Torche
Encyclopedia
Torche is a band from Miami, Florida
, whose sound is often described as stoner metal, or sludge metal
.
), Juan Montoya (ex-Floor, ex-Cavity
, ex-Ed Matus Struggle), Jonathan Nuñez and Rick Smith (who also played in the grindcore
bands Shitstorm, Tyranny of Shaw, Adore Miridia, and the screamo
band Tunes for Bears to Dance To).
According to MTracks.com: "Their music has a unique, hard-hitting sound that provokes a wide range of emotions, and they have a large fan base throughout the world."
They have toured with Mogwai
, Isis
, Pelican
, Black Cobra, Baroness
, Jesu
, The Sword, Stinking Lizaveta
, Harvey Milk
, Boris
, and High on Fire
. Steve Brooks, however, has said that they don't consider themselves a metal
band. In describing the band's sound, Smith said in an interview: "To me it's mostly a combination of everything we listen to collectively as a band. We take what we like from what we grew up on and use it as creatively as we can. I think the meshing of different sounds comes naturally just because we all have different musical backgrounds yet have a ton of common interests." In terms of touring, Brooks said Torche is getting more of a young crowd.
On April 8, 2008, the band released their second full-length, entitled Meanderthal. It was produced by Kurt Ballou
(Converge
, Genghis Tron
).
It was met with critical acclaim, including that from Decibel Magazine
who ranked Meanderthal #1 on their list of the Top 40 Extreme Albums of 2008 as well as an 8.2/10 by Pitchfork Media
. In an interview, Brooks said the band themselves came up with the album's concept in terms of artwork and packaging, along with Aaron Turner
Brooks has also said that in terms of writing material, the band focuses on what they like, rather than worrying about a "backlash" from their fans.
Guitarist Stephen Brooks is one of the few openly gay musicians in the punk rock / metal scene. He did an interview round table in 2008 on thestranger.com with other openly gay musicians such as Brian Cook
(Russian Circles
, These Arms Are Snakes
, Botch
), and Juan Velazquez of Abe Vigoda
.
In late 2008 Juan Montoya left the band, a move credited to musical differences. Steve Brooks said "He is an amazing guitarist, but we are just not on the same page... but Torche will still carry on as a 3 piece band". As of 2010, Juan Montoya joined up with ex-Bloodsimple members Bevan Davies
and Kyle Sanders, and Charlie Suarez of Sunday Driver to create the band "MonstrO
" In an interview with Malia James, Brooks revealed that Montoya's departure was acrimonious, and involved physical violence between the two of them.
Torche embarked on tours with bands such as dredg
in April 2009, and another with a reunited Harvey Milk
. The band opened for Coheed and Cambria
on their headlining tour alongside Circa Survive
in spring 2010.
On January 14, 2011, it was announced on the Riverfront Times Blog that Andrew Elstner (Riddle of Steel, Tilts) will be joining Torche.
Touring members
Former members
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, whose sound is often described as stoner metal, or sludge metal
Sludge metal
Sludge metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that melds elements of doom metal and hardcore punk, and sometimes incorporates influences from southern rock, stoner rock and grunge. Sludge metal is typically abrasive; often featuring shouted vocals, heavily distorted instruments and sharply contrasting...
.
Biography
The group was formed in 2004 by Steve Brooks (ex-FloorFloor (band)
-Biography:Floor was formed in 1992 by Steve Brooks , Anthony Vialon , and Betty Monteavaro . Jeff Sousa became the drummer in late 1993, and Steve and Anthony switched to just having two low-tuned guitars with no bassist. Several vinyl-only 7" EPs were released until their first break in 1996...
), Juan Montoya (ex-Floor, ex-Cavity
Cavity (band)
Cavity was an American sludge metal band from Miami, Florida. They formed in 1992 and broke up around 2003. Steve Brooks and Juan Montoya would go on to play in Torche and Floor...
, ex-Ed Matus Struggle), Jonathan Nuñez and Rick Smith (who also played in the grindcore
Grindcore
Grindcore is an extreme genre of music that started in the early- to mid-1980s. It draws inspiration from some of the most abrasive music genres – including death metal, industrial music, noise and the more extreme varieties of hardcore punk....
bands Shitstorm, Tyranny of Shaw, Adore Miridia, and the screamo
Screamo
Screamo, though used loosely to generally describe music that features screamed vocals, is actually a musical subgenre of hardcore punk which predominantly evolved from emo, among other genres, in the early 1990s...
band Tunes for Bears to Dance To).
According to MTracks.com: "Their music has a unique, hard-hitting sound that provokes a wide range of emotions, and they have a large fan base throughout the world."
They have toured with Mogwai
Mogwai
The word mogwai is the transliteration of the Cantonese word 魔怪 meaning "monster", "evil spirit", "devil" or "demon".-Mogwai/Mogui in Chinese culture:...
, Isis
Isis (band)
Isis was a Los Angeles, California-based post-metal band, founded in Boston, Massachusetts, with a career spanning from 1997 to 2010...
, Pelican
Pelican (band)
Pelican is a post-metal quartet from Chicago, Illinois.-Biography and description:The band is known for its dense combinations of different melodies and extended track lengths. Its distinctive sound draws from stoner rock, doom metal, post-rock, and other influences...
, Black Cobra, Baroness
Baroness (band)
Baroness is a band from Savannah, Georgia whose members grew up together in Lexington, Virginia.-Formative years:Baroness formed in mid-2003, founded by former members of the punk/metal band Johnny Welfare and the Paychecks...
, Jesu
Jesu (band)
Jesu is a post-metal band formed in 2003 by Justin Broadrick following the breakup of Godflesh. Jesu was the name of the last song on the final Godflesh release, Hymns, and Broadrick decided to adopt it as the name of this project....
, The Sword, Stinking Lizaveta
Stinking Lizaveta
Stinking Lizaveta is a power trio from Philadelphia that plays heavy instrumental rock. MusicMight categorizes them as "doom jazz". Their 1996 debut album was recorded by Steve Albini. Albini was so impressed by them, he brought them to the All Tomorrow's Parties festival he co-curated in 2004...
, Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk (band)
Harvey Milk are an American experimental rock/noise rock band that formed in Athens, Georgia in the early 1990s. While Harvey Milk invariably draws comparisons to the Melvins, due to their penchant for slow, heavy riffs, the band has touched upon such artists as ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Leonard Cohen,...
, Boris
Boris (band)
is a Japanese experimental rock band, known for often combining and switching between different music genres including drone metal, sludge metal, noise rock, psychedelic rock, ambient and pop...
, and High on Fire
High on Fire
High on Fire is a stoner metal band from Oakland, California, that was formed in 1998. Matt Pike, the band's frontman and founder, previously played guitar for the influential stoner doom band Sleep.-History:...
. Steve Brooks, however, has said that they don't consider themselves a metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band. In describing the band's sound, Smith said in an interview: "To me it's mostly a combination of everything we listen to collectively as a band. We take what we like from what we grew up on and use it as creatively as we can. I think the meshing of different sounds comes naturally just because we all have different musical backgrounds yet have a ton of common interests." In terms of touring, Brooks said Torche is getting more of a young crowd.
On April 8, 2008, the band released their second full-length, entitled Meanderthal. It was produced by Kurt Ballou
Kurt Ballou
Kurt Ballou is the guitarist from Massachusetts-based band Converge. Aside from his role in Converge, he is a prolific producer, engineering and producing out of his own Godcity studio.- GodCity studio :...
(Converge
Converge (band)
Converge is an American band from Salem, Massachusetts. Playing a blend of hardcore punk and metal since 1990, Converge has helped to define many of the elements of the metalcore genre.-Description:...
, Genghis Tron
Genghis Tron
Genghis Tron is a three-piece experimental metal band formed in Poughkeepsie, New York, USA, and currently based in Brooklyn, New York and San Francisco, California. Genghis Tron signed to Relapse Records after releasing two recordings on Crucial Blast. The band is noted for its creative...
).
It was met with critical acclaim, including that from Decibel Magazine
Decibel magazine
Decibel is a monthly heavy metal and extreme music magazine published by the Philadelphia-based Red Flag Media. Since October 2004, Decibel has featured a plethora of extreme metal bands and musicians. Its sections include Upfront, Features, Reviews, Guest Columns and the Decibel Hall of Fame...
who ranked Meanderthal #1 on their list of the Top 40 Extreme Albums of 2008 as well as an 8.2/10 by Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
. In an interview, Brooks said the band themselves came up with the album's concept in terms of artwork and packaging, along with Aaron Turner
Aaron Turner
Aaron Turner is a musician, singer, graphic artist, and founder of label Hydra Head Records. He is most widely known for his role as guitarist and vocalist for the post-metal band Isis, while also participating in several other bands and projects such as Old Man Gloom and Lotus Eaters.Though raised...
Brooks has also said that in terms of writing material, the band focuses on what they like, rather than worrying about a "backlash" from their fans.
Guitarist Stephen Brooks is one of the few openly gay musicians in the punk rock / metal scene. He did an interview round table in 2008 on thestranger.com with other openly gay musicians such as Brian Cook
Brian Cook (musician)
Brian Cook is an American bass guitarist currently in the band Russian Circles. He was also previously a full-time member of Botch, These Arms Are Snakes and Roy, and also a session musician for Mouth of the Architect...
(Russian Circles
Russian Circles
Russian Circles is a three piece instrumental rock/metal band from Chicago. Russian Circles play instrumental, sprawling music which runs the gamut of heavy discordant metal, to soft delicate passages...
, These Arms Are Snakes
These Arms Are Snakes
These Arms Are Snakes was an American post-hardcore band that formed in 2002 and featured former members of Botch and Kill Sadie. The band was known for their intense live shows, which often feature vocalist Steve Snere crowd surfing and spending a large portion of the live performance in the...
, Botch
Botch (band)
Botch was a four-piece mathcore band from Tacoma, Washington, United States, that formed in 1993 and disbanded in 2002.-History:The band released two full-length albums and a handful of smaller releases including several singles and an EP. Its members went on an indefinite hiatus to form Roy,...
), and Juan Velazquez of Abe Vigoda
Abe Vigoda (band)
Abe Vigoda is a punk rock band based in Los Angeles, California, but are originally from Chino, California; a city in the Inland Empire. They frequently perform at The Smell. The May 2008 issue of The Fader magazine features an interview with the band....
.
In late 2008 Juan Montoya left the band, a move credited to musical differences. Steve Brooks said "He is an amazing guitarist, but we are just not on the same page... but Torche will still carry on as a 3 piece band". As of 2010, Juan Montoya joined up with ex-Bloodsimple members Bevan Davies
Bevan Davies
Bevan Davies is an American musician best known as the drummer for the groups Still Rain, Madfly, Comes with the Fall and Danzig while he is currently a member of MonstrO, a group he formed with former members of Bloodsimple and Torche...
and Kyle Sanders, and Charlie Suarez of Sunday Driver to create the band "MonstrO
MonstrO (band)
MonstrO is an alternative band composed of former Still Rain, Danzig and Bloodsimple drummer Bevan Davies, former Bloodsimple, Medication and Skrew bassist Kyle Sanders, former Torche guitarist Juan Montoya and guitarist and vocalist Charlie Suarez formerly of Sunday Driver...
" In an interview with Malia James, Brooks revealed that Montoya's departure was acrimonious, and involved physical violence between the two of them.
Torche embarked on tours with bands such as dredg
Dredg
Dredg is an American rock group formed in 1993 in Los Gatos, California. The band consists of vocalist Gavin Hayes, guitarist Mark Engles, bassist Drew Roulette and drummer Dino Campanella....
in April 2009, and another with a reunited Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk (band)
Harvey Milk are an American experimental rock/noise rock band that formed in Athens, Georgia in the early 1990s. While Harvey Milk invariably draws comparisons to the Melvins, due to their penchant for slow, heavy riffs, the band has touched upon such artists as ZZ Top, Led Zeppelin, Leonard Cohen,...
. The band opened for Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....
on their headlining tour alongside Circa Survive
Circa Survive
Circa Survive is an American alternative rock band from the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania suburb of Doylestown, formed in 2004. The band consists of vocalist Anthony Green, former singer of Saosin and members of the now-defunct This Day Forward....
in spring 2010.
On January 14, 2011, it was announced on the Riverfront Times Blog that Andrew Elstner (Riddle of Steel, Tilts) will be joining Torche.
Members
Current members- Steve Brooks – guitarsElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
, vocals - Jonathan Nuñez – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Rick Smith – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Andrew Elstner - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals
Touring members
- Howard Johnston – live guitars (2010)
Former members
- Juan Montoya – guitars (2004–2008)
Studio albums
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Torche Torche (album) Torche is the self-titled debut album from the Miami-based metal band Torche. The album was released through Robotic Empire on March 8, 2005... |
Robotic Empire Robotic Empire Robotic Empire is an American record label based out of Richmond, Virginia. They specialize in hardcore punk, metalcore, and alternative rock. Some of the most popular bands signed to the label over the years have been pg.99, City of Caterpillar, Crowpath, The Red Chord, Circle Takes the Square,... / Rock Action Records Rock Action Records Rock Action Records is a Glasgow-based record label, founded and maintained by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai. The label has showcased such diverse talents as Part Chimp, Errors, Trout, The James Orr Complex and Kling Klang, has licensed music for UK release from Torche, Envy, Afrirampo and... |
| 2008 | Meanderthal Meanderthal (album) Meanderthal is the second full length studio album by the Miami, Florida band Torche. It was released on April 8, 2008.-Reception:In the January 2009 issue of Decibel Magazine, Meanderthal was ranked #1 atop the list of the Top 40 Extreme Albums of 2008.- Track listing :#"Triumph of Venus" -... |
Hydra Head Records Hydra Head Records Hydra Head Records is an independent record label which specializes in heavy metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner in 1993... / Robotic Empire Robotic Empire Robotic Empire is an American record label based out of Richmond, Virginia. They specialize in hardcore punk, metalcore, and alternative rock. Some of the most popular bands signed to the label over the years have been pg.99, City of Caterpillar, Crowpath, The Red Chord, Circle Takes the Square,... |
EPs
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | In Return | Robotic Empire Robotic Empire Robotic Empire is an American record label based out of Richmond, Virginia. They specialize in hardcore punk, metalcore, and alternative rock. Some of the most popular bands signed to the label over the years have been pg.99, City of Caterpillar, Crowpath, The Red Chord, Circle Takes the Square,... / Rock Action Records Rock Action Records Rock Action Records is a Glasgow-based record label, founded and maintained by Scottish post-rock band Mogwai. The label has showcased such diverse talents as Part Chimp, Errors, Trout, The James Orr Complex and Kling Klang, has licensed music for UK release from Torche, Envy, Afrirampo and... |
| 2009 | Healer / Across the Shields Healer / Across the Shields Healer / Across the Shields is an EP by the Miami-based band Torche. It was released as a 12″ vinyl with a DVD containing music videos for "Healer" and "Across the Shields". The vinyl was colored either black, orange, or purple... |
Hydra Head Records Hydra Head Records Hydra Head Records is an independent record label which specializes in heavy metal music, founded in New Mexico by Aaron Turner in 1993... |
| 2010 | Songs for Singles Songs for Singles Songs for Singles is an EP by the American rock band Torche. The album was released on September 21, 2010 through Hydra Head Records. It is the first Torche album, and second release after the split single Chapter Ahead Being Fake, to not feature guitarist Juan Montoya.-Writing and recording:Torche... |
Hydra Head Records |
Splits
| Year | Title | Label |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Chapter Ahead Being Fake Chapter Ahead Being Fake Chapter Ahead Being Fake is a split album featuring songs from Japanese band Boris and American band Torche. The album was released on August 19, 2009 in Japan through Daymare Records on CD, the same day Boris's split album with 9dw, Golden Dance Classics, was released... (split with Boris Boris (band) is a Japanese experimental rock band, known for often combining and switching between different music genres including drone metal, sludge metal, noise rock, psychedelic rock, ambient and pop... ) |
Daymare Records |
| 2011 | Torche / Part Chimp Torche / Part Chimp Torche / Part Chimp is a split EP between the American sludge metal band Torche and the English noise rock band Part Chimp. The album was released on November 5, 2011, through Chunklet Industries—a date which coincided with a tour of the eastern United States featuring both bands. The vinyl edition... |
Chunklet Chunklet (magazine) Chunklet is a Georgia-based humor and music magazine founded by Henry H. Owings in 1993.-History:Henry Owings began publishing Chunklet in Athens, GA while freelancing for alternative newsweekly Flagpole Magazine... |