From Chad Bowar,
Your Guide to Heavy Metal.
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On paper, the term "sludge pop" doesn't seem to make sense. How could an album combine sludge metal and pop music? But that's exactly what Torche does on their second full-length CD.

Meanderthal (which is a great title), is chock full of doomy, sludgy riffs. It's also packed with pop hooks and catchy melodies. Instead of plodding along at slow speeds and demolishing everything in their path, Torche speeds up the tempo, which tempers some of the intensity but really amps up the groove.

Steve Brooks' vocals are melodic, which adds to the music's accessibility. Even though Torche claim they aren't a metal band, there are plenty of metal elements on Meanderthal to satisfy doom/sludge fans. There's also plenty of melody and groove to satisfy rock and maybe even pop fans.

(released April 8, 2008 on Hydra Head Records)