Torche: Harmonicraft

[rating=2.50]

Torche have had lineup and label changes but they continue their unorthodox hard rock on Harmonicraft.  13 songs with a total running time of 39 minutes doesn’t seem excessive but these short songs pack a wallop with layers of drums, chunky guitars and electric flights of fancy that seem to go for extended period.   The songs can go from easily anthemic to weighted down sludge pretty quickly as styles can flip measure to measure.  The math rock of “Sky Trials” sounds like a different band then the down trodden “In Pieces” as new axe slinger Andrew Elstner fires lead riffs all over the place.

Vocalist Scott Brooks seems to be covered in reverb and the lyrics act more as sing-along glue holding the music together then addressing any real issues, but “Kicking” and “Let It Go” have a powerful feel to them from the singing down to the crashing drums.  Tracks like “Snakes Are Charmed” and “Skin Moth” highlights the crisp production and all the different layers of sound the band can put into a song, but things get repetitive as the album goes on.  Harmonicraft isn’t paint by numbers hard rock, but it also isn’t breathing life into arena rock at the moment.  

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