Review by Daniel for Torch - Torch (1983)

1983 saw a real upsurge in the contribution of the Swedes as far as classic heavy metal releases go with the likes of 220 Volt, Europe & Heavy Load all releasing noteworthy records however the self-titled debut album from five-piece Eskilstuna outfit Torch is my pick of the bunch. Torch first formed under the name Black Widow back in 1979 but changed their moniker the following year when they replaced their bass player & vocalist. The new outfit released a five track E.P. by the name of “Fire Raiser!!” in 1982 which went on to be a lot more popular than anticipated & subsequently impressed their label enough to convince them to finance a full-length album. Torch’s debut album was recorded in the same studio & with the same producer as the E.P. & was released the following year in 1983.

If you take a look at the cover art it’s unfortunately quite easy to dismiss Torch without ever giving them a chance as it’s an absolute shocker. The title of the album was always intended to be “Sinister Eyes” & the label employed the same artist that did the cover art for the E.P. to do the artwork for the album based on that concept. The idea was that he was going to paint a picture of a beautiful woman who had the misfortune of possessing some evil looking eyes but when Torch got the chance to see the final product they were horrified as the result looks more like an angry blue metal chick neighbor who has come to your front door to complain after being woken up by the loud grindcore blasting from your home stereo at an ungodly hour. And the band rightfully rejected it of course but the label had their hearts set on it & ignored their pleas for mercy.  In fact, they celebrated with the artist & by all reports you can actually see whiskey stains on the artwork if you look hard enough. To add insult to injury the album title was completely forgotten & we ended up with the cover art we see today & a self-titled record.

Thankfully the music contained within the album is high quality, well performed & particularly metal. It’s not the most ground-breaking of releases with Torch opting for a tried & true classic heavy metal sound that’s high on Judas Priest influence but it’s extremely consistent with no weak tracks included. Musically, Torch keep things pretty simple by taking a no-fuss approach to their song-writing. The performances are all quite strong with Torch taking advantage of what was a very good production for the time. None of the musicians look to push their technical limitations here. They prefer to stick to what they’re good at & it pays off in my opinion. There’s a strong focus on what is best for the songs with the guitar solos being kept short & sweet so as not to intrude on the vocal & guitar hooks & there are no unnecessary excesses to be found in the arrangements. I find drummer Steve Streaker’s use of double kick to be one of the musical highlights as he employs it a lot more regularly than most metal drummers of the time. But the main talking point of Torch’s sound must surely be the vocals as singer Dan Dark sounds EXACTLY… AND I MEAN EXACTLY… like Iron Maiden front man Bruce Dickinson; so much so that it caused me to feel the need to investigate whether it actually WAS him. And when you add that element to a pretty strong heavy metal band with a noticeably NWOBHM influenced sound & a good production it makes for a fun & rewarding listen; if not a life-changing one. All Priest & Maiden fans will surely find something to enjoy here.