Bands to Watch #253: Torche
Torche have been around for 8 years. Now is the time to take note of them.
They have taken just 2 albums to find their sound and what a sound it is they’ve discovered. They’ve often been described as a Queens of the Stone Age for this new generation of metal revellers. However, they surpass that label, not by being better than QOTSA, but by having an altogether more diverse and experimental side to their music. Ex-Floor guitarist and frontman Steve Brooks provides the power and drive for the bands own brand of stoner metal. He is joined by a host of metal rock’s nomads in the form of Rick Smith, Jonathan Nuñez and Andrew Elstner,-a group who can only be fairly described as some of the finest talents in rock at the moment.
Now, some people may only have heard of Torche because of Steve Brooks being one of the few openly gay musicians in metal at the moment. But with their new album ‘Harmonicraft’, it’s obvious that the wider rock appreciating public is going to take note and not just for Brooks’ appearances in interviews. If you are just dipping into their back catalogue, I recommend single ‘U.F.O.’ a powerhouse of a track, which will have you going through a range of emotions throughout. Their unique sound will have you shuddering under the power of their music, with their drums reverberating through your body with a huge power.
Their new single ‘Kicking’ (video and free download below) is another fine example of the kind of industrial beast of a track that Torche can produce. The song hits you like a battering ram as it comes out of the blocks, but without that trademark metal predictability. There’s something edgy about this band that fans of not just heavy music will enjoy.
They are pushing the boundaries of conventional heavy music, and I have a feeling their new EP ‘Harmonicraft’ is going to completely demolish those confines.
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