“People like me will always stand tall.”
Coming out of California, hardcore unit Torena are back with their latest record in the form of EP, Evil Eyez. This being their follow up to 2021’s Cerebeullum Prison, and that now sees them signed to DAZE records’ impressive and ever-growing roster. Opening for acts such as Knocked Loose and Worn and shows ahead alongside Sunami and Dead Heat, Torena is a name that many more will surely begin to learn.
Opener “Bleed” begins with some juicy riffing that proves difficult not to jam along to. Further, the main hook is an absolute earworm and acts as the spine of the track. Vocalist Julien Urias’ throaty vocals enter the foray, adding extra hooks vocally with “Relive your darkest moments, drown yourself in sorrow, bleed“. Before closing out with a nice throw-down breakdown, it’s an opener that captures the attention and an interest in what else is to come.
As Evil Eyez ushers in the snare roll that welcomes “Stand Your Ground“, before moving into a track that will be first-rate to mosh to, the step up in production from Torena becomes notable. The addition of Taylor Young, who has worked with the likes of Mindforce and Age of Apocalypse on mixing, alongside Nick Townsend of Drain and Militarie Gun mastering, gives it that extra edge. There’s something satisfying about a well mixed snare hitting the ear, which rings through here.
“I’m Still Here” comes through in a blink and you will miss it fashion. It’s rapid, heavy and seems an ideal set opener to wake a crowd up. The growl present on “I’m still here, and you won’t break me” is huge, and the angular riffs that follow could cause some serious damage. Two-stepper “Slave No More” further brings in the gang vocals, peaking with “Die with your integrity“, coming in with an extended bridge that fully puts the record on display instrumentally.
“Don’t feel the safety of my own skin, feel the fear of being trapped within.” leads Evil Eyez into its closing stages, with shouted vocals putting a real focus on the EP’s theme of the back-and-forth struggle of mental health and the chaos of the world. With one last breakdown to send it off, Evil Eyez sets a solid foundation for Torena to build on. If future releases match or exceed what they have put together, there is no doubt they will become a staple of the scene not only in the US, but globally.
7.5/10
Evil Eyez is out March 14th, via Daze Records, and can be pre-ordered here.