Every time I listen to Torche, I catch myself thinking how much cooler they would sound if they dropped a bit of screamo to match the bassy, grinding, sludge metal-influenced guitar lines that have become their signature sound. However, I must remind myself that not every sludge metal band wants to sound like EyeHateGod. In fact, Torche have built up such a unique sound that it would be a bit unfair to compare them to any other band or genre. Guitarist and vocalist Steve Brooks said himself how he didn’t consider Torche a metal band, and although that’s debatable, their peculiar sound and aesthetic has some difficulty being labelled.
It’s been two years since the release of their last album, Harmonicraft, and with a new album on the horizon, Restarter, the time has come to sample the new single, “Minions." The track is a direct reference to their sludge roots, with a heavy, dragging bass line held back by some Sabbath-style hat/snare percussion. Each verse ends with a slurred “come my minions," which I can just imagine being powerfully shouted in unison with the crowd in concerts to come. The song isn’t particularly progressive, a bit of a throwback really, but that doesn’t mean the next album will be just another Torche album.
- Fin Worrall