Yes, Jack Torrance used the protagonist of The Shining to choosetheir band name. But if you expect a disturbing sound, you canbreathe a sigh of relief.
According to Jack Torrance's ownstatement, they do Heartcore, emotional hardcore, and on their debutalbum Flickering Lights (also a reference to "Shining"?),which was released on PHNX REC, they dedicate themselves with heartand soul and poetry to all topics life has to offer.
And theytake a clear position: "No fascism. no racism. no patriotism. nosexism. no bullshit. no nothing. heartcore" they have placed ontheir inlay with the lyrics. That makes them definitelysympathetic before you start listening through the 9 songs or 31minutes.
With the opener Harbour Jack Torrance put on a goodshow and make you want to listen to the rest of the record. Withcatchy riffs, tricky beats and a grater voice a la Chuck Ragan theyjump somewhere between the chairs of hardcore, punk and rock. Whilesinging I even have to think about Springsteen for a moment. So thisis how it would have sounded if he had sung in a hardcore punk band.😉
Also the second track, Reminder, goes forward properly andmakes me nod my head at the latest at the gang shouts. UnfortunatelyJack Torrance can't keep this energy throughout the whole album. Thethird song Ruiner ruins the good first impression in the truest senseof the word a bit. A bit thin with less penetrating Punkrock itcontinues. Fragile and Remedy bring healing in between and let mehope again. More or less intoxicating Flickering Lights rolls along.The fast, intense songs are definitely better suited to the band thanthe quiet ones. Unfortunately, the songs are too little separatedfrom each other and therefore drift off in any way at somepoints.
Flickering Lights is a good album, which is a little bitmixed up in some parts and could have done with more energetic songs.But maybe Jack Torrance can bring this energy across much betterlive. In any case, they deliver an interesting and characteristicsound that I have rarely heard from German hardcore punk - emotionaland at the same time rough, playful and yet down-to-earth.
JackTorrance - Flickering Lights - Review
Published on 18December 2019
With their album "Flickering Lights"JACK TORRANCE sit between all chairs. The grating iron voice remindsa bit of the boss SPRINGSTEEN himself, but whoever expectsAmerican-influenced rock with stadium potential or in the sense ofABRAMOWICZ will be disappointed. Just as unpredictable as theirnamesake Jack Torrance from the cult film Shining, the band poachesin all kinds of genre prayers and calls itself Heartcore. This makesthem hard to grasp.
Tips wanted
That a very emotional sideslumbers under the hard core, one notices relatively quickly. Alreadyin the second song "Reminder" JACK TORRANCE recommendthemselves for the big gestures in the small clubs. However, thesongs lack at times actual, emotional connections. It's hard to tellthe songs apart and you can't recognize an own, clear line yet. Butthere is no question that the band puts their heart and soul into it.Authentic and even in the right moments just a bit overambitious,they perform their songs with full fervor. "No fascism, noracism, no patriotism, no sexism, no bullshit, no nothing heartcore"is what JACK TORRANCE printed on their lyrics. With this theyposition themselves clearly and manifest that "FlickeringLights" is not a fun project.
Let's pick up the pace
But"Flickering Lights" doesn't really take off, swingingsomewhere between Hardcore and Melodic Rock, JACK TORRANCE alwaysstay at the same pace or find their way back there after a shortsprint. The vocals do have the necessary bang, especially when theybecome polyphonic and with songs like "Fragile" or "Lights"this works really well. But the compositional barbs - and thus thewillingness to really take the lyrics in your hands and pullsomething out for yourself - are still relatively scarce. And in someplaces the guitar work is a bit dusty and falls into a hard-rockuniformity trot. Fans of HOT WATER MUSIC, ABRAMOWICZ or PAPER ARMSshould have a listen, live it's certainly much moregripping.
Tracklist "Flickering Lights" by JACKTORRANCE
Harbour
Reminder
Ruiner
Nothing
Remedy
Fragile
Farewell
Homesick
Duration:31:13
Label: PHNX REC
OX-Magazine Review 2.Dez. 2019
Jack Torrance –Flickering lights LP
The quartet isnamed after the completely crazy writer in the horror classic"Shining", played by Jack Nichoslson.
Heartcore is what the four from Coburg and Kassel call their sound. Two souls beat in the chest of the band. A mixture of shirt-sleeved Heartland sound and brutal hardcore punk.
Melodic and brutal at the same time. Played by two guitars, bass and drums.
Three rough throats share the microphone. Matze, Franz, Christiane and Eric are no strangers in the Franconian punk scene. They were or are active in bands like Deathjocks, Anti-Control, Plastikschmidt or Backstreetnoise.
Recorded, mixed and produced by Sven Peks at the Audiolodge Studio in Gaibach.
For their debut album JackTorrance even founded their own label called PHNX Records.
"D.I.Y. in pure culture "
Apart from their shows, "Flickering Ligths" is also sold at the Coburg record store Toxic Toast, Flight 13 Mailorder and X-Mist Records.
Keep it inthe family!
Jack Torrance - Flickering Lights Album review.
Trust FanzineDec. 1, 2019
Rarely seen such a discrepancy between theartwork of an LP and its musical content. Because of the cover, Iexpected art rock, porncore, stadium rock or any other kind ofaffected thing.
But the music here is great and melodichardcore, which reminds of bands like Hot Water Music and Jawbreakerthanks to the rough voice of the singer. Yes, the cover, terriblefont included, I think it's cruel.
Apart from that anabsolutely convincing record on which unpolished punk is mixed withmelancholic harmonies. This is music that gets better and better withevery listen!!!
PHNX Records.
(Marianne / Trust)
PLASTIC BOMB REVIEW 24.11.2019
JackTorrance - Flickering Lights Lp
JACK TORRANCE from Southern Germanyplay Heartcore and you can hear that in every single note. 90'sebullition sound meets the melancholy and raw feeling of early HOTWATER MUSIC. Wow! What a time travel... This is about emotions andcoping with them and that is poured into a record. "FlickeringLights" hits the heart and that´s what the record is about.Beautiful and something for the old 90s Emoboy in me. White vinyl +download code. fb.com/jacktorranceband (Phnx Rec.) - Iron Rob
OUT OF STEP FANZINE / BELGIUM. 13. Nov. 2019
Jack Torrance – Flickering Lights
LP 2019 PHNX REC
Jack Torrance is a German band named after the main character, played by Jack Nicholson, from the movie ‘The Shining’. A movie produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick and based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel ‘The Shining’. The band concists of people from other hardcore punk bands like, Deathjocks, Anti-Control or Backstreetnoise if those bands ring a bell. Recently they released their debut album as a vinyl (white vinyl) release only, with a download-code.
With the phrase “No fascism, No racism, no patriotism, no sexism, no bullshit, no nothing heartcore” printed on the inner lyrics sleeve you get a pretty good idea what the band stands for. With the Big War memorals (101 years ago WOI ended on November 11th) just around the corner and in times where fear leads to hate all over again statements like these are still necessary to be made. That state of mind is what got me into punk and hardcore many years ago.
But back on track now. With ‘Flickering Lights’ Jack Torrance brings passionate and emotional driven hardcore about life, love, broken hearts and regret. Decent heartcore inspired by post rock and 90s hardcore spiced up with some old school hardcore elements and fronted by a rasping and desperate sounding voice that reminds me in a way of Modern life is War. Personal Highlight is the track ‘Fragile’. Verdict: 8/10
X _ MIST RECORDS. (25. Okt. 2019)
JACK TORRANCE “Flickering Lights” LP
The band from Upper Franconia calls their music "Heartcore" - and that fits perfectly. The 9 tracks are as crunchy as they are catchy melodic, somewhere between the early Dischord Emo-Hardcore and bands like HOT WATER MUSIC, served with passion and energy. Limited pressing on white vinyl, with printed inner sleeve and download code as insert.
Jack Torrance - Flickering lights LP (UNDERDOG Fanzine) 24.Oct. 2019
PHNX REC.
Matze, Franz, Christiane and Eric from Anti-Control, Deathjocks, Plastikschmidt or Backstreetnoise share their love of obsession and madness that Jack Torrance displays in 'The Shining'. The quintessence is the same with the band and their role model: Again and again Jack starts with the same words, refusing almost consistently any attempt to go beyond the statement once made. And those who stay behind? Keep warm in your heart, because 'without lightning a spark, you can't keep yourself warm'. So love is the prayerful weapon against the emotional ruin, the 'sound of the broken heart' that pulls you deeper into the black hole that gapes inside like a wound that never heals. Well, the content is not that sad, but the sound is a personal mosaic of unevenness and stumbling blocks, darkness, emptiness and pain, the spring-loaded walk full of lightness and security through everyday life gives way to a sheer inability to move. Self-doubt and from the heart speak about things, the people you love. Try to embrace them, to move things: 'and it felt good for a while'. Raukehliger and warm-hearted Heartcore, which establishes an energetic connection and lets you feel, hear and feel how the borderline effect changes everything. Instability in interpersonal relationships, impulsivity, flashbacks, longing for peace and security. Flickering lights produces these scenarios and is a musical playground of intense states of tension that cause exhaustion and lend a poetic note to self-doubt, helping to believe more in you.
The 4 ladies and gentlemen of Jack Torrance are known to have longtime band - and
Studio experience, reflecting from many other band projects over the past 10-15 years.
The band plays in the post rock / hardcore area and displays some very 90s influenced elements in their music.
Combining different styles makes Jack Torrance an extraordinary and multifaceted band that stirs up the German music scene.
The songs are lyrically political but also have a , personal and lyrical touch.
The sound is hard and driving forward, but at the same time hopeful and emotional.
On 27.10. the debut album " Flickering Lights " has been released and is now available on PHNX Records.
Distribution partners are Flight 13 Mailorder (Freiburg) and X-Mist Records. Or directly at PHNX Records.
The album is released as vinyl only and comes with a download code. (White Vinyl)
GO AND GET YOUR COPY FAM!
We proudly welcome our first signed band on PHNX Records.
- JACK TORRANCE -
The ladies and gentlemen of this already legendary Heartcore formation.
On 27.09.2019 their first album "Flickering lights" will be released with our cooperation.
Feedback from the press soon in our News category!
Your PHNX Team.
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