This Friday, April 29, sees the release of Dual Fates, the new EP from Morgantown, West Virginia’s Torrents. It is the second short release for the prog-leaning group behind April 2019’s Totem, and to go with its narrative thematic structure, the five-song/26-minute offering balances melodic flourish with purposefully rougher rhythmic edges, giving a sound that’s both lush and raw, sometimes at the same time — looking at you, “Dream Eternal.”  While the vocals of guitarist Mike Lorenzen bring sharply to mind Jeff Martin of Lo-Pan on “Echoes” or “Redeemer,” he and fellow guitarist Seth Randolph, bassist Ryan Aliff and drummer Brandon Davis might be twisting around a groove that feels born of the Baroness school of new-prog on “Betrayer” or bringing Elderian shimmer to an airier stretch of post-rock guitar. The songs are plotted right unto the harmonies of closer “Beacon” — anyone remember Black Skies? Caltrop? — and for a thread of plot and sound that’s got no shortage of tumult, Dual Fates is striking in its underlying poise and the feeling of control Torrents have over their sound.

If they were calling Dual Fates a debut full-length, I don’t think I’d be able to disagree. It’s certainly coherent enough. They’ve thought through the material, patterned out movements like the bridge-to-surge at the halfway point of “Beacon” or the frenetic snare in the early going of “Betrayer,” channeling maximum energy at the outset in order to carry through what follows. And it works. With what sound like expansive pedal boards, Lorenzen and Randolph are at the forefront, pairing leads, coursing riffs or topping crunch with float, and their flexibility in hopping from one progression to the next, the angular turns and moments of stretch-out are a defining feature, though as ever for anything heavy it’s the bass and drums that give the songs their force of movement — Aliff and Davis seek no exception to the rule — resulting in a whole that is fleet and adaptable. And I don’t know if that’s keys or effects on “Echoes,” but if Torrents are signaling they might end up with an organist at some point, that’ll be just fine, thanks. The more’s the merrier to fill the spaces the four-piece so ably craft in the rest of the arrangements.

“Dream Eternal,” the centerpiece, and “Beacon,” the finale, are somewhat longer than the other three inclusions, bordering on seven minutes rather than about four and a half. The former uses that time for an excursion into lucid psychedelia, its midsection building tension under synthy laser fire and a mounting urgency that’s dropped nearly to silence before they come back without a spot on them — totally clean — and finish the remainder of the track, while the latter touches on similar terrain but is more about its forward drive and tonal crunch; however winding the motion might seem on the surface, take a step back and you’ll see its movement is inexorably ahead toward that last payoff hook, unrelenting until, of course, it relents for a final minute of residual comedown noise. There’s a fair amount of bounce and bop in getting from here to there, but like weaving their way through a crowded room, Torrents — whose moniker I’m going to guess has more to do with rainfall than digital piracy, though one never knows — have a plan for the path they’re taking as well as for what they’ll do when they arrive at their destination. Whatever the thing sounds like, Dual Fates is prog for precisely that reason.

The band will take the stage on Saturday in Morgantown to celebrate the EP’s arrival, and you’ll find more info about that, the recording, etc., and some words from the band, under the player below, where Dual Fates is streaming in full.

Please enjoy:

Torrents on Dual Fates:

‘Dual Fates’ is a record about life and death. We wanted to tell a story with this release, and it’s a bit of a hero’s journey. Our hero is betrayed in the beginning and nearly killed.

They wake up with amnesia and are confused and stunned, reaching up from within the shallow grave they were left.

Now in a defeated state, they come to terms with the past and are then given a choice of which path to follow. After making the right decision, they are redeemed and given back lost memories leaving our hero free to follow the beacon back home.”

Torrents are a four-piece rock band from Morgantown, West Virginia. Created in 2018 by close friends from several established regional groups, including Iron Jawed Guru and Hoof, with a common desire to create heavy, dynamic, progressively melodic music.

Fine-tuning their first original songs during their live performances, Torrents set out to record their debut tracks at Zone 8 Studios in their hometown of Morgantown. The following Spring, in April 2019, the band independently released its first EP, entitled ‘Totem.’

We now introduce the upcoming Torrents offering ‘Dual Fates.’ Both heavy and weightless, delicate and rough, dense yet airy, the new EP displays a thoughtfully brazen contrast in Torrents’ interpretation of modern rock music. The band once again put their trust in Mark Poole at Zone 8 Studios to work his recording and mixing magic on their new five-song EP. ‘Dual Fates’ is set for independent release on April 29th, 2022.

Tracklist:
01. Betrayer
02. Echoes
03. Dream Eternal
04. Redeemer
05. Beacon

To celebrate the release, Torrents will gather on stage for a Dual Fates EP Release Show on April 30th at 123 Pleasant St in Morgantown, WV, along with Horseburner, Cavern, and Pants Queen for a night of thunderous melody.

TORRENTS Live Events:
– Apr. 30 – Morgantown, WV @ 123PleasantSt – Torrents EP Release Show (w/ Horseburner, Cavern, Pants Queen)
– May 27 – Pittsburgh, PA @ 222 Ormsby – Hope For The Day Benefit (w/ Gator Shakes, Fortune Teller, Cutting Ties)

TORRENTS is:
Mike Lorenzen: Guitar, Vocals
Seth Randolph: Guitar
Ryan Aliff: Bass
Brandon Davis: Drums

Torrents on Bandcamp

Torrents on Facebook

Torrents on Instagram

Torrents on Spotify