Dick Tracy - EP Review: The Red Hand
19 Oct 2015 // review by Asmith
Right from the intro track Mahjong, I was instantly transported into party mode. Rockin’, groovin’ hard hitting beats that get your heart pumping and ready to go.
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Blacklistt - Blacklistt @ Bodega 24/05/2014
17 Jun 2014 // review by Asmith
I was quite excited when I got offered this review, it was the first time I had seen Blindspott as their new reincarnation, Blacklistt, and was eager to see if anything had changed since the last time I had seen them, I wasn’t dissapointed. Hell, I think they may have even been BETTER.
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Jake Stokes - Midnight Album Review
26 Feb 2014 // review by Asmith
When I first pressed play on this release I was pleasantly surprised to hear some very bluesy sounding riffs blasting at me from my speakers. Now I guess I'm a little bias here but I believe the blues and blues influenced genres are underrated, underplayed, and undersold, especially in New Zealand so when I here something like this it always gets me a little excited.
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Tomorrow People - One.5 EP Review
06 Dec 2013 // review by Asmith
Tomorrow People is one of my favourite kiwi reggae acts. There's something about them that's very genuine, something that (for me at least) really stands out from the sea of other reggae bands (and they're even better live!
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Static Era - Roy, Static Era, All Dead Superstars, Kavort @ The Royal 19/10/2013
28 Oct 2013 // review by Asmith
The night was kicked off with a guy named Roy playing an acoustic set of covers from a wide range of styles, Smashing Pumpkins, David Bowie, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Sublime and my favourite (and the crowds too, as I looked around I could see most of them singing along) - Tool. Next up we had Static Era - this was probably my highlight of the night.
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Sons Of Zion - Sons Of Zion Interview 21/10/13
21 Oct 2013 // interview by Asmith
NZ is well known for producing a lot of top quality reggae acts, what do you think separates you from the other NZ acts and makes you stand from all the others? Sam: I think maybe just the originality of our sound.
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Forsaken Age - Forsaken Age, Fallen Order, Red Dawn, Dick Tracy @ The Royal 06/09/2013
27 Sep 2013 // review by Asmith
Dick Tracy blows onto the stage with their party rock anthems and I get my first look at the insane lighting rig being used for the night, which was quite a show (and a step up for the usual lighting rig thanks to their manager Tank) but may have been a tad bright for the room at times, making me wish I'd brought my shades along to the gig (although I did wonder if this was just my age and hundreds of gigs catching up with me haha). As the first band on there weren't that many people there but they had people up the front dancing as soon as they started playing, and they still played like the place was packed out.
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The Adventures Of Mikejoffa - Miss Fortunes Album Review
01 Jul 2013 // review by Asmith
I'm a 90's kid and I gotta say I'm really feeling it, a strong 90's alt vibe, Seattle and beyond with some kiwi flavor, It's taking me on a magic carpet ride reminiscing back to a place where Dubstep does not exist and Nicky Minaj is not somehow making money in the music industry. I know at some point I will have to come back to reality where these things exist but for now I'm enjoying it while I got it.
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Beastwars - Beastwars @ The Royal 18/05/2013
25 May 2013 // review by Asmith
Turbostill were the first to grace the stage with their dirty grungy swamp rock n roll, with gravelly vocals laid over top. Simple catchy hooks and a steady rhythm section got the crowd off to a good start, and there was a surprising amount of people already there.
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Pariah - Mass Album Review
31 Jan 2013 // review by Asmith
It’s been a long time coming for the 2nd full length Pariah album but I’ll be honest, it was fully worth the wait! Starting off with a melodic instrumental piece that warms you up, gets you comfortable, makes you feel safe… Then the brutal onslaught begins with the second track Unholy Disorder filled with mosh heavy riffs, it kinda takes you over and no matter where you are you feel overwhelmed by the pit inside your head (try listening to this album on headphones in public without looking like you’re having a seizure, I dare you).
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Dislocate - Dislocate Interview 13/01/13
13 Jan 2013 // interview by Asmith
I had a talk to Marty Kent, bass player for Dislocate, after their recent gig at Beyond The Black Festival, here's what he had to say... How long has Dislocate been together?
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The Heathen Collective - The Heathen Collective Interview 13/01/13
13 Jan 2013 // interview by Asmith
I had a chat to Goose from The Heathen Collective, here's what he had to say... How long has The Heathen Collective been together?
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Osmium - Osmium Interview 12/01/13
12 Jan 2013 // interview by Asmith
How long has Osmium been together? The first formation of Osmium was in 2005, as the band we are now I think 2009.
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Needless Cane - Hemlock Lemonade Single Video Review
25 Nov 2012 // review by Asmith
Ok I’ll be honest here, this band is not really the kinda thing I’m into but this video is actually pretty cool! It’s a take on the mad hatters tea party, but there’s definitely a twist.
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Bloodspray for Politics - Blood And Night EP Review
22 Nov 2012 // review by Asmith
Heavy riffs and screams come straight out to play from the very first song on Bloodspray for Politics debut EP Blood And Night, with wah heavy leads tearing through the first track Blood And Night. I had to assume that with the very first track having the same title as the EP that whatever I got in the first track would continue throughout, and I was right.
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Cobra Khan - Cobra Khan EP Review
22 Nov 2012 // review by Asmith
My first thoughts when hearing Cobra Khan’s self-titled EP (and my first time listening to Cobra Khan I might add) had me hearing a big Fear Factory influence, I’m unsure whether it was the vocal style or the dark, deep, heavy riffs that were protruding from every orifice of this EP, lathered in synth back dropping the whole thing to give it a haunting tone overall. The first two tracks Cages and Walking Wires keep to that heavy rock styling as above, then moving into the very electronic rock sounding Ashvin (which reminded me of Fear Factory's album Demanufacture) and then changing pace again to the last track on the EP In Frays (which I’ll be honest actually kinda reminded me a little of Phil Collins, I think that may have been the verb on the vocals) which is a softer, more classic rock styled piece.
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Killing Yourself For Profit - Betrayal Begets Blood Single Review
06 Nov 2012 // review by Asmith
Killing Yourself For Profit are an up and coming metal band from Auckland merging some of Auckland’s already established metal bands such as Fuelset, Upraw and Burn The Scripture. No matter your preferred style of metal, there is bound to be something you like with their first single Betrayal Begets Blood - Throwing in a bit of everything from grooving, chugging riffs to melodic tech, and of course the breakdown style riffs to get the pit going, there are even vocal harmonies blending growling screams on the track.
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Hell-oween in The Swamp @ The Royal, 27/10/12
30 Oct 2012 // review by Asmith
The very first Hell-oween in the swamp to be run by Cephalopod's Kyle Kenrick (and his first event overall I believe) went down amazingly, everything was organized well and even the stage was in costume! There was plenty of merch on offer and there was a decent turnout too considering all the other events on the same night!
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Three Houses Down - Three Houses Down @ The Colosseum, Palmerston North 21/09/2012
08 Oct 2012 // review by Asmith
Coming onstage proclaiming themselves as “Roots Rock Reggae” and then bringing it full force with a modern twist. With an almost hyperactive stage performance this was a very, very tight 9 piece who showed their professionalism throughout their set, with sound problems plaguing them for the better part of the show they didn’t let it phase them at all and kept on going, and having experienced bad sound myself I know exactly how hard it can be to push through when you’re constantly getting feedback, so big ups on that one boys!
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Diamond Sutra - Positioning Self EP review
03 Sep 2012 // review by Asmith
Eerie, haunting, beautiful… Three words that perfectly describe my first impression of this album. Diamond Sutra is a female fronted electronic rock band to rival Evanescence and Lacuna Coil, the riffs are heavier and groovier, the beats are catchier and the vocals give me chills.
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Fuelset - Sounds Of A Dying Seagull Album Review
27 Jul 2012 // review by Asmith
This is one of those albums that I enjoy more and more every time I listen. Theres just so much going on here but in this case it is very much a good thing, this is one of those few bands that can actually make it work.
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The Heathen Collective - JuneFest @ Breakers Bar, Wanganui 30/06/12
27 Jul 2012 // review by Asmith
The very first thing I noticed about The Heathen Collective when they stared playing was how low they had downtuned, I was actually waiting for them to hit a "brown note" (drop A in case you were wondering). The vocal technique was impressive, making me wonder if he had training or if like many of us he was a "Zen Of Screaming" convert but I never got the chance to ask him myself.
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Reapers Luck - JuneFest @ Breakers Bar, Wanganui 30/06/12
27 Jul 2012 // review by Asmith
Reapers Luck's style is what I tend to class as "theatrical metal", falling somewhere in that undefined area somewhere between power metal and Iron Maiden, and from the very first song the Iron Maiden influence was very clear. The songwriting itself was a nice mixture from crescending ballads to the very maiden styled "horse metal" which gave their set some variety and made for a good show.
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Suppression - Suppression @ The Royal 29/06/12
27 Jul 2012 // review by Asmith
It's always going to be hard follwing a band like Cage Demise, but I gotta say these guys didn't do too bad! It did take them a little while to get into the groove of their set but once they hit their sweet spot it was all go, pretty good considering they hadn't played a gig in months.
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Cage Demise - Cage Demise @ The Royal 29/06/12
27 Jul 2012 // review by Asmith
If you happen to be from Palmerston North and you love metal then you will, no doubt, have heard or heard of Cage Demise (if you havn't then may I suggest you knock down whatever is holding up the rock you are currently hiding under). Straight off the bat these boys come outas high energy as ever, so hard in fact that their drummer broke his kick pedal on the very first song!!!
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Cephalopod - Cephalopod @ The Royal, Palmerston North 09/06/2012
13 Jun 2012 // review by Asmith
After some minor technical difficulties Cephalopod came out with force (I would liken it to being smashed in the face with Thor’s brutal metal hammer). And right off the bat Elise dominated with her energetic performance while still managing to retain some of the best vocal control and vocal projection I’ve seen from somebody in an unsigned band.
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Invader Cain - Invader Cain Interview 19/05/2012
13 Jun 2012 // interview by Asmith
You guys have just released an E.P “Feeling The Trend But Thinking Again”, is it your first release?
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Autozamm - Autozamm Interview 19/05/2012
29 May 2012 // interview by Asmith
So after having a look through your bio you guys have actually had a pretty successful career, how long have you guys actually been together for? 10 years exactly You guys have opened up for Silverchair, INXS, and The Black Crowes...
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Gift of Ruin - Gift Of Ruin Interview 11/05/2012
24 May 2012 // interview by Asmith
So we are here with Gift Of Ruin, how long have you guys been together for now? Gift Of Ruin - Ah nearly a year, not quite a year, nah over a year man, nah, yeah, nah, I actually don’t no.
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Gunt - Gunt Interview 11/05/2012
24 May 2012 // interview by Asmith
Ok, so the first thing I’ve got to ask is... what’s a GUNT?
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Tomorrow People - One Album Review
16 May 2012 // review by Asmith
From the very first song I was taken back down memory lane to my childhood growing up listening to The Wailers, UB40, Herbs, and Bob Marley. But there’s something else going on here, something very different and very fresh that you don’t get with that old school reggae sound.
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Gunt - Gunt @ The Royal, Palmerston North - 11/05/2012
15 May 2012 // review by Asmith
So we get to the last band of the night and it looks like everyone has left, I look around and there’s maybe a handful of people in the bar and it’s not looking good... As GUNT make their way onstage and begin to play I look down to check my phone and by the time I had read my text and looked up again the bar was full...
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Dirt Box Charlie - Extended Play Album Review
15 May 2012 // review by Asmith
From the very first moment you pick up the CD you can feel an air of class exuding from this release, and upon playing the first track nothing changes. As I began listening I felt the strong blend of blues, funk and jazz instantly hit me in the face like a fresh cup of coffee first thing in the morning, and I could easily imagine myself sitting in a local cafe listening to this.
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