Torche
Meanderthal
Hydra Head (2008)
By now, most people that care enough to know that Torche's point of origination begins with the fall of Steve Brooks' former band, Floor. Torche has certainly done enough differently to explicitly set itself apart from the former group, but it seems as though now they are coming full circle with the second Torche LP, Meanderthal. Following the excellent In Return, this full-length finds the band tightening their compositions and song structures even further resulting in some rather brief excursions, much like Floor's MO. While this is not completely unexpected, Meanderthal seemingly resolves the differences of both outfits and marries them into a cohesive onslaught of down tuned guitars and heavy music with more than the occasional pop sheen. Opening with "Triumph of Venus" is the completely right choice, and although the beginning of the song seems a bit short, the mostly instrumental (save for the choir-esque vocals in the opening) sets up the following song very well. "Grenades" is so melodic and poppy that it hurts; the guitar melody is catchy and slick while the clean vocals, sometimes in harmony, that Torche utilizes from time to time, and the rhythm section (and rhythm guitar) anchors the entire arrangement with … Read more
Mike Patton
A Perfect Place
Ipecac (2008)
It's been no secret that for quite some time now, Mike Patton has wanted to broaden his ever-widening horizons into … Read more
End of Level Boss
Inside the Difference Engine
Exile on Mainstream (2007)
It's all about the riffs for these English lads: big, thick, rumbling and sometimes peculiar riffs. I have to say … Read more
