18 Nov 2024
Blindfolded and Led to the Woods - Single/Video Review: Methlehem
28 Feb 2023 // A review by Kev Rowland
2023 promises to be an incredible year for
New Zealand metal and rock, and one album everyone is looking forward to is the
forthcoming Rejecting Obliteration from Christchurch’s very own
BALTTW. The first time I saw these guys play was supporting Death Angel and
Sepultura and certainly holding their own, and the last time was up here in Auckland
at Dead Witch, where they took the place to the cleaners with their brutal
brand of death metal. Methlehem is the first song to be released from
the album, which is out in May, and anyone who wondered if the guys were going
to throttle it back at all need not worry as instead they have thrown themselves
even further into the maelstrom.
This is heavy stuff, with lyrics to match, as they discuss religious fanaticism, showing the similarities which can be drawn between drug addicts and those who devote their lives to their deity. As Stacy says, “The church is a cartel, and billions are hooked on their premium product.” The rising intertwined guitars riff and swell, with a rhythm section underneath them which never settles into straightforward signatures but instead keeps mixing it up, so the sound is brutal yet unsettling with a strangely commercial overall sound. It may still be the sound we have all come to know and love over the years, but it has been refined and distilled so it hits on every level. The video is bound to upset a few people, with imagery which leaves nothing to the imagination, just in case anyone was missing out on the message.
Rating:
( 5 / 5 )
About Blindfolded and Led to the Woods
After getting down half a set the band decided to recruit a vocalist, and the songs were becoming too complex for J-Rad and Stuart to continue singing over, so the decision was made to ask friend, Stace Fifield to join. He accepted and immediately gave the band a new feel and sound with his black metal high screams and brutal low growls. The band played thier first show at Als Bar on April 9th, 2010. At this show Stuart was approached by Nick Smith, and he made the offer to play bass for Blindfolded. The band talked it over and decided to give him a shot... Nick learned the whole set in 9 days and went on to play his first show with the band, nailing the performance securing his place as bass player for Blindfolded and Led to the Woods.
In the next stage of BALTTW Jazz was relieved of his duties in the band, and they continued to advance as a 5 piece, travelling the country destroying crowds young and old. 2011 saw Blindfolded and led to the woods sign to Swimming with sharks records USA, not bad for some drunken dudes from CHCH, New Zealand.
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Blindfolded and Led to the Woods
Releases
Other Reviews By Kev Rowland
Gig Review: Crushfest @ The Tuning Fork, Auckland - 07/07/2023
07 Jul 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was down to Tuning Fork for the first night of the second Crushfest festival. Tonight was going to be Wellington and Auckland bands, and then some of the same will be playing at the second night in Wellington next month.
Read More...
07 Jul 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was down to Tuning Fork for the first night of the second Crushfest festival. Tonight was going to be Wellington and Auckland bands, and then some of the same will be playing at the second night in Wellington next month.
Read More...
Rain - Single Review: Love and War
15 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
It has been quite a while since I last heard from Wellington-based singer songwriter Cathy Elizabeth, and back then Rain was seen solely as a studio project with Cathy being accompanied by Thomas Te Taite, who provided all the instrumentation including digital drums. Now they are a full band who have been performing live, and it is the first time they have recorded as such, with Thomas now, just providing acoustic guitar (plus engineering and producing etc.
Read More...
Lost Vessels - Single Review: All This Time
01 Jun 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I must admit I was not that impressed when I first saw Lost Vessels play at Crushfest, something they later admitted to me was the worst gig of their career, but since then they have improved in leaps and bounds. This has been noticed by others on the Auckland circuit as they are getting more opportunities with better support slots, and I was not at all surprised when they won the Ding Dong Lounge Battle Of The Bands in November last year.
Read More...
Unwanted Subject - Single Review: Sons of Savages
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
I have caught Unwanted Subject in concert a few times over the last couple of years, and while they have been getting better each time I have seen them, I must admit that nothing prepared me for this, which right from the off is a monster. I have never heard them quite this is aggressive, nor as polished, and this multi-sectioned single sounds almost like a different band as they have pushed their metal roots to the max in this metalcore beast which sees them mixing and blending different genres to create something quite special.
Read More...
Gig Review: Stray Dogs @ AUX, Auckland - 26/05/2023
28 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
So it was back to Ding Dong Lounge on a Friday night for one of their infamous Emo nights, which tonight was a three-band bill with Stray Dogs having an extended set, supported by Altaea and then up first we had Blindr, a band new to me. Blindr are a quartet featuring Bill Caldwell (vocals, guitar), Blake Woodfield (lead guitar), Jack Power (bass), and Charlie McCracken (drums).
Read More...
Gig Review: Turkey The Bird @ The Ministry of Folk, Auckland - 27/05/2023
27 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Back up to Auckland Guide Centre in Mount Eden tonight for my second consecutive gig (Sol suggested it was a turkey sandwich as I am at Vader tomorrow) to see Taranaki’s finest, Turkey The Bird at The Ministry of Folk. Before that we of course had Hoop, who are Al Baxter (vocals, guitar, harmonica, banjo, mandolin), Nick Edgar (vocals, guitar, ukulele, flute, harmonica), Emily Allen (violin, viola), Glenn Coldham (bass) while tonight Gary Hunt was filling in for drummer Rusty Knox.
Read More...
This Silent Divide - Single Review: Beautiful Creature
25 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Here we have the latest single from Wellington-based melodic hard rock quartet This Silent Divide, entitled Beautiful Creature. I really enjoyed their Tall Stories EP, and they played a great gig at Dead Witch towards the end of last year, and this would have been recorded at about the same time.
Read More...
Gig Review: Emily Rice @ Your Local Coffee Roasters, Pukekohe - 24/05/2023
24 May 2023 // by Kev Rowland
Earlier this week I had a message from Emily Rice asking me if I lived in South Auckland. When I responded I did, she asked if I would be interested in coming along to an event she was putting on in a coffee shop in Pukekohe to celebrate the release of her new single, Warenoa.
Read More...
Most Viewed Artists
Latest Galleries
NZ Top 10 Singles
- APT.
ROSÉ And Bruno Mars - DIE WITH A SMILE
Lady Gaga And Bruno Mars - BIRDS OF A FEATHER
Billie Eilish - TASTE
Sabrina Carpenter - I LOVE YOU, I'M SORRY
Gracie Abrams - ESPRESSO
Sabrina Carpenter - SAILOR SONG
Gigi Perez - LOSE CONTROL
Teddy Swims - A BAR SONG (TIPSY)
Shaboozey - GOOD LUCK, BABE!
Chappell Roan
More Content on muzic.net.nz
Google Site Search
Custom Search
100% New Zealand Music
All content on this website is copyright to muzic.net.nz and other respective rights holders. Redistribution of any material presented here without permission is prohibited.
Report A Problem
