If you haven’t heard of TORCHIA yet, relax! You aren’t alone. We came across the melodic death metal act from Tampere a couple of months ago when they performed at Dark River Festival, and we were pleased to discover the band is releasing their new album “The Coven” on 27 March 2020 through Rockshots Records.
Starting off with an eerie atmospheric soundscape, the album immediately sets a grim tone. “The Sky” further shows how great melodic riffs are definitely part of TORCHIA‘s charm. Altogether, “The Sky” is a powerful and diverse opener. It contains heavy moments, softer acoustic sections, and epic melodies to drive the song further.
“Gallows” continues with the same energy, but draws its inspiration a little bit more from thrash metal when it comes down to the riffs. The combination of these elements shows how TORCHIA is masterful in blending genres seamlessly into their own unique form of melodic death metal.
With an explosive guitar intro, “Moon, Rise!” has an intensely dynamic start. It progresses beautifully with a lot of hooks and transforms into an energetic melodic masterpiece. The guitar riffs in “Moon, Rise!” are definitely the strongest element in the song and take a central position. It’s because of these killer riffs that the song really grew on me because it has the power to be deadly catchy if you let it.
“Lord of Dreams (Cult March)” starts off with rhythmic guitar riffs, which give the song a marching feel. The song differs a little bit in style with its predecessors but has that same ingredient that makes a song distinctly TORCHIA. “Plague Peasant,” the band’s most recent single, picks up the slower pace and is a great, upbeat, and heavy piece that’s good for blowing off some steam.
The only Finnish track on the album, and most likely one of my personal highlights, is “Jäämaa” [trans: iceworld]. The overall icy and grim atmosphere, the compelling guitar solo, and overall outstanding melodies make this track stand out from the others. The closing trio, “Memoires,” “Astral Planes,” and “Forever Blood” follow a similar pattern and ensure that the album is ending in style: energetic songs with captivating melodies and relentless guitar riffs.
Overall, “The Coven” is an extremely diverse album drawing influences from melodic death metal, heavy metal, power metal, and thrash metal. With its raw production, the band can definitely be recommended to any fan of melodic death metal, especially those who love Finnish metal.
Tracklist
1. Sky
2. Gallows
3. Moon, Rise!
4. Lord of Dreams (Cult March)
5. Plague Peasant
6. Jäämaa
7. Memoirs
8. Astral Planes
9. Forever Blood
Lineup
Edward Torchia – Lead and backing vocals
Ville Riitamaa – Rhythm and Lead Guitars, Backing Vocals
Henri Heikkinen – Rhythm Guitars
Pirkka Birkstedt – Bass
Ville Virtanen – Drums
Label
Rockshots Records
Links
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