LP Review: 'Restarter' by Torche

Restarter explodes straight into “Annihilation Affair” just to remind us all that Torche is back. With a driving, sharp riff and droning vocals, the band that has become so hard to categorize again defies labels. Fans of metal, stoner rock, shoegaze and sludge lay claim to Torche and they’re all legit. With three full albums and a handful of EPs, Torche is a band on the cusp of becoming one of the premiere heavy bands of the past decade. The current lineup includes founding members Steve Brooks, Jonathan Nuñez and Rick Smith joined by Andrew Elstne.

Restarter doesn’t let you rest. From the driving beat of “Bishop in Arms” to the hooky melody of “Blasted,” Torche thankfully doesn’t stray far from their heavy, melodic compositions. Every song is a gem with nary a filler tune in sight. Don’t bother buying the individual songs. Opt for the entire album and you won’t be disappointed.

And if you thought Torche was just a band, think again. They are also out to save the world (or at least Miami) from bloodthirsty robots in their homage to classic 16-bit video gaming, TORCHE VS ROBOTS. Pick a band member and set off to collect orbs, annihilate robots and save us all – to the tune of “Annihilation Affair,” of course.

Restarter comes out on February 24^th and is available for pre-order from the band’s website - http://www.torchemusic.com/.

Torche continues to deliver highly refined yet organic, heavy music. They know what their fans want and they deliver it – with earbleeding intensity. Restarter is already on my list for best albums of 2015.