Getting to jam with Tony Iommi would be a mind-blowing experience at any age, let alone at 13, but that was Alfie Glass’ introduction into the world of rock ’n’ roll. With an Epiphone ES-339 in hand, he was a standout on Sky Arts’ Guitar Star, which saw him championed by the godfather of heavy metal and record at Abbey Road.
“It was nuts,” he reflects. Yet he isn’t the type to revel in the moment. “It made me realise that I needed a band, and that being a flashy guitar player isn’t everything. People are more interested in a show and you don’t need to be the best guitar player in the world to do that.”
Torus, his resultant band, channels his love for Kyuss and early QOTSA, with Josh Homme’s “weird guitar playing” and groove-orientated songwriting proving a major influence.
“I got really obsessed with fuzz when I got into stoner rock,” Glass admits, “I’d never heard a sound like it before.”
Despite that, though, he says “everything in my life seems to go back to AC/DC. I grew up worshipping Let There Be Rock. I saved up for an Epiphone SG, I think subconsciously because of Angus Young, and the band definitely has the AC/DC formula – everything’s in the right place, and that’s why it feels good. We go for a bold, no-bullshit rock sound.”
Glass tunes his SG to C standard and plugs into a Vox AC30: “It’s valve amps all the way for me.” A Fulltone OCD, stolen from his dad – Solstice guitarist, Andy Glass – and Green Russian Big Muff fuzz add some grit.
We want to write songs with proper grooves that stay in your brain and I think we’ve achieved that
Glass favours a Vox wah pedal as a lowpass filter for intros, while an EHX Freeze, Belcat Chorus and T-Rex Quint octaver round out a simple setup that embodies the no-nonsense spirit of the band.
“We want to write songs with proper grooves that stay in your brain,” he concludes, “and I think we’ve achieved that.” They have. Torus’ self-titled debut LP is a meaty stew of hairy stoner riffs and beats so solid you could build skyscrapers on them. It comes after a fractious few years – but going through some hardship made Torus even tighter.
“We’re a lot stronger because of it,” says Alfie. “Now the band is everything I’ve always wanted it to be. We’re only just getting started.”
- Torus is out now via MNRK UK.
