Iva Toric has many sides. One of those sides, without question, represents the next natural step in women’s increased presence as lead singers for top-notch rock acts. The music-buying public has been slow to grant such acts the acceptance given to elite bands but that has changed enormously in the past two plus decades. Toric isn’t among the vanguard of a nascent movement, there are bands and lead singers who paved the road before her, but her new single “Time to Die” shows she has the talent to take heavy music, doom metal in particular, further on than her illustrious forebearers.
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It’s a spectacular example of the mainstream access doom metal can command. Often associated with ponderous riffing, glacial tempos, and lyrics drenched in horror movie lyrics, Iva Toric’s work is part of a push back against those tropes. It is loyal to the music’s spirit though. The arrangement is precise, but the playing nonetheless burns with feral heat; you’ll never mistake this for some kind of paint-by-numbers metal tune.
Toric treats it like her life hinges on nailing the lyrics. This shouldn’t imply, however, that her vocal is wild and freewheeling. There are moments fitting that description, there are plenty, but there are other moments as well when Toric tempers her singing to explore the layers of emotions present in this song. It’s a well-rounded song that isn’t ever one note but, likewise, doesn’t ever attempt biting off more than it can chew.
BANDCAMP: https://ivatoric.bandcamp.com/track/time-to-die
It’s also one part of a larger presentation. The song’s video is a visual thrill ride bathed in color that seems to leap out from the screen. It’s obvious she’s lavished great attention on the video and she’s careful to never cross the line into gaudiness. There’s a narrative thread for viewers to follow, as well, but it isn’t totally linear and comprehending it like one would a feature film isn’t necessary to enjoy the song.
Every part of the song hits the mark. If there’s a MVP for the song other than Toric, it’s guitarist/bassist Gregg Cash who puts down thunderous six and four strings lines that never veer off-track. Cash’s bass playing finds an uniquely sympathetic partner in drummer Dylan Howard and their tone-setting authority will blow away many listeners. Everything is orchestrated with great finesse.
No single instrument overshadows any other. It is an enormously polished composition but it’s remarkable how it retains so much grit and authenticity. There’s nothing manufactured about Iva Toric’s “Time to Die” and you can’t help but cheer on how she faces her fears rather than shirking them. This quality of purging herself through song puts her in a specific “school” of songwriters but it’s why she does what she does, as they say. It isn’t for fame and fortune. It isn’t to end up on magazine covers across the globe. Iva Toric’s art is a cry of the heart and searching for kindred spirits in a complicated world. Answering her call is well worth your time.
Chadwick Easton