Torche reviewed
Torche
Meanderthal
(Hydra Head)
A band called Torche releases a record called Meanderthal on the label Hydra Head. Sounds like a sure formula for beards, abstract song titles, lots of tempo changes, and eight-minute tracks, doesn’t it? Thinking-man’s metal, right?
Appearing: Sunday, July 20th at Empty Bottle in Chicago.
Truth is, Torche pack a ton of hooks and pop punch into their otherwise industrial strength-heavy songs, only two of which top four minutes. Along with Big Business (whom they sound awfully similar to on “Sundown”), Torche are the rare Hydra Head band even those who don’t smoke pot can dig, thanks to actual song structure and guitarist/vocalist Steve Brooks’ actual singing. The fact the band keep their two- and three-minute tunes so catchy, yet so thunderous, is impressive – likely a lesson learned from the Melvins, whose influence on Meanderthal isn’t hard to hear.
Yet, despite an obvious debt to Melvins and hints of Cave In and the aforementioned Big Business (yet another HH band), vocalist/guitarist Steve Brooks claims in interviews he has no allegiance to the word “heavy,” insisting he doesn’t consider Torche to be “metal” band, which has spurred genre-inventing music writers to use descriptions like stoner pop, thunder rock, and doom pop). He could be right, we suppose. But devastating tracks like “Grenades,” “Piraña,” and “Speed Of The Nail” sure say otherwise.
— Trevor Fisher
