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Spotlight: Torch It

Posted by Glenzer Blegh op Thursday, 5 October 2023

Het uit Duitsland afkomstige Torch It brengt rauw en onversneden Giessen violence metallic hardcore waarbij je denkt aan bands zoals Nasty, Kharma, Guilt Trip en Soul Prison.

Torch It, from Germany, brings raw and unadulterated Giessen violence metallic hardcore that makes you think of bands such as Nasty, Kharma, Guilt Trip and Soul Prison.

Torch It, opgericht in 2016, is een hardcore band die de grijze straten van Giessen, Duitsland claimt. Na tot nu toe twee EP's en één volledige EP te hebben uitgebracht, heeft het viertal talloze shows gespeeld op locaties in heel Duitsland en daarbuiten. Het energieke, ‘take no prisoner’-karakter van hun nummers, gecombineerd met zeer krachtige en furieuze live-optredens, hebben hen de reputatie opgeleverd van een keiharde band die weet hoe ze hun publiek in beweging moeten krijgen.
Met hun nieuwste release ‘TAINTED SOULS’ is de metalige hardcore outfit uit op meer: voortdurend de grenzen van hun sonische inspanningen verleggen door nieuwe invloeden te vermengen, de nieuwe release van Torch It zal de output van de band naar een hoger niveau tillen.

Formed in 2016, Torch It is a hardcore band claiming the grey streets of Giessen, Germany. Having released two EPs and one full-length so far the four-piece has played numerous shows in venues all over Germany and beyond. The energetic, ‘take no prisoners‘-nature of their songs combined with highly powerful and furious live performances have earned them a reputation of a hard-hitting band that knows how to get their crowd moving.
With their latest release ‚"TAINTED SOULS", the metallic hardcore outfit is out for more: Constantly pushing the boundaries of their sonic endeavors by blending in new influences, Torch It’s new release is bound to take the band’s output to the next level.

Upcoming shows

Upcoming Shows:
04.11.2023 – Oe]ngen, Fubar Fest
11.11.2023 – Schweinfurt, Stabahnhof
17.11.2023 – Hamburg, Gaengeviertel
18.11.2023 – Fontaine l’Eveque [BE]
08.12.2023 – Herford, FlaFla
09.12.2023 – Magdeburg, Knast
16.12.2023 – Espelkamp, Isy7
22.12.2023 – Wiesbaden, Zombiefied Fest

Tainted Souls EP

De nieuwe EP Tainted Souls bevat 4 nummers waarvan Eigengrau een gruwelijke intro is gevuld met breakdowns, waarna Wecanonlyblameourselves het overneemt met een geweldige coctail aan band shouts, blast beats, zware riffs en meer vocaal geweld. Deze track heeft een enorme Get The Shot gehalte, maar dan overgoten met Giessen violence. Bij Sealed Your Fate krijgen we een twee minuut durende track die je adrenaline naar ongekende hoogtes brengt. De breakdowns slaan in als een spijkerbom dat gegarandeerd voor onvergetelijke moshpits gaan zorgen. De laatste track Cursed heeft een feature met de frontman van Dagger Threat. De combinatie van beide vocalisten brengt een extra dimensie die kracht zet bij de melodische riffs, hooks en cimbaal gekletter. Torch It brengt met Tainted Souls een nog dodelijkere sound naar buiten waarbij het oerinstinct het gaat overnemen tijdens de wervelende live shows!

The new EP Tainted Souls contains 4 songs of which Eigengrau has a gruesome intro filled with breakdowns, after which Wecanonlyblameourselves takes over with a great cocktail of band shouts, blast beats, heavy riffs and more vocal violence. This track has a huge Get The Shot quality, but topped with Giessen violence. At Sealed Your Fate we get a two-minute track that takes your adrenaline to unprecedented heights. The breakdowns hit like a nail bomb and are guaranteed to create unforgettable mosh pits. The last track Cursed has a feature with the frontman of Dagger Threat. The combination of both vocalists brings an extra dimension that adds power to the melodic riffs, hooks and cymbal clashing. With Tainted Souls, Torch It brings out an even deadlier sound where primal instinct will take over during the dazzling live shows!

Interview

What is the origin story of the band?
Torch It:"We started the band ‘TORCH IT’ in 2016 as a five-piece band. We already played in the same lineup before in a melodic hardcore band called ‘Back at Sea’ since 2010 and wanted to change our sound and style, so we started something new."

How would you describe the band’s sound to new listeners?
Torch It:"Heavy breakdowns, mosh parts and the good old two-step are key elements to our music, garnished with samples, different vocal styles of our lead singer, bass, and guitar player and a hard-hitting sound!"

What do you guys love the most about the hardcore scene?
Torch It:"Probably the way to connect with different people all around the world, the respect and friendship that lies as a good foundation of the whole scene and the openness to so many different styles of music."

Are there any differences on playing on hardcore shows in Germany and other countries?
Torch It:"Germany is a great place for hardcore bands, music and shows! But there are so many bands, that someomes it’s difficult to get recognized. When we play in different countries, we sometimes get the feeling, that maybe the crowd is more open to the music, or they just don’t know what to expect and we get good feedback afterwards. Overall, we love to play shows in Germany, but we’re always happy to see new places and get to know more people all over Europe!"

How do you try to distinguish yourselves from other bands?
Torch It:"We always try to do our own thing and have fun with what we do! For a long time, we didn’t have any label and almost everything we did was with a DIY approach. We recently started our own label ‘BADBRAIN RECORDS’ with Kris & Gordon of ‘Harm/Shelter’ and try to help our own bands but also other bands with our experience in the scene. Sound-wise, we experiment more and take current influences of music and styles and try to mix that with the raw ‘TORCH IT’ sound we already have."

How was the process of making the new EP Tainted Souls?
Torch It:"We didn’t play any shows for around two years due to COVID. In fact, we took a little break – or more so – were forced to do that because it was unclear if we could meet to practice and write songs or not. I think it was also good for everybody to take some time off the band. After COVID we started to play shows again in September 2022 and we agreed to write some new songs. We were all a bit rusty and didn’t know where the process would take us, but we tried to not limit ourselves in any way and experimented in different ways with the vocals, e.g. more samples, etc. When we had a solid base of 3-4 songs, we talked to Kris who plays guitar in ‘Harm/Shelter’ and had already recorded and mixed our second EP ‘Ruthless’ and it was the first time for us to work with a producer to really flesh out the songs."

What is your favorite track on the new EP and why?
Torch It:"I think it’s not easy to choose a favorite song, but for me (Raphael) I guess it would be ‘Cursed’. We really tried something different here with the mix of clean vocals and different types of screams. You could say, we went back to our roots with ‘Back at Sea’ a little bit. In addition, we’re really happy that both Fynn and Tim of our good friends in ‘Dagger Threat’ did the feature on the song in some kind of dialogue and it turned out really well! But we tried to incorporate different aspects in every song on the EP, so again, it’s hard to pick a favorite and in the end, we think it’s the listeners choice."

If you could change one thing in the world, what would that be?
Torch It:"There would be so many things to list, but speaking of the scene: Bookers who don’t pay the bands – I mean, WHY?"

What was the wildest thing that happened on shows or tours?
Torch It:"We had some crazy shows with chairs flying through the merch tables, sudden breakdance moves in the pit or when our singer got tackled into the drum set! Just come to one our shows and see for yourself!"

If you could choose to go on tour with 3 bands, who would that be and why?
Torch It:"Trapped Under Ice, Speed & Knocked Loose Why? We think it’s self-explanatory!"

How did you guys experience the last-minute show Faarfest in Belgium?
Torch It:"We were asked about two weeks before the show to fill in for ‘Adversary’ and we really wanted to play the show! It was the first time for us in Belgium, so we didn’t really know what to expect. And to be honest, we didn’t expect to play the headliner slot at all, so we even felt a little overwhelmed. Overall, it was a great experience, everybody there from ‘Boxside Bookings’ was so nice, the crowd went wild, and we really had a great tiùe and made some new friends for sure!"

With the release of the latest single “Wecanonlyblameourselves” you even sound more vicious as ever! What is the story behind the track?
Torch It:"I think it was the second song we wrote after ‘Sealed Your Fate’. As I mentioned earlier, we also tried to do some new stuff here with the beginning sounding a bit like your good old metalcore song and the mixed vocals. Usually, we don’t write songs that are too long so we really focused to bring all the energy in under two minutes. The lyrics are about the exploitation of the earth and its resources and the repercussions we as a society face because of it."

Discografie