Wednesday, November 6, 2024

Q&A with Torche's Steve Brooks

“Pop metal” doesn’t have to be an oxymoron. Nor does it have to trigger bad flashbacks to the hairspray-hazed excesses of 80s glam. Miami’s Torche have been crafting seriously heavy songs with sturdy, memorable hooks for over a decade now. Their newest album, Restarter, keeps their melodic sensibility intact, while also featuring some of the thickest, sludgiest guitar tones in the band’s discography. On Friday, March 20, Torche is bringing their walloping, self-described brand of “thunder pop” live to The Loving Touch in Detroit. 

The new album Restarter has a heavier sound than the last couple records. Was that a conscious choice or did it just sort of evolve that way?

SB: It just evolved that way when we wrote it. We’ve always had slower, heavier songs on our albums, there just ended up being more of them this time.

You guys are signed to Relapse Records now, one of the biggest labels in underground metal. Has working with them changed anything for the band?

SB: It seems we’re getting a little more press now that before, so we’re noticing a difference there. As far as the record, they left us alone to do our thing. It was all in our court. They really liked the band, so they just put out the record, you know?

Your lyrics feel a little more political this time around. Is there some kind of connecting theme to the album?

SB: I don’t know, I was just going with the stuff that was on my mind. We’re not really a political band, I mean, we’re political in terms of the things that are going on around us. But we don’t have a message. We’re not trying to convert anybody. (laughs) Basically, I just come up with melodies, and those are the words that came out.

You resurrected your old band Floor and put an album out with them last year. Do you approach writing music differently for Floor than you do for Torche?

SB: I wrote a few songs on the new Floor album, but most of it was written by the other two members (Anthony Vialon and Henry Wilson). They wanted to do a new record, and I said “if you guys are into doing that, just start writing.”

Torche has played with a ton of different bands in different genres. When you’re touring with more extreme metal bands, do you find crowds being receptive to the more melodic aspects of the band?

SB: We don’t really fit into a specific category, but, I think, every different crowd we’ve played for, we’ve managed to win some people over, whether we’re touring with Converge, Mogwai, Boris. I guess the crowds we do best with are usually the more “rock” bands. But we don’t really sound like a lot of other bands. Maybe it’s an acquired taste (laughs). 

Tickets $12 in advance, $15 day of show. 8pm, Friday, March 20. The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, MI. 

“Pop metal” doesn’t have to be an oxymoron. Nor does it have to trigger bad flashbacks to the hairspray-hazed excesses of 80s glam. Miami’s Torche have been crafting seriously heavy songs with sturdy, memorable hooks for over a decade now. Their newest album, Restarter, keeps their melodic sensibility intact, while also featuring some of the thickest, sludgiest guitar tones in the band’s discography. On Friday, March 20, Torche is bringing their walloping, self-described brand of “thunder pop” live to The Loving Touch in Detroit. 

The new album Restarter has a heavier sound than the last couple records. Was that a conscious choice or did it just sort of evolve that way?

SB: It just evolved that way when we wrote it. We’ve always had slower, heavier songs on our albums, there just ended up being more of them this time.

You guys are signed to Relapse Records now, one of the biggest labels in underground metal. Has working with them changed anything for the band?

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SB: It seems we’re getting a little more press now that before, so we’re noticing a difference there. As far as the record, they left us alone to do our thing. It was all in our court. They really liked the band, so they just put out the record, you know?

Your lyrics feel a little more political this time around. Is there some kind of connecting theme to the album?

SB: I don’t know, I was just going with the stuff that was on my mind. We’re not really a political band, I mean, we’re political in terms of the things that are going on around us. But we don’t have a message. We’re not trying to convert anybody. (laughs) Basically, I just come up with melodies, and those are the words that came out.

You resurrected your old band Floor and put an album out with them last year. Do you approach writing music differently for Floor than you do for Torche?

SB: I wrote a few songs on the new Floor album, but most of it was written by the other two members (Anthony Vialon and Henry Wilson). They wanted to do a new record, and I said “if you guys are into doing that, just start writing.”

Torche has played with a ton of different bands in different genres. When you’re touring with more extreme metal bands, do you find crowds being receptive to the more melodic aspects of the band?

SB: We don’t really fit into a specific category, but, I think, every different crowd we’ve played for, we’ve managed to win some people over, whether we’re touring with Converge, Mogwai, Boris. I guess the crowds we do best with are usually the more “rock” bands. But we don’t really sound like a lot of other bands. Maybe it’s an acquired taste (laughs). 

Tickets $12 in advance, $15 day of show. 8pm, Friday, March 20. The Loving Touch, 22634 Woodward Ave., Ferndale, MI. 

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