Torche tends to operate in two gears. First is their knack for writing catchy pop songs and recording them alongside booming drums and massively detuned guitars, giving the songs an unexpected heaviness. The second gear, perhaps their trademark, is their ability to create massive, menacing drones that shake their listeners to their very core.

Hot on the heels of their 2012 album Harmonicraft, an album which contained some of the most hooky and accessible music of the band’s career comes the 7″ single Harmonslaught and as the name implies, it is violent. Utilizing a crushing wall of noise, huge drums, detuned guitars and a handful of quality riffs, the song pummels its listeners into submission.

The b-side, “Rock ‘n’ Roll Mantasy” is considerably more upbeat, but it too rides on a good riff and some dedicated droning throughout. For those who felt that Harmonicraft was too soft, Harmonslaught is the ideal response, proving that Torche is still a heavyweight in the realm of drone/sludge metal