Live review: Torche, Slow Crush, The Double Happy – Mama Roux's, Birmingham

The Wolverhampton three-piece are well worth getting in early for, playing the type of riff-heavy noise rock that gets heads bobbing and manages to draw a few stragglers in from the bar.

Their album is available for free on bandcamp.

Next up it's Slow Crush, who almost steal the show.

With the stage bathed in claret and blue strobe lights, the Belgium-based quartet play a set of dreamy shoegaze that falls on the heavy side of that spectrum.

The hushed tones of British singer Isa Holliday work well with the crushing guitars, giving a nod to 90s genre giants such as Swervedriver, MBV and Ride.

There's a definite nostalgic aura about it all, and while they are not reinventing the wheel, Slow Crush make gorgeous music and are a mesmerising band to behold.

Headliners Torche are coming to the end of a 10-date UK tour, the band's first shows on these isles in three years.

It has been a busy period for the Florida band, with the current stint following a hectic schedule around the US in support of their heavy-as-you-like Relapse-released album Admission.

It is from that record where the bulk of tonight's 70 minute-long set is taken from, with Torche taking the stage and careering straight in to a double blast of From Here and Submission.

Both tracks bear the Torche trademark sound – overwhelmingly heavy, yet melodic and even poppy in places. They have called themselves the Van Halen of the stoner rock world, and it's an apt description.

There's a decent crowd of 100-plus inside the venue tonight, which is unsurprising considering the band have built up a devoted following over their 15 year history.

Like the rest of his band, frontman Steve Brooks cuts a quiet figure tonight, explaining that everyone is "under the weather" before launching into another hook-laden ripper.

Torche are great on record, but truly excel in a live setting, with bassist Jonathan Nunez and drummer Rick Smith seemingly unable to hit a duff note if they tried.

Set highlights include On The Wire – a slow, mean and grimy track from the new album – and that record's title track Admission, a real uplifting crusher that harks back to the days of Meanderthal.

After being beckoned back onto the stage for a short encore, Torche are done, having made a big impression as always.