Album Review: Johnossi – Torch // Flame

Two lads playing big riffs with a widescreen, deserty vibe? Sounds like Royal Blood. And at first, Swedish pair Johnossi do actually sound a bit like Royal Blood, as Torch // Flame’s opening track Hot Thoughts thrusts its way into view. But then as things go on, they spread things out to take in piano, giant melodies and a sense that each song has the potential to end up in an entirely different musical world than the last.

It’s rock’n’roll that doesn’t simply stay in its lane on the usual, well-worn road, but goes off in search of its own groove. The creativity of frontman John Engelbert’s guitar playing and his use of what feels like a million different effects pedals makes it feel like the work of far more than just two people.

The sheer range of sounds, meanwhile, gives it the open-ended freedom of something akin to Josh Homme’s Desert Sessions. An album that strives for something new throughout, Torch // Flame is an intriguing listen.

Verdict: 3/5