Don’t let the first ten seconds of the latest single from Christchurch outfit Stonehurst lull you into a false sense of security. Admittedly, I was staring at the speakers trying to work out what was going on and equate the sounds with the band I saw play last year but then everything crunches, and we are off. Here we have a rock outfit who are direct yet commercial, layered and refined yet brutal at the same time. The rhythm section provides the foundation for the guitars to play in close and tight, threading their melodies in and against each other, intertwining, while over the top is Tim Hunt, surely one of our finest singers. His gravel has real breadth and depth, making me think of Nickelback combined with Molly Hatchet, full of passion and life with presence and real balls.
These guys have finesse in spades, yet also go straight for the jugular with a belter which sounds as good on radio as it would in the live environment. I am not sure how many guitar tracks are on this, at least four, and the quick break at 60 seconds is a stroke of genius, lifting the song and providing a break through the wall of sound. Taken from the upcoming third album, Wild Visions, this shows a rock band at the top of their form, and I can’t wait to hear more.
Rating: 10/10
