Opening with a crunchy bass chord, the song launches off with Brooks defiantly shouting over the noise “Burning city/Midsummer/Trade for any/Cool morning/Uncovered” followed by an excellent back and forth between Nuñez and Smith, creating a hard-hitting rhythmic bridge that ties together each phrase of the song. There’s also plenty of tracks on Restarter that harken back to the plodding sludge of the band’s early records, “Undone” being one of the best examples of the band doing heavy for the sake of heavy. Throw in a surprisingly catchy chorus of “Hide the devil/Pin the tail/Paved a trail/All unbearable/” and “Bishop in Arms” satisfies fans of both old and new Torche. “Bishop in Arms” borrows liberally from the band’s more recent output with its galloping drum line and intermittent guitar bursts, all underscored by a forward moving bass rhythm courtesy of Jonathan Nuñez. “Annihilation Affair” bursts forth with an immediate and crushing mix of repetitive cymbal crashes, low-end rhythm, a meaty bass line, and Brooks’ harmonized vocals combining into a high volume, high octane medley that ranks as one Torche’s most captivating songs to date. That is until Restarter, the group’s latest record, didn’t totally upend Torche’s previous musical progression in favor of a return to basics.Ĭombining the best of the band’s darker sound with the catchiness of later releases, Restarter is the band’s most unassuming and fun record to date. It seemed like Torche were on the same path as similar acts like Intronaut and Mastodon in their shift towards more easygoing sludge metal. But as the band continued, albums like Songs for Singles (2010) and Harmonicraft (2012) seemed to be embracing lighter harmonies and more upbeat, carefree melodies. Steve Brooks opted for either distant shouting or a menacing brand of singing to complement the dense guitar hooks and Rick Smith’s pounding drums. In Return (2007) and the eponymous Torche (2007) were energetic, faster-than-average mid-tempo albums that reveled in distortion and a liberal use of solo guitar riffs. There’s a reason “Blood and Thunder” is still one of Mastodon’s top tracks: it goes hard. This isn’t a slight against the band or the album but it was a disappointment for fans of the group’s earlier work. While it still bore the trademark Mastodon style, it was a far more accessible album with obvious intentions of radio play.
Mastodon’s Once More ‘Round the Sun (2014) is the most obvious example of this. Namely, the fact that quite a few of them have been slowly drifting away from their more intensive metal sound and experimenting with pop hooks and a style closer to hard rock than metal. I’m unsure whether there’s a specific term for what’s been happening to some big name sludge metal bands as of late. Review Summary: The torch burns brighter than ever