Album Review: Torso - Annihilation Day
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
When selecting new music to review, I look for a mix of things, band name, album title, type of genre and what sort of buzz is surrounding that band. Torso has a mix of all those things, and with their third album being released by the excellent Manchester based APF Records, it’s got a lot going for it.
Rising from the ashes of horror metal band Possessor, frontman, guitarist and horror fan Graham Bywater has unleashed his unique brand of DIY, fuzz fuelled mayhem on the public since 2022, and he shows no signs of slowing up with the latest release “Annihilation Day”. There are 4 songs on his first concept album, which are based around the evil tale of an escaped madman in a small university town, which is introduced perfectly on opening track “The Halls Run Red”. You feel as if you are an 80’s horror flick, where Atari game consoles rule, and the chaos is unleashed from Bywater’s brain.
The beats are hypnotic, the guitars frenetic, like a stabbing scene from said 80’s horror films, and you don’t want it to end any time soon. You get some respite in the middle section, where the vocals are cleaner and the music is less intense, but it ramps back up in no time, with a cracking little thrash riff that I love. Ringing bells signal the start of “Satanic Nirvana” before the blackened metal rhythm comes pulsating through like Jack Nicholson delivering the famous “Here’s Johnny” line in The Shining.
You can feel the tension rising throughout the second track and the tempo changes are enjoyable, but what I’m enjoying most, is that there’s no let up from start to finish. It sounds gritty and raw, abrasive and dark, but on the flip side, it’s so much fun to listen to. The ambience changes for the beginning of “Blast Furnace”, sci-fi has taken over the town, like a scene from “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, before the drum and guitar pummels away at your body.
The ferocity returns with great aplomb, each note sounding more forceful and severe than its predecessor, which is testament to the ability of Bywater. It allows him to concentrate on creating soundscapes that are meant to keep you on the edge, not knowing what will happen next. The grand finale is a nine-minute bass driven track called “Show Your Face”, which further adds to the blend of nostalgia, cynicism and pandemonium that “Annihilation Day” represents. The switch of beat and tempo around 3 minutes in caught me a bit by surprise, but it injected even more life into the fast-beating carcass of song. This is going to please a lot of people when they listen to it, and Torso are one to keep a close eye on.
