Sidewinder - Single Review: Sirens
"It feels like I’m dying" is a heavy statement to open your band’s first recorded song with; the lyric hangs momentarily in a swamp of muted guitar before the big opening riff of Sirens confirms that heaviness is what Sidewinder are all about. Singer Jason Curtis unleashes a throaty “Heyeah” as a fuzz of guitar somewhere between grunge and stoner rock hammers down. I’m a sucker for a grotty riff, and you can practically hear the grime on the guitar strings.
This is not sensible music - it’s balls-to-the-wall black jeans and sticky floors music. I’ve spent enough nights in Valhalla to recognise the sounds and smells Wellington’s heavy rock scene, and Sidewinder fit neatly in. Sirens proves that these five lads are off to a beefy start. There are echoes of Alice in Chains and Kyuss in the mix. There is also a touch of Wellington’s Beastwars present in the big choruses – not surprising since both acts have recorded with engineer James Goldsmith.
Radio-friendly structure is always smart, as is the case here, but occasionally it’s nice to hear a slightly left-field aspect of the composition deviating from the established rules. In one such unexpected diversion there is an almost nu-metal moment of a gated delayed guitar just before the first verse kicks in. I hope that I’ll hear the band breaking more of these structural norms as they release more music. The riffs, rhythm and hooks are there already.
About Sidewinder
Hitting the stage for their debut just six weeks after forming, the band received a rousing response from a large crowd. Since then the band had not kept still, clocking in numerous live shows as well as heading into the studio to record their first singles with top local engineer James Goldsmith.
Sirens, the bands first single was duly released April 2021 and was enthusiastically picked up by local rock radio, overseas bloggers and podcasters. That same month the band hit the road for concert dates in Tauranga, Hamilton and Auckland to promote the single before returning to a triumphant homecoming show in Wellington.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Sidewinder
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