Torqued are a band that have been on Moshville Times’ radar for some time now. We first came across them back in 2017 when Ross was pleasantly surprised by this three piece heavy metal band when he saw them at Wildfire saying that the groove and crunch sounded like there were twice as many of them onstage. This huge sound is what has already come to define Torqued and when the debut EP was delivered back in June 2018 it was this, as well as quality song writing that so impressed Mosh in his review of the EP.
Fast forward another few months, a lot of decent live experience under their belts and Devon’s Torqued are ready to unleash their latest offering to the world, their Coup De Grace EP. “Unleashed” is exactly the right word because the first thing that is going to hit you with this new EP is the urgency of the songs. Torqued are no longer messing around, they are here to take you down. This new EP is intense, it’s in your face, it will get your blood pumping. Yes, the signature groove metal sound is still there but now it has been packaged with a fireball of pent up rage that is either designed to grab you by throat and shake you until you submit or is just a metaphor for where the band seem to be right now, ready to take on the world.
Despite this new-found dynamic one thing is clear, Torqued have delivered another quality EP complete with 4 cracking and catchy songs. But it is not just the intensity that has changed, the introduction of all three members taking parts of the vocals has added another dimension to their sound. It further enhances the sound they already had and gives it an even wider commercial appeal.
What’s great about this EP is that is can be played on repeat and shuffle and it still makes perfect sense, all 4 songs working well with each other. The atmospheric and slow-paced “Coup De Grace” is the perfect opener though, building the atmosphere but most importantly the tension- a coiled rattlesnake of a song, getting more and more agitated before its strikes with screams of “You only get one life! You lived a lie. You belong to me.”
“Open Wound” doesn’t let that intensity drop, and even though the chops change speed there is a sense of abiding doom throughout this track and as it picks up pace this overwhelming feeling of dread only increases… but somehow leaves you feeling exhilarated.
“The Revelation” is a great conclusion. Just the right pace, vocal range and rhythm that lets off a little in its darkness and gets you wanting to join in. Hypnotic, it feels as though you are part of the hoard.
For me this is a step in the right direction for Torqued. Bigger, louder, more intense than ever. This band is metamorphosing with each release and that process is getting more intense. What it is metamorphosing into though is a whirlwind of intensity, power, darkness and pure rage and if you find yourself anywhere near its path it is going to swallow you whole. But by then it will be too late, it will be what you want.
Coup De Grace is out on Friday 29th March 2019
#WeareTorqued