So, when we get together for a couple of weeks, it's an intense couple of weeks. Steve Brooks: I don't want to spend too much time away from home. He walked into it at the eight-year mark, so he's had a lot of catching up to do. We stop to eat and take small breaks, but other than that, it's pretty intense.

We usually have tours booked around that time, so it's a practice/writing, grind-it-out type of scenario when we get together. We're paying for the flights that take Steve from the West Coast out to Miami, and Andrew Elstner either flies or drives down from Atlanta, so we know we have a limited window to work in. Whenever we get together, we know there's absolutely no time to waste. The gearhead spent months researching equipment before going into the studio. Torche bassist Jonathan NuГ±ez produced and engineered his band's fourth album, Restarter. We had a couple of delays with the mix, mastering, and art, so we held off because we felt we'd have a stronger release in the beginning of this year, as opposed to the end of last year. It was written in two-and-a-half weeks last year. NuГ±ez: Well, Restarter is actually a year old for us. How does the band stay so active with its members so far flung? I wouldn't be surprised if we start cranking some new Torche stuff out of here relatively soon. I'm teaming up with a dude who also has great equipment and is really kind and courteous. It's closer to the other states, and the new room sounds great. Other local bands did some great albums at Pinecrust and it was a wonderful experience, but I'm not necessarily sulking over leaving because I think Gainesville is going to be a great move. I developed my sonic identity here, and the band has expanded and progressed over the years and just about all of that has been done here. Jonathan NuГ±ez: I think as time goes on you develop your own sound as an engineer, but we also have as a band. Do you think Restarter is an appropriate swan song for Pinecrust and what you set out to accomplish as a producer and engineer? You recently closed it down and relocated from Miami to Gainesville. Jonathan, Restarter is the highest profile album to come out of your studio, Pinecrust. It's just straight-up power.' -Steve Brooks

вЂњThe simplicity of Moog synth riffs really inspired some of the stuff. We spoke with frontman/guitarist Brooks and bassist Jonathan NuГ±ez-who also produced and engineered Restarter out of his Miami studio-about the group's sonic footprint, and what it's like to make a record with band members strewn about the country. The album is a testament to Torche's unique and evolving aural personality. While Restarter's heavies weigh more than anything the band has put out in recent memory, the album also displays frontman Steve Brooks' desire to introduce unexpected melody at every opportunity. Rife with the churning bombast and saccharine melodies some have labeled вЂњdoom-pop,' Restarter marks a distinct return to the merciless sonic bludgeoning that characterized the band's early output.

The band returns this year with a triumphantly crushing fourth full-length release, Restarter. Unlike the many other bands aping post-Melvins metal since the late '90s, Torche creates their infectious onslaught by combining slack-tuned noise with catchy, high-octane rock 'n' roll. Having risen from the ashes of the (formerly) defunct sludge-metal legends Floor, Miami's Torche has been defining its own genre for more than a decade.

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