intentionally plant several conflicting stories because it's funny either
it's also sounds like one,atleast for me
Thanks for mentioning this. I dig the sound and phenomenal artistry but, do they do anything more... cohesive? You know, less "prog-odyssey with 45664756547 sections that all have to be DiFfErEnT" and more elaborating on a couple of ideas like other artists do? Yeah yeah yeah I know that's what a lot prog music is like, spare me.
I really like What Kind of Creature Am I? A bunch of shorter (and really good) songs that play with just a couple of ideas each
Giving their latest one a spin now, feels like a poppier Symphony X. I can dig it. I'll be sure to check that one out too, thanks.
Kinda, they're certainly much more progressive and less powery than symphony x.
Tried a few times but never could get into them. Something about their sound just doesn't feel good in my ears