Winnipeg trio Throne Torcher just released their new LP, The Mechanics of a Nightmare, last week.
The sound is a well-crafted blend of metallic hardcore and noise rock, with elements of ambient creeping in around the edges.
Everything kicks off with the fierce “Terrible Complexity”, an intimidating piece of blazing hardcore. The sound is powerful but distinct, every instrument can be heard and sounds warm and nuanced. There is a bit of head-nodding goodness breaking up the initial onslaught and then halfway through the track, the volume drops considerably. This ambiance is slowly built back up, and the trio displays it’s deftness for dynamic control and instrumental intrigue.
“Only Ghosts” seems intent on picking up the Molotov-intensity of the first half of “Terrible Complexity," but once again they find themselves introducing more elements of dirty math into the mix.
They transition from speed to complexity quickly, like Converge being kicked off the stage by the Dazzling Killmen.
This quickly segue ways into the kind of riff that proves to be one of Throne Torcher’s greatest strengths. The guitar finds a beefy but melodic-figure and rides it home on top of a driving rhythm section.
This kind of heavy yet catchy riff pops up again quickly on “Cadaver Dogs," like a noise rock band toying with melodic death metal. The sound is still heavy, but nevertheless, you’ll find yourself humming the riff long after the record is over. “Despair Orgy” leans more into the noise rock, reminiscent of the aforementioned Killmen or Craw. Then they find themselves in a labyrinth of riffs, more of the heavy yet melodic material, then a bit of punked up thrash, all followed by some almost doomy cadences.
The title track is the perfect culmination of the rest. The song isn’t divided between the noise rock parts and the hardcore parts but instead is a marriage of the two approaches. The track ends with another memorable but heavy riff, it sounds both intense but somewhat melancholy, like the fires start to dwindle away on their own accord.
It’s not easy to dig up info on this trio, but Throne Torcher sounds like the work of scene veterans. Furious and powerful on the surface, The Mechanics of a Nightmare is full of ambition, subtlety and nuance. It is the product of both countless hours crafting in the rehearsal room and perhaps even more time just existing as deep and thoughtful listeners.
Throne Torcher not only know their stuff, but they were also able to transfer that knowledge to record. Don’t sleep on these guys, we are sure to hear more from them in the future.
Get It
- Bandcamp (Digital)
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