Release Date: September 13th 2024. Record Label: APF Records. Formats: CD/DD/Cassette
Brain Cells - Track Listing:
1.You Belong In Hell
2.Blood Frenzy
3.Savage Magic (featuring Herschell Gordon Lewis)
4.Deep Space Death Trap
5.Skin Crawl / Trepanator
6.Hex Pest
7.Brain Cells
8.Drop The Casket
Line-up:
Graham Bywater - Everything
Review
Grindhouse/Sleaze/Doom/Stoner Rock outfit TORSO comes screaming back to life with their new album Brain Cells which is their first release since their acclaimed 2023 debut album A Crash Course In Terror. This time round TORSO creative mastermind Graham Bywater focuses upon a more Sci-Fi twist compared to that album. There’s still the same mix of Garage Rock. Punk Rock, Sleaze Rock, Psych Rock and twisted Doomed rhythms which has a classic 1970’s twisted edge.
Moving between the early sound of Electric Wizard with it’s twisted sludgy and fuzzy heavy musical passages to the more claustrophobic FUZZIER grooves of Black Sabbath and Uncle Acid. The music here has a more tribal presence which is perhaps down to the Sci-Fi aspect of the record which can become quite trippy and passive on tracks such as You Belong In Hell, Blood Frenzy and Savage Magic (Featuring Herschell Gordon Lewis). TORSO really lays on the sound for a more deafening level compared to their debut album with overlapping guitars that are played at a breakneck THRASH METAL and PUNK ROCK pace.
It seems that TORSO is more comfortable developing a soundtrack delivery for this record with a cool intriguing premise being delivered within each of the individual tracks. With an uneasy alliance with 90’s Grunge that allows the heaviest and most catchiest aspects of the record to be delivered on the more melodic parts of the album. Everything is still played at a hap-hazard style on other tracks such as: Death Space Death Trap, Skin Crawl / Terminator and Brain Cells.
Psychedelic loops and soundtrack movements are used regularly which allows TORSO to fuel the nightmarish journey that Brain Cells expertly keeps in the shadows until the story needs that injection of NIGHTMARE FUEL to give the album some unexpected thrills and spills along the way.
Brain Cells has more in common with the recent album From Whence They Came by KING BASTARD. As they use similar ways to deliver their music even though being quite different to each other as well. Both records are powered along by sublime Psychedelic Sonic based passages but show a sinister style of music that leaves you wanting more especially within a short running time that Brain Cells holds.
Overall, Brain Cells is a violent, seedy and catchy slice of Grindhouse based Stoner Metal that is full of intense and action packed sounds that should allow TORSO’s reputation to grow even more within the underground Hard Rock and Heavy Metal scenes.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to APF Records for the promo.
Brain Cells will be available to buy on CD/DD/Cassette via APF Records from Friday 13th September 2024.
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