Drone doom is a touchy style. Very touchy. Either it’s good or it’s bad. There really isn’t any middle ground. Drone is easily the most criticized style of doom, even more so than death-doom with all its carbon-copy bands. Although I am a doom fanatic, drone is one style that I always approached with caution. There are a select few drone bands that I really enjoy. But with Torture Wheel, an American band signed to Finland’s Firedoom, they mix the drone style with what seems to be funeral doom. Well, the mix works…but when all is said and done, it’s still drone, and it’s a rare-for-drone so-so result.

The drumming, when it’s actually there, is actually very good, and is the most effective element of the album. The sound is perfect, the beats are hit when needed, and the like. The first song, “Broken by the Wheel” is the best example of this. The majority of the music is made up of keyboards and drums. The sound of wind is used quite a bit, as evidence in “Mary.” The one really good song on here is the final track, “Crushed Under.” The pace of the song is picked up a bit from the rest of the disc, which is kind of ironic as it’s also the longest of the four songs. This is the only song with vocals. But it’s a great song, the one song on here I can actually listen to over and over again and not get bored with it. There really isn’t much else to say: This is drone: either it’s your thing or it’s not.

The musicianship is, well, not really ratable. The entire band, or project, is one person, E.M. Hearst, so he obviously knows what he wants when he wants it. The production is near perfect for the style of music. Again, there’s not much else to say about it. The composition? Well, that’s something you’d have to judge for yourself. It's listenable drone...but that really doesn't mean much.

Overall, this is a great album for background music. The average metal fan, or average doom fan for that matter, should approach with caution, as this album is a hard listen, although not brutal or unbelievably heavy in any way. Drone fans will love it, though, as this is their cup of tea. I hate to give this album a below average rating, mainly because of the title track. I really do. Yet, as a reviewer, I must be true to my instincts. And my instincts are telling me that this album just isn’t that good in the end. But, as I said earlier, perfect for background, not so for anything else.

[This review was first published on the now defunct scandinavianmetal.info webzine]