Album review: Torch “Reignited”
Reunited Swedish hard rockers Torch have brought their 1980s heavy metal sound with them into 2020. All metal, no rust!
Swedish heavy metal band Torch made a name for itself in the early to mid-1980s. They released a few albums, now cult classics, and toured in Europe before they broke up in 1986. In 2013, four of the original band members reunited with the addition of a new guitarist. The reunion was well received and they kept on playing, including a successful gig at Sweden Rock Festival in 2018. In 2019, they started work on new music and now the comeback album “Reignited” is here. The album kicks off in style with the hard-hitting track “Knuckle Duster”. “Reignited” is an excellent metal album. Some of this sounds like Accept. Some of it hints at other 1980s Swedish acts like 220 Volt, Madison and Heavy Load. “Cradle to Grave” has a bit of an AC/DC vibe and “Collateral Damage” has Judas Priest touches while other songs have hints of W.A.S.P. and Mötley Crüe. Torch is a melting pot of 1980s metal that has been updated and given a contemporary upgrade. The result is very good. They manage to sound a lot like 1980s metal but without becoming a retro or tribute act. Back to the future! One of my favourite songs on the album, “In the Dead of Night”, is a terrific and catchy metal song. Vocalist Dan Dark has a voice made for singing this kind of catchy metal music. Other splendid songs include “All Metal, No Rust”, “Feed the Flame”, “Snake Charmer” and “To the Devil His Due”. Torch never made it big in the 1980s. Perhaps the band’s second coming will change that.
Torch’s new album “Reignited” will be released on 25th September via Metalville.
