The bass that starts "Breed" is straight up ALICE IN CHAINS (I'm talking "Would?"here) and from that high mark, Concord's TORQUE churn through three low end burners that took me by complete surprise. While I'm sure that many lamented the transition from thrash metal (especially the justifiably Bay Area brand) to what would eventually become nü metal, demos like this are primal and punishing. The pace and attack are more akin to meaty east coast hardcore (the knuckle dragging ignorant kind) than any kind of long haired metal, and the backing vocals on the opening tracks confirm that assertion. Maybe this appeals to me because in high school I revered Cowboys From Hell and Blood Sweat And No Tears equally or maybe the shit just jams, but the whirlwind of "Again" is gonna rock me through my ride to work later this morning, shouting "again and again and AGAIN!" in my own head...or maybe at full volume while cruising the sleepy morning streets of San Francisco, startling a few well to do joggers and the cross fit crew that meets on Folsom Street.
For a lineage, TORQUE came from the final line up of Bay Area thrashers VIO-LENCE when the singer left to start MACHINE HEAD. Dudes from this demo have done time in MACHINE HEAD, TESTAMENT, FORBIDDEN...and two of the dudes were in SOCIAL UNREST.
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