This Is Rape Culture

In my mind, there's little a thing more likable than a band who make a joke out of themselves. With a name like Cunt Torch, I don't expect to see these two Ohioan slammers playing to crowds of thousands, and that obscurity is what makes them and so many other satirical bands the real gems in the rocks. And in more recent times, I've seen a lot of new bands come onto my radar of underground-as-hell (pun intended) such as Hurakan and Mr. Bigglesworth, but Cunt Torch is the one that truly stood out to me.

When it comes to catching attention, Cunt Torch have this down like they studied it. The very blatantly non-PC album title/cover and song titles hooked me before even listening. It seems that nothing is sacred on This Is Rape Culture - rape, infant mortality, heroin, and even terrorism end up becoming sick laughingstocks. But there's a certain vibe to it that clearly displays the band being offensive not because they believe this horrible shit is good, but being offensive just for the hell of it. For shits n' giggles. So for this review, let's put our little trigger topics aside and talk about why this is so damn good.

Family Guy audio clips. There's one at the start and finish of almost every track, which relate directly to the song's title and (I guess?) lyrics which are completely unintelligible - remember, this is slam we're talking about. It's always been a sort of trashy thing that deathcore bands back in the day would do to stay trendy (ala, the Suicide Silence demos), but Cunt Torch aren't out to rehash old trends, rather to put a bit of lightheartedness into the otherwise fucked up subject matter. Obviously, you can expect Peter Griffin's prostate exam clip to be here, that's a no-brainer.

And in between these comical flicks to the nuts is anywhere between one and three minutes of just constant slamming. It's a continuous wave after wave of mid-paced chromatic slamming and unwavering programmed double-kicks. The guitar tone is very well done - dark and dirty, but is actually quite crisp and polished compared to most other slam bands. The chromatic chugs don't blend in to just a rhythm, but each and every little bit can be heard clearly to provide a very small sense of melody. There's only a few sporadic seconds in each song where the slams stop and break into a blast beat or tremolo riff, with almost anything not bar-chorded and/or palm muted being a pinch harmonic. So musically, there's no extensive progression or fanciness, rather just continuous punch-to-the-gut slams. It never really gets too repetitive though, as the slams are often times varied in rhythm and tempo, so the album is saved from being bland or monotonous.

The vocals are the most varied attribute of the album. It's all guttural, but there's plenty of changes in style...you got your standard gurgling, your crickets, and lots of pig squeals. What's best is that the slight vocal changes happen unexpectedly, so your kept on your toes the whole time. It gets comical at times, but then again this band is satirical.

The one issue is the drum programming. The double kick is so fast and over-produced, it's like having popcorn kernels burst right in your ears for three to four minutes at a time in while Family Guy is on TV in the other room. It's another one of those 'supposed to be silly' things but it becomes old quickly. Fortunately, the guitars and vocals are enough to distract you.

All in all, don't go into This Is Rape Culture hoping for a super-enlightening experience. It's stupid but funny, offensive but all in the name of satire, and a thoroughly enjoyable slam album if you've got the mindset for it.

Favorite song: "Slamtember 11th". As Peter Griffin said, "It's like two pies in the face, and one in a field in Pennsylvania."