For many metal fans—myself included—the harder the music, the better.

Hailing from Florida, the rock band Torche was formed in 2004, and they claim they are a band that is “playing the loudest and heaviest in hard rock.” Their new album “Restarter” was released this passed March, and fans of heavier music can definitely enjoy this group.

The album starts out with a heavy rhythm and effects that make this metal enthusiast feel right at home. The band creates amazing sounds with some songs that are slow with repeating rhythms. The song “Minions” is an example of this. The steady sound of heavy guitar drives the song at a slow pace that let’s listeners focus on the vocals of the track.

Contrasted by the song “Loose Men,” Torche accomplishes a different feel. It mixes in different elements to make the song more upbeat and lively. Still including a heavy, driving rhythm, the faster pace makes this a song for listeners to rock out to.

Similarly, the shorter track titled “Undone” is a song for listeners to just head bang to. The song is only a minute and 40 seconds long—just long enough to head bang to without hurting your neck too badly.

Admittedly, many of the songs tend to blend together. This group tends to use the same rhythm or slight variations thereof, making listeners long for something a little different. Making songs different without sacrificing their style and still sticking with the overall theme of the album is something many bands have yet to master.

Bands such as Baroness, Floor and High on Fire are groups that you’ll want to look up if you enjoy Torche. This album gets three out of five stars from me because while I enjoyed the heaviness and that it speaks to my love of metal, I was looking for songs that really stuck out and didn’t sound so similar.