Album Review: Talons

Wellington’s Sidewinder are back and bringing the heavy with their sophomore album Talons, following up from 2022’s diverse and solid debut album Vines (see review here). In four years, Sidewinder have built a strong foundation and reputation within the Aotearoa music scene, with heavy national touring as well as supporting international artists. On the dawn of their 2nd full length release, they further cement their status as a band on the rise and an integral part of the hard rock and heavy music scene.

With Talons, I found a natural maturity & progressive shift in the band’s songwriting, production and focus. Talons really highlights a band that has found and developed their sound as well as the first to feature lead vocalist Jem Tupe’s massive vocal presence that elevates these songs to another level. The overall feel and flow of the album is consistent, and the songs all hold their own, held down by the grounded yet powerhouse drumming of Grant Lister.

First single Disarm the King is the ideal introductory release to the new material, condensed to just under three minutes, it delivers a straight punch of Orleans sludge blues riffs, hard and swift rhythmic heaviness and vocals belted out to ten (a cover letter to the CV of Talons, providing the main bullet points to your ears). The production of James Goldsmith (Beastwars/End Boss) is bigger and broodier, capturing the high driving live impact but a slick and polished mix. The songs feel bigger, with more focus on rhythm, drive and lasting impact. The space allows the riffs to be particularly thunderous, a perfect example being the chorus of Wasted Space, it’s so heavy and haunting yet simple in its delivery. The stop and start motion right out of the guitar solo, blooms into the final chorus, leaving a memorable and destructive ending.

Opening track & recent single Guardians, teases with a softer introduction before it launches into a groovy, grunge metal hybrid 70s vibe and is a great inauguration of Tupe’s diverse and dynamic vocal range. The verses highlight Sean Fitzpatrick’s bass nuances as they flow around the unified double guitar attack. I enjoyed the elevated bass & tone in the bridge, adding another layer to the immense musical backdrop. There is a lot of swing and groove throughout Talons, blues vibes, and recurring off beat drumming. Heaps of fuzz & guitar phase set to shred!

Prisoner, the 2nd single from the album is a bit of a faster number with tasty leads and hooky vocal passages. It’s the long extended screamed vocals that really hit, just so precise and well executed. The Depths – Redux lives up to its title, the intro is so low and dense. Like the start of a horror movie sequence. A big half timed number and perhaps the wild card of the album. I really like the eeriness of it, with mammoth vocal notes. The bridge amps up in heaviness, carrying the half time pace, with perhaps the longest vocal scream of the album. It’s very cinematic in its delivery.

Desert Song (perhaps a homage to the desert rock masters Kyuss) the song has all the fillings, half time grooves, guitar solo & tones for the deaf. The vocal scream into the guitar solo is epic & the outro with that long layered scream and pause to punch attack, another powerful ending. Northern Lights begins on a more atmospheric journey. A sombre guitar intro with a gloomy undertone, soon backed by precise bass and drums synced in a steady rhythmic pattern. The song climbs a slow ascension but never loses momentum, the finale lays those to rest with huge doom open chugs with a soaring vocal melody, a highlight track.

With the album closer Yggdrasil (the Norse tree of life) I really love the guitar lead and how it plays off the vocal melody and adds a different dynamic with more of a traditional metal feel of the Scandinavian persuasion. The twin guitar team of Ben Sargent and Thomas Rousell provides Sidewinder with the big bottom tones, while allowing the lead guitar to shred, shine and elevate the songs when required.

An impressive, 8 track collection of strong contenders alongside beautiful album artwork. Be sure to catch Sidewinder live out on tour and support ya scene.

Editors Note: Sidewinder’s Talons will be released on all major streaming platforms this coming 23 August, 2024.