With a rich history in punk and hardcore, Oxnard, California has produced countless legendary and influential bands like Stalag 13, Dr. Know, In Control, Ill Repute, and now… Torena. Devastatingly heavy and committed to the traditional ethos and spirit of hardcore, Torena carry the torch of Nardcore for a new generation, truly embodying the energy and passion the Oxnard scene has long been known for.
Following up their 2023 EP, Evil Eyez, Torena released a brand new album, No Control, on Daze, on October 4th, eight rapid fire tracks that take cues from hardcore luminaries like Terror and Hatebreed, but also incorporates elements of punk, powerviolence, and death metal as well, a natural evolution of the heavy, aggressive sound Torena is known for, pushing into new territory with confidence while remaining true to their roots.
After supporting Drain on their national Monster Outbreak tour last year, Torena are back at it again this Fall, this time providing direct support to Sunami, along with Ingrown, on the Monster Outbreak “From the Bay to the USA” tour. Starting in Seattle and making stops across the country and back again, finally ending in Berkeley, California, don’t miss Torena or any of the other amazing bands on the bill!
I recently had the chance to catch up with Julien Urias about the band’s history, new album, and their commitment to honoring the energy, ethos, and history of hardcore music and the Oxnard scene. Check out the interview and don’t miss Torena out on tour now or at Flyover Fest in November!
Photos by: Ray Camacho – raymondecamacho.myportfolio.com – @punk_monk_ray
Nikki: Let’s start with a little bit about the band. Who are the members of Torena and where are you all from? How long have you known each other and have any of you been in any bands before/as well as Torena?
Julien: The members of Torena are David Stalsworth, Dante Denoms, Mikaele Ryan, and Julien Urias (myself). We’ve all known each other for multiple years and then some. David and Mikaele were in a hardcore punk band before Torena, [and], as for myself, I was playing bass in another band for a couple months.
What inspired you to name the band Torena?
The name comes from a street name in Oxnard our guitar player Dante used to live on a couple years ago, Torena Way. It was unique and we haven’t heard the name used in a band setting, so we stuck with that.
You have a brand new album, No Control, dropping on Daze on October 4th. Can you tell us anything about the writing and production process that went into the album?
Whenever we write music, it has to be organic. There’s no room for filler whenever we start on the next release, and I believe we show that. We take our time in writing a record to make sure it sounds and feels right, and sometimes the songs come naturally without a lot of time being wasted. Before we hit the studio, we demo it out with our close friend Vincent Amador. He recorded our first demo and I believe he really understands what Torena is since he’s seen us live since the band’s first few shows, so he’s always demoed everything we’ve done.
You play heavy and aggressive hardcore with growling vocals and devastating breakdowns, picking up the mantle from hardcore heavyweights like Hatebreed and Terror. Who or what influences the music you write? Was there a specific sound you were hoping to achieve when you set out to write for the new album?
A lot of our record was influenced by other hardcore bands, some who are peers and a lot of bigger bands such as Hatebreed and Terror. But, there’s [also] a lot of influence from death metal bands like Dying Fetus [and] Cryptopsy, as well as punk and powerviolence bands like Discharge, Disrupt, Hatred Surge, and Poison Idea. When it came to the sound of the band [on the new album], it came out as more raw and aggressive than our EP Evil Eyez. It’s an expansion of that without being redundant.
It seems like your lyrics always come from a very personal, passionate place. What inspired your writing on No Control? With tracks like “Trusting Soul,” “Fueled By Rage,” and “Trapped” you clearly write from a deeply emotional and contemplative standpoint, tapping into and sharing struggles both mental and physical. Is there a specific message you try to get across with your music?
I guess the message is that no one is alone in dealing with these struggles. The lyrics were written with open interpretation in mind, because in some way there’s going to be a person who relates to it no matter what the song is about directly. Some songs are more straightforward lyrically than others, but there’s still room for interpretation.
In 2023 you went out on the Monster Energy sponsored Outbreak tour in support of Drain – how did you end up on the tour and what was that experience like? The magnitude of that tour package cannot be understated, what were some things you enjoyed about the tour and what did you learn going out on such a large scale?
We got asked to do a run with Drain, and that’s an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. At the time we [had] just released our EP in March, so we were excited to bring those songs to a wider audience.
This Fall you’ll be heading back out once again with the Outbreak tour, this time in support of Sunami. What else do you have coming up? Anywhere you’d like to tour that maybe you haven’t yet or other goals for the band?
We are playing Flyover Fest after the tour ends on November 17th! We also got a couple of weekends in December, super stoked!
Your home town of Oxnard, California has an incredibly, tightly knit hardcore scene that has produced amazing bands like Dead Heat, In Time, Ill Repute, and In Control. How did your hometown influence your trajectory in music and subculture? How would you describe your home scene for anyone who hasn’t had a chance to witness Nardcore in action?
Oxnard has a very rich punk and hardcore history. You got the OG bands like Agression, Stalag 13, and Dr Know, and the later hardcore bands like In Control, Omega Point, Voice of Defiance, and so much more that have influenced us to such a degree, because it showed us we can do it too. The Oxnard hardcore scene is full of passion, and every show has an intense energy that I don’t think we’ve seen anywhere else. It’s home, and we treat out of town bands very well.
At a time when the idea of “hardcore” is ever evolving and changing, what does hardcore mean to you? You carry yourselves like a very traditional hardcore band at a time when the genre is more diverse than ever.
Community, integrity, family. A lot of people come into hardcore and they quickly find out that it’s either for them, or that it’s not. In this time it’s very accessible and bigger than ever, but we’ll never forget what this genre is at its core.
What are some bands or albums that members of the band are listening to and enjoying right now, hardcore or otherwise? Do you have any up and coming bands you’d recommend to anyone who’s enjoying Torena?
We listen to all different types of music. It ranges from different genres and fluctuates depending on the mood. For anybody who likes Torena, I’d say check out our brothers in Bare Minimum, who are from Oxnard, as well. They’re dope. Also, check out If It Rains from New England, and Disillusion from Oxnard!
As we close the interview, is there anything you’d like to share that we didn’t cover? Any shout outs to give?
Our record No Control goes out to our fallen brother Matthew Urango, Rest In Peace.
COLA BOYY FOREVER!
