So what do you do after you’ve released the best metal album of the year and slayed audiences coast-to-coast while opening for The Sword and Boris? You do a month-long victory lap, o’ course. Torche is riding high on the raft of great press for their most recent disc Meanderthal (including some lavish praise on this very website), and they’re celebrating with a headlining tour that hits every region of the continental US other than the northeast. The unfortunate bands forced to open for Torche include the psych-rockin’ Cave-In offshoot Clouds, Louisville punk-metal hooligans Coliseum and the tireless twosome Black Cobra. Even if the supporting lineups sucked (which they don’t), missing a live Torche show is unacceptable.

Where to practice your horns-raising:

 8.31 The Back Booth: Orlando, FL

with Coliseum and Clouds
 10.24 Caladonia:Athens, GA
 10.25 The Hi-Tone: Memphis TN
 10.26 The Bluebird: St. Louis, MO
 10.27 Jackpot: Lawrence, KS
 10.28 Larimer: Denver, CO
 10.29 Burt’s Tiki: Salt Lake City, UT
 10.30 Neurolux: Boise, ID
 10.31 El Corazon: Seattle, WA
 11.1 Satyricon : Portland, OR
 11.3 Slim's: San Francisco, CA

with Clouds and Black Cobra
 11.14 The Casbah: San Diego, CA
 11.15 Spaceland: Los Angeles, CA
 11.16 Phix Gallery: Phoenix, AZ
 11.17 The Rock: Tucson, AZ
 11.19 Rock Bottom: San Antonio,TX
 11.20 Red Seven: Austin, TX
 11.21 The Lounge on Elm St: Dallas, TX
 11.22 Walter's on Washington: Houston,TX
 11.23 Dragon's Den: New Orleans, LA