Wellington rock band "Sidewinder" are touring this September, October and November in support of their wildly successful second album "Talons" that was released in August.
The first album to feature new vocalist Jem, formerly of Mojo Alice, has received rave reviews from publications, bloggers and playlisters. Just some of these reviews are listed below.
Tour dates include:
Paisley Stage: Napier - Saturday September 28th with TUSK and Infinity Ritual
8 Ball: New Plymouth - Saturday October 12th with Pull Down The Sun and Infinity Ritual
Ding Dong Lounge: Auckland - Saturday October 26th with Brackenwood Coven and TUSK.
Valhalla: Wellington - Saturday November 15th with Planet Of The Dead and Mammathus.
Tickets available at UTR.
Album reviews:
“If you're into monster stoner metal, this is probably where you'll find the surprise of the year… They have really dug deep for the heaviest and meanest riffs, which are backed up so cool by a super tight and groovy rhythm section. And Jem's beautiful vocals stand in fine contrast to precisely the heavy deep sound from the somewhat subdued guitars… Well, isn't there anything bad that can drag you down a bit? No, actually there isn't...this is definitely one of the year's big surprise reads, and guaranteed to be very high on my top 10 list when the year is over. 10 out of 10”
METALIZED DN
“Riff City. Equal parts hard rock and smoky stoner metal, Talons is practically made to destroy your speakers.”
METAL INJECTION
“Sidewinder came out of nowhere. A sophomore album from some New Zealand unknowns was not in my cards for a list-threatening endeavour, but Talons completely blindsided me. There is so much swagger in these 8 tracks, so much groove and attitude. The riffs are unstoppable, the vocals even more so. And the band makes it all sound so simple, so natural, fitting together so well yet including enough surprises and inventions it doesn’t get old fast. There may be too few great stoner bands, but with the release of Talons, Sidewinder has become one of them.”
ANGRY METAL GUY
“It’s got swathes of monumental grooves across the eight new songs, and you can sense the spirits of Church of Misery and Kyuss being summoned from the depths of wherever they may lie. […] If this is a sign of things to come, then I’m jumping on board the Sidewinder train.”
THE SLEEPING SHAMAN
“Talons is one of those albums that you can totally chill out to, immerse yourself in, and then just let the sound waves completely wash over you.”
METAL EPIDEMIC
“With a light, bluesy opening that gives way to crushing riffs, all the while being guided by a powerful, bluesy femme vocal, this is a unique and powerful track that’s as devastating as it is beautiful.”
NEW NOISE MAGAZINE
“Difficult second album? Not with this evidence.”
POWERPLAY MAGAZINE
“If you want an enticing mix of doom, psych, stoner, metal, blues with plenty of substantial riffs along route, then look no further than The Land of the Long White Cloud’s Sidewinder.”
MAXIMUM VOLUME MUSIC
“Even when things are quieter and more dreamy, the band knows how to impress. Their psychedelic blues almost puts them on par with genre veterans like Blues Pills or Jex Thoth, and while Sidewinder haven’t had a big hit yet, Talons could well be it.”
METAL HAMMER DE
“Talons is a bone-dry, stoner-doom-blues rocker which is a credit to the genre…” and is in no way inferior to the forefathers of the genre.”
METAL ONLY
“Talons’ is an album that with any luck will catapult the career of Sidewinder into the stratosphere.”
THE RAZOR’S EDGE
“Sidewinder is taking no prisoners with this one – a big sound through and through.”
DOOMED & STONED
“With the grungy elements of their sound dialled slightly back and the heavy blues elements ramped up to a respectable eleven, Sidewinder have, with Talons, made an album that is a true reflection of its title, a gripping tome with the ability to lift you up to unprecedented heights of enjoyment.”
DESERT PSYCHLIST