Back in 2005, when Torche unleashed its debut helping of thunderous doom-pop, guitarist/vocalist Steve Brooks’ former band, Floor, was dead and buried. Never again would Brooks’ former and present groups compete for his time and attention. Well, never say never. Floor dropped Oblation last April. Suddenly, “a few reunion gigs” became a time-consuming reality, with Brooks balancing two bands’ write/record/tour cycles. It’s a juggling act Torche has been at since 2008 when members started moving away from the group’s Miami home base. Restarter, the band’s fourth LP, packs in all the familiar elements, but does so with a looser, more somber tone and sullen mood. The members of Torche will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new feature on them.
Rick Smith: When I first heard of Lightning Bolt, I was blown away. This was around the time they released their second record, Wonderful Rainbow. They seemed to be exactly what I was looking for in a band. The music was more high energy and aggressive than lots of metal bands, but lacked the pretentious, no-fun attitude. They also didn’t subscribe to the fashion trends of punk rock, but were seemingly more punk rock than anyone. The art was unique and colorful, with a playful vibe. The live experience was similar to being at a crazy rave in a parallel universe where fuzzed-out bass guitar played at maximum volume out of a wall of colorfully painted speakers coupled with out-of-control break beats blasting away at your face was the new Nirvana. Their energy is unreal, and anyone who wasn’t a fan before seeing them could not deny how fun and powerful they are, even if they ultimately decided it wasn’t something they’re into. Lightning Bolt are life affirming and inspiring to me on so many levels, and I consider them to be one of the most important bands of my time.
Video after the jump.
