Sidewinder - Talons

Angry Metal Guy 80

Why is great stoner metal so rare? We see an ever ongoing cavalcade of stoner rising and falling like the desert dunes, but the vast majority is as inspiring and interchangeable as loose sand. What’s more, the bands that rise above mediocrity frequently make it seem the simplest thing in the world. If you pack enough groove, don’t skimp on the riffs, and use anything but a poor Ozzy imitation for vocals, you’re already miles ahead of the pack. Sidewinder is a fresh outfit from New Zealand coming up on their second album Talons, and to call them miles ahead of the pack is a gross understatement. Let’s get groovin’.

On the surface, Talons is not complex or sophisticated. It’s an album that speaks in images, evoked by using the right details at the right times, by setting up tropes and playing them to the hilt with a passion and a verve rarely seen in the genre. From the first seconds of opener “Guardians” I am transported to taverns in dusty backroad towns that smell like whiskey and cigars, or riding through a desert in the back of a pick-up truck as mountains pass all around and the sky eases from endless blue to brilliant night. Sidewinder’s riffs, drawing from Monster Magnet and Church of Misery with equal enthusiasm, are thick with the blues while grooving hard enough to give me permanent nasty-face syndrome. And they do not miss; every single track is packed with colossal strides on six strings, memorable and addictive and rattling my bones and heart and soul. When the band goes even lower and even slower on awe-inspiring highlight “The Depths” it’s breathtaking, all the way up to the exquisite mid-sentence transition into an outstanding buzz-filled solo.

Talons (Album) by Sidewinder

And the guitars aren’t even the band’s secret weapon. New vocalist Jem Tupe may well be one of the strongest voices I’ve heard entering the scene in years. When she keeps it small, she has all the sultry appeal of a great blues artist, her voice perfectly balancing smoky allure with seductive phrasing. But at the drop of a hat she will metamorphosize into a fierce force of nature capable of splitting mountains and calling down the spirits of the ancestors. With a timbre equal parts Lizzy Hale (Halestorm) and Pat Benatar, she is able to perfectly match the varied moods across the album, from passion (“Guardians”) to defiance (“Disarm the King”) to the solemn reverence of “Northern Lights.”

The drawbacks are few and minor. Closer “Yggdrasil” isn’t quite as powerful or memorable as the preceding tracks, so the album doesn’t get to end as strong as it starts. Some of the tracks end a little abruptly. It won’t win mastering of the year either, though I was surprised at the DR score that came rolling out of the measuring tool, because a 4 usually means brickwalled to shit and exhausting on the ears. Instead, the only real effect is that the drums sound kinda flat and lack real impact. The guitars sound thick and tasty, though, frequently playing with tone in different ways, layering both low-end heaviness and stylish static fuzz. Tupe is right where she needs to be in the mix, and the bass adds depth and crunch underneath.

Sidewinder came out of nowhere. A sophomore album from some New Zealand unknowns was not in my cards for a list-threatening endeavor, 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.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 4 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Wyrmwood Records
Websites: sidewindernz.bandcamp.com | sidewinderband.nz | facebook.com/sidewinderbandNZ
Releases Worldwide: August 23rd, 2024

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