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: I try to stay involved in as many kinds of music as possible. I grew up deeply immersed in different underground sub cultures, going through phases where I was diehard about one thing or the other for periods of time. It’s foolish to think back on a time for me when metal was law, and if I was caught dancing to hip hop or electronic music, I was no longer considered to be truly “into” metal. The world is filled with amazing music, the realm of sound is absolutely limitless. The day I decided I could get into anything regardless of what others think was the day that doors to a world of endless possibilities opened up to me.
