Review Summary: Sit back, smoke up, and enjoy the riffs.
Few bands can attest to the phrase “less is more” better than Torche has on
Restarter. The Floridian foursome and their brand of metal are often associated with sludge or stoner rock. While neither label is wrong per se, they don’t paint Torche’s sound in a particularly intriguing light nor do they aptly convey the band’s penchant for creating mesmeric, mindlessly fun music. The whole of
Restarter is packed with simplistic riffs, tasteful feedback, pounding drums, and hypnotic (often harmonized) vocals. Every track is expertly crafted without ever coming across as complex or pretentious. All members are in sync, in constant motion, and play with an electric synergy that is impossible not to pick up on. It’s this disciplined yet lackadaisical tone that sets the band apart and makes
Restarter such an enchanting listen.
This is not to say Torche is unassuming in any way. On the contrary, the riffs are massive and are repeated to the point that they pleasantly drift into the backdrop, allowing for the dense atmosphere to illuminate the aural canvas and encapsulate the listener. That’s about as abstract as the album gets; I could dissect the musicality of each individual track but that would defeat the entire purpose. The album is forty odd minutes of hard-hitting doomy riffs that provides a relief from the overly polished sensory overload that dominates industry these days.
Restarter is honest and fun right down to its core. Torche don’t want to be the next Metallica – they simply ask you to sit back, smoke up, and enjoy the riffs.
Recommended Tracks:
➢ Minions
➢ Loose Men
➢ Blasted
➢ Barrier Hammer
➢ Restarter
