Torena's new album No Control might not deliver in the way you’d expect from a record with such an aggressive title. Given the name, you'd probably assume the band would unleash something more primal or frantic, but instead, the album feels like a laid-back, almost indifferent journey. The band seems to exist in a space somewhere between good and bad, not really pushing the boundaries of their genre, but not completely missing the mark either. It's as if they’ve opted for a more subtle approach to heavy music, but unfortunately, this can come off as uninspired or lacking energy at times.

Tracks like “Trapped” and “I’ll Never Be Like You” highlight this sense of stagnation. While the overall sound isn't necessarily poor, it struggles to leave a lasting impact. The drumming, in particular, often feels lackluster and, at times, almost half-hearted. For large stretches of the album, the drums lack the intensity you'd expect from a hardcore release. While there are brief moments where the drumming picks up and shows more dynamism—like on “False Compassion” where the rhythm feels more punchy and varied—the overall impression is that the drums don’t bring enough energy to elevate the rest of the band.

Another issue that becomes apparent throughout the album is the lack of fulfilling song structures. In several cases, the songs seem to fizzle out without a proper payoff, with breakdowns that feel underwhelming or like they simply trail off. Tracks like “Intro” and “Fueled by Rage” suffer from this, leaving you expecting more intensity or resolution but instead offering an anticlimactic finish that doesn’t hit as hard as it should.

The bass, too, often falls into the background. While it does have some standout moments—like the intro to “Trusting Soul” or the opening of “Fueled by Rage”—it doesn’t manage to hold the listener's attention for long. The basslines don’t evoke much emotion or create any real tension, making them feel more like filler than an essential part of the music.

When it comes to the riffs, Torena does have a few moments where things click. The guitars have a solid crunch to them, and every now and then, a riff will come through that catches your ear. However, these moments are few and far between. The one standout instance comes in “I’ll Never Be Like You,” where the band attempts a brief thrash moment—but it feels out of place, messy, and almost like the band is trying too hard to be something they're not. It’s a jarring moment in an album that otherwise lacks the raw energy of hardcore, leaving it feeling more disjointed than it probably should.

Vocally, No Control is a mixed bag. The main vocals are competent but don’t do much to stand out. They’re consistently solid throughout, but never remarkable. In contrast, the gang vocals shine brighter, injecting a sense of energy and power that’s lacking in the primary vocal performance. When the whole band gets involved, the sound becomes much more forceful and engaging, making you wish the album had leaned more into that collective power.

The production on No Control is, frankly, nothing to write home about. The engineering feels straightforward and functional—there’s no real flair or polish to the sound. It’s simple and unflashy, which in some cases can be effective, but here it just feels a bit too basic. There's a certain flatness to the mix that holds back the potential of the songs, leaving the album sounding more like a demo than a fully realized release.

Overall, No Control is a solid, if forgettable, hardcore album. While it has some decent moments scattered throughout, it doesn’t offer anything particularly memorable or groundbreaking. The lack of energy, the uninspired drumming, and the overall lack of a clear payoff leave it feeling like just another run-of-the-mill hardcore release. If you’re a fan of the genre, it’s not a bad listen, but it’s unlikely to stand out in the long run.