Torche

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Torche was one of the best alternative rock bands of the 2000s and it was clear right from the very beginning. What made them so special was their ability to meld the menacing styles of doom, sludge, stoner and thrash metal in a way that was very fun and accessible. Even with the heavily detuned guitars, tempos that either ran like molasses or felt like you were racing down fury road, the band had an incredible knack for injecting these brighter, dead simple melodic moments or other catchy gimmicks that hooked you deep. Let's go down the list. Slack strings sound off like bombs when struck on tracks like Charge of the Brown Recluse and Holy Roar, and it is so visceral and impactful. Ping-pong delayed vocals euphorically disorient on the blistering Safe. Vampyro and Fire balance these heavier chugging riffs in the guitar's lower register with these really bright guitar leads. Rockit is a solid minute of just amazing guitar riffs. Juan Montaya's guitar solos create even more enthralling sonic chaos on numerous tracks. And finally, Fuck Addict and The Last Word are these patient, tranquil, slow burning numbers that eventually erupt with crashing cymbals and those super heavy guitars.

In addition to the front-to-back bangers, I just really love the sound of this record. The production is very modest and doesn't try extremely hard to sound heavy. That heaviness just comes about naturally from the tone of the guitars and the energetic drum performances. Nothing sounds artificially touched up or pumped up in the way a lot of modern rock and metal records tend to be. Even Steve Brooks' vocals are a little shaky as far as pitch is concerned, but the performances are impeccable, and often times soaring. To manipulate or dissect any piece of Brooks' performances, in the quest for perfection, would truly detract from the metal magic that was captured. So Torche has it all. It has the songs, it has the sound, it has the performances, and it is wildly fun and catchy. It is a must listen for fans of the mentioned metal subgenres, but I also implore those who maybe haven't ventured into heavier forms of music to give this one a shot as well.