ALBUM REVIEW: No Control – Torena

The Young brothers seemingly have their incredibly talented fingers in so many bands these days. Whether it’s performing, guesting or helping them get signed, Colin (TWITCHING TONGUES, DEADBODY) and, more specifically in this case, Taylor are a force to be reckoned with. The latest band to bear Taylor‘s talented fingerprints are California’s TORENA, who have been making a name for themselves with an aggressive, intimidating brand of hardcore. They have also found themselves on the  DAZE record label, which is as an increasingly strong a hallmark of quality as you’ll find in heavy music these days. Taylor not only joins the band on a track, but he lends his expertise to the making of the record.

Blending elements of modern and more classic hardcore, there’s elements of TERROR and HATEBREED in here lining up alongside a hefty dose of NEVER ENDING GAME for a mighty sound that packs a barrage of punches. Their last EP, Evil Eyez saw them gain some more national recognition and catch some slots on some mighty tours and not long after this record, No Control drops they head out opening for the legendary SUNAMI across the states.

It should come as no surprise that the basis of TORENA sound is mighty, fighty riffs supplemented by barked vocals from a singer that you feel can definitely back up every single word he says. Tough is a good description for this kind of music, it bristles your arms and gets you ready to take on the world, but in a weirdly positive way. The whole album flies by in just under twenty minutes but this is definitely one that you can throw on during a workout or a run and let it play over and over.

There is a tendency for some moments and tracks to bleed together, but it all goes by so fast you don’t really notice. There’s standout moments in No Mercy, featuring the aforementioned Taylor Young which brings the album to a fist clenching close and the gang vocal filled False Compassion, which features one of the most spin-kickingly fantastic breakdowns of recent times. It ain’t gonna win any awards for originality but for a record to blast while you try to hit your personal best at the gym there’ll be few records that come close to matching its impact.

Rating: 8/10

No Control is out now via DAZE. 

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