Torche To Light Up Empty Bottle Stage Saturday

By Casey Moffitt in Arts & Entertainment on Mar 12, 2015 3:30PM

Photo by Janette Valentine

Torche brings its inescapably heavy sound to Empty Bottle Saturday hot on the heels of the band's fourth release, Restarter.

Restarter hits like a linebacker with its vicious, distorted guitars. The opening riff to "Annihilation Affair" hits so hard it hurts the next morning. It absolutely pummels with guitars tones that are punchy yet still gross, and aided by a punishing drum sound that keeps it from getting too sludgy or muddy, which could take away from the immediate impact.

What sets the Miami band apart from other stoner/sludge/doom/brown metal acts is their ability to write catchy tunes. Torche shines when they keep their songs short, sweet and to the point. Sometimes there is nothing wrong with a good, old-fashioned verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-chorus and get out method, and Torche isn't afraid to use this well-worn formula to create some infections tracks. "Keep it simple, stupid" is an axiom Torche utilizes very well on tracks like "Bishop in Arms," "Loose Men" and "Blasted," which keep the tempo up, the riffs simple, the drums primal and the melodies basic.

Where Restarter gets into trouble is when the band drops the tempo and starts using heavy sounds to create a gloomy mood. These songs tend to develop tunnel vision as the band repeats the same sequence of riffs to a near maddening level, yet without creating a hypnotic vibe. They will throw in a syncopated beat here or add a beat there derailing any kind of groove they had developed.

The worst offender is the album's closer, also the title track. It starts promising with a driving riff and drum beat that will make you feel like you're cruising on an empty desert road. Quickly though, the song turns into a horrendous journey to nowhere as the riff repeats over and over and over for more than eight minutes. A layer of a loose guitar part will be dropped over the riff, then another and another, but it never adds up to anything. There is no off ramp, and the song starts going in circles.

Torche is a solid band, but they're not out to wow you with blistering solos, wild drum fills or any kind of flash. It's kind of appealing, but when a song starts becoming monotonous, it could use some creative harmonies or some other element to keep it interesting.

Still, the material from Restrater will translate into a wicked show this weekend, loud enough to knock you down.

Torche performs Saturday, March 14 at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., 9 p.m. $15, 21+