Sidewinder are back with their third single, following on from the powerful Mississippi Fire, which came out a few months ago. Again, what we have here is stoner rock, with very strong links to QOTSA, which are based around the vocals of Jason Curtis. The song starts quite slowly, with the drums being the prominent feature, and he is soft and delicate, but when the rest of the guys crank it up, he lifts his voice and powers over the top. There is a great use of dynamics, contrast, and control in this, so even we have an almost tribal beat there is the feeling there is going to be breakout aggression coming down the track. The song is inspired by an actual historical figure – a Native American man who was the last survivor of genocide against his tribe – and we feel his pain. How a New Zealand band are able to channel this harsh stoner American southern rock is beyond me, but they throw in some healthy amounts of grunge to bring us something which is dark, doom-laden and mysterious yet compelling all at the same time.

There is a deep sonorous vibe to what they are performing, and there must be a shout out to both James Goldsmith (engineering and mixing) and Mike Gibson (mastering) who really have captured a depth and presence in the material. The album is set to come out at the beginning of next year, and it will be interesting to hear a full collection of their songs together, but until then all we can do is keep playing this and drop into their world.

Rating: 8/10

Links:
https://sidewinderband.nz/