Torus – ‘Torus’ [Album Review]

There is nothing we like rattling around V13 Towers than a huge, dirty riff or six and Torus, the self-titled debut album from Milton Keynes riff merchants Torus, is in danger of collapsing under the weight of these bangers. Think Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age meets Black Sabbath, and you will find yourself in the right ballpark.

That being said, have groaned and weaved its way through to the final track, “Speed Trial,” the album crashes to a conclusion with hints of Deftones in the soft, almost calming vocals of Alfie Gass, the voice behind Torus. Leading up to that point, though, this confident debut album is bursting at the seams with huge grooves and ridiculous earworm melodies. Right from the gargantuan opener “Avalanche,” which features a somewhat unnecessary injection of melodies from fellow groove-lovers The Blue Stones. I say unnecessary, but, fuck, has this opener set you up for one hell of a riff-laden ride.

“Into The Clear,” “When It Comes,” and “Downfall” all see Torus crash through fuzz-drenched riff after fuzz-drenched riff while the dirty, gritty tones of frontman Gass are just the icing on this dense musical cake. Of course, there are plenty of moments throughout the album, especially during the opener “Avalanche,” where the album takes you back to the early days of Foo Fighters but all this shows is that Torus know how to pen a dirty, hooky song.

Dealing with themes of frustration, depression and burnout, lyrically Torus isn’t a happy album however, the fact that these gritty, personal themes are wrapped around such rough and ready riffs just makes the result that much more honest and raw. Describing listening to this album as a joy probably isn’t the right emotion to describe the experience of letting Torus’ gritty debut wash over you. However if, like us, you love huge hooks and big dirty riffs, then this collection of songs will put a big, cheesy grin on your face.

Torus Track Listing:

1. Avalanche (ft The Blue Stones)
2. Into The Clear
3. When It Comes
4. All On Me
5. The Overload
6. Downfall
7. Crash Wave
8. This Feeling
9. Undercover
10. Gone
11. Back To Life
12. Speed Trial

Run Time:
Release Date: September 13th, 2024
Label: MNRK/Inside Job