TORTURE BOX

Metalholic Radio magazine
Thursday, February 04, 2010

Torture Box~Gods of Olympia
by Rustyn Rose
When I think of bands from the Seattle area I tend to get a bitter taste in my mouth. Like almonds. Perhaps it’s the taste of lingering cyanide. Grunge scarred me for life, and since the 90s I have been unfairly critical of bands hailing from that area that postdate Heart and Queensrÿche. A recent encounter with Jamie Nova of Hell’s Belles and Seattle metallers, Witchburn opened my ears and mind again. So when a good friend turned me on to Olympia based Torture Box, I actually listened. And I’m still listening. I like what I hear.
My friend told me, “you have to hear their singer, he sounds like a young Rob Halford.” There I have to disagree. Vocalist Lucas Clevenger doesn’t spark Halford memories for me. What I do hear are a mix of Accept’s Udo Dirkschneider and a young Geoff Tate. Perhaps a pinch of Bruce Dickinson from his early Iron Maiden and Sampson days.
With a voice that powerful, Torture Box already have a leg up on most metal bands. However, they also carry great expectations. Can the talent of the rest of the band match the vocalist? Bassist Franklin Boss and drummer Daniel Yoder keep the rhythm section tight and in the pocket. Guitarists Rickey Otto Gabbard and Theron Cate, shred like Maiden’s Smith and Murray.
But what about the music? Well I’ll let you listen for yourselves and decide. As for me, after listening to the band on tracks like “The Hammer Will Fall” and “Join The Brigade” I found myself dusting off my old Accept and Maiden discs. A sound we could use more of in this down-tuned cookie monster screaming metal world.
So what else can I tell you about Torture Box? Not much. They broke out in June 2008 winning a local Battle of The Bands contest, and they’ve been moving forward ever since. For some reason the band has no About Me section nor any bio I can find. Their website does not seem to be working. Here’s a band so focused on their music, they are a bit lax on the other side of the coin. Perhaps I’ll interview these guys in the near future and fill in the blanks. Until then check ‘em out.
You can find several live videos and songs on the band’s MySpace page.
Torture Box

- Metalholic Radio magazine 2/04/10

M4UTV REVIEW
Torture Box @ Studio 7 August 1st, 2009 The band Torture Box or what I would like to call the "short haired Iron Maiden". Torture Box played an intense set tonight. These guys know how to kick ass and take names, some of the younger bands could really learn from these guys. These guys not only interacted amazingly with their audience, and provided such complicated instrumentals. The vocals were dead on and just brought that 70's and 80's rock feel back to the scene. Brings back the bad ass family feeling that you can really only see now a days at Ozzfest. The speed of their guitarists was absolutely mind shattering with the ease that these guys can play. Everything just ran amazingly, and I suggest that anyone should check them out. Words come hard to describe without witnessing such an amazing performance. I have to say that there is nothing badly I can say. These guys blew us away with such an amazing performance. The set was right on and the music was killer. I would need about 4 cigarettes to come down from this kick ass act. Not only I suggest people to see them live but definitely get a hold of their music.

Reviewed by
DVC
- M4UTV REVIEW / 8-01-09