In Return EP - Torche (#6, 2006)

Torche hails from the southeastern United States. Their brand of punishing stoner sludge metal incorporates such weird components as melodic hooks and pscychedelicism. But only sometimes, to add flavor.


First three songs, from In Return (2006)

I heard that last year's Meanderthal full-length was good, but so far, an EP's worth of Torche is enough for me. After the bludgeoning intro-mental "Warship," the title track shows some QOTSA stoner-rock influence before devolving into primordial sludge. Then "Bring Me Home" slows down and spaces out, with trippy lead guitar and drawled out shouting.

The rest of the album mostly covers similar ground. The walloping, galloping "Rule the Beast" goes into a psychedelic breakdown, before unleashing a metallic guitar solo. "Olympus Mons" is a short but stately doom instrumental. Actually all the songs are pretty short for this style of music - mostly under 3 minutes. Finally, it becomes most heavy with the appropriately-named "Tarpit Carnivore" and "Hellion."


The packaging was designed by John Dyer Baizley, of Baroness fame, and it's pretty nice 10" gatefold stuff. With like a million different versions of colored vinyl, included in the homebrew video above. So 7 songs, 20 minutes: a perfect dose!

Official/Myspace - myspace.com/torche
Blogspot - /torcheband...
Purchase - All That Is Heavy
iTunes - Torche

Genre - Headbangin' Rock Fury
Review - Crustcake