torche_meanderthal

Second up in our series of posts by guest writers is a man who not only founded the label Holy Roar, which boasts an impressive back catalogue featuring bands such as Gallows, Dananananaykroyd and Trash Talk, but has also destroyed stages, and probably lives, across the country playing with Cutting Pink With Knives and his new band Betty Pariso. It’s the most brutal and hardcore person we dare to associate with here at Cock Towers, it’s Alex Fitzpatrick and here are his thoughts about Meanderthal by Torche.

One of my favourite albums of the decade has to be ‘Meanderthal’ by Torche. The influence this band has had on me should be obvious to the eagle-eyed (Holy Roar Records is named after one of the songs on their first record), but ‘Meanderthal’ coalesced all the potential the band had shown on their previous LP and EP into a whole far elevated above anything they had done before.

As far fetched as it may sound at this point, I genuinely believe that this record will prove to be greatly, if not subtly, influential on heavy music (and even the more open-minded members of the pop and indie communities) over the next ten years. No other band has attained the volume to compete with Sunn O))), melodies to rival chart darlings, and riffs and invention to rival, well, anyone. Proof that ridiculously huge amplifiers can be sung over tastefully without ever compromising integrity or the initial intent and passion of a band.

A big thanks to Alex for taking the time to do that for us, please take some time and have a look at his various sites and buy loads of stuff or at least get excited about what he has coming up in 2010!

Holy Roar

Betty Pariso