Saurian - EP Review: Octopedal Rock Unit
Dunedin's Saurian have just released Octopedal Rock Unit, a five-song collection of rock & roll that's fun and full of melody, but also ballsy and thunderous. Saurian released the entirely self-produced album Brooding in 2020, having formed in 2015. This latest EP is a slick and punchy follow-up.
Drawing influence from "Nirvana, The Beatles, Foo Fighters, Guns N’ Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Soundgarden", Saurian have refined that input into a sound that also made me think of The Angels, The Stooges, and MC5. Drumming that's tight and solid, perfectly tasty without being unnecessarily flashy. Big fat bass that's locked in nicely. Guitars with a suitably muscular grunt. Rich, beefy vocals with power for days. The name Octopedal Rock Unit is inspired by the fact that "it takes 8 feet to kick this much ass", and to be fair, a decent amount of ass gets kicked here.
Wayne Kerr is the opening track, a proud middle-fingered salute to haters of loud guitars. Gets my vote. It also has a new official lyric video which has a fun format. Fra-gee-lay is a raucous lament, telling the all-too-relatable tale of having a parcel damaged by a delivery driver, and includes a guitar solo so very good that it gets an official announcement. Ian Astbury of The Cult came to mind when I heard the third track, Gobstopper, and I love The Cult, so I was pretty stoked with this track. Loads of nice guitar moments in this one too. Get Forked is the shortest track at 1 minute 40 and is a punky riot about forklift operator certification. Nice. Followed by a track that's positively epic by comparison at 4 minutes 37, Sheep's Clothing is also the EP's darkest track, a song of betrayal and caution. It also has an utterly epic guitar solo, fittingly saved to be the final one of the EP.
This is the kind of music that quickly gets a venue pumping. This music will get people dancing, because let's face it, most people can't withstand an ass-kicking from 8 feet at the same time. Crank this EP whenever and wherever really good loud rock & roll is required.
About Saurian
Now, about the sonic elixir that is Saurian. Picture this: the raw power of Guns N' Roses, the gritty intensity of Soundgarden, the rebellious spirit of Nirvana, and the flamboyance of The Darkness—all rolled into one. Yes, it's as majestic as it sounds. Fast forward to 2023, etched into musical history as the year Saurian gifted the mortal world with Octopedal Rock Unit, an EP that set out to prove that rock is far from dead. The lead single Sheep’s Clothing achieved international radio play while Gobstopper proved to be a tune so irresistible that it racked up over 10,000 Spotify streams. Not that we're keeping count...
Now, let's talk about the spectacle that is a Saurian live show. We provide an arena rock show at the pub around the corner, high energy experiences that leave audiences
Visit the muzic.net.nz Profile for Saurian
Releases
Other Reviews By Peter K Malthus
19 Nov 2024 // by Peter K Malthus
Homemade Pills is a new album by Patients, one of the projects of Christchurch's Aeneas Jones. As well as fronting heavy rockers PhatSak and performing with Chickenyard and When I Was Sexy, Aeneas drew together the collective Patients to play and record this latest effort.
Read More...
Appertain - EP Review: Sideways
29 Oct 2024 // by Peter K Malthus
Auckland based Appertain consists of Adam Strang and David Hector, and between the two of them, they conjure up a nice big fat rock sound, "with powerful riffs and soulful lyrics". October 10th saw the release of their debut EP, Sideways, and I had the pleasure of reviewing it.
Read More...
Electric Tapestry - EP Review: Warship Across
09 Oct 2024 // by Peter K Malthus
Warship Across is the third EP since their first in 2021 for Wellington-based Electric Tapestry. There is a large and diverse list of musical influences that have gone into making the Electric Tapestry sound.
Read More...
Gig Review: Jan Hellriegel @ The Piano, Christchurch - 04/10/2024
06 Oct 2024 // by Peter K Malthus
It's always a treat to get to go see a show at Christchurch's beautiful The Piano, and sit in its stunning auditorium. Unfortunately, I arrived slightly late due to some teenage hijinks on the home front, so I missed the start of Steffany Beck's set.
Read More...
Goodwill - Album Review: Kind Hands
03 Oct 2024 // by Peter K Malthus
Goodwill is the solo project of producer, songwriter, and former nomad member Will McGillivray. Having been songwriting over the last couple of years since the release of the Incontrol EP, Goodwill is releasing Kind Hands, a debut album of nine tracks.
Read More...
Frau Knotz - EP Review: Nextraterrestrial
13 Sep 2024 // by Peter K Malthus
Frau Knotz is the performing name of multi-talented Lauren Nottingham, a singer, pianist, producer and composer based in New Plymouth. Having released the first of her singles in 2022, she now bestows her EP Nextraterrestrial upon then planet Earth.
Read More...
Jai Bartlett - Album Review: Echoes
11 Sep 2024 // by Peter K Malthus
Jai Bartlett is from Wellington, where he creates his "Alternative Hip-Hop", a description that immediately had me interested. He describes his debut album Echoes as "diverse", and I had the pleasure of discovering what an understatement that is.
Read More...
18 Aug 2024 // by Peter K Malthus
Christchurch City Council's Winter music festival, Go Live!, is now in its fifth year.
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
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
