Stoner/Doom
Wyrmwood Records
Release date – August 23rd 2024
Line Up:
Jem Tupe – Vocals
Ben Sergent – Guitar
Thomas Rousell – Guitar
Sean Fitzpatrick – Bass
Grant Lister – Drums
Tracklist:
1 – Guardians
2 – Wasted Space
3 – Prisoner
4 – The Depths
5 – Disarm The King
6 – Desert Song
7 – Northern Lights
8 – Yggdrasil
Sidewinder hail from Wellington, NZ, and were formed in 2021. They released their debut album, Vines, in 2022, and here’s their sophomore effort. Guitarist Ben Sargent describes it as darker and heavier, featuring monster riffs, doom sections, and eerie swampy blues. What’s not to like?
The album starts sedately with the opener Guardians, which features a twangy strum and singer Jem Tupe delivering a couple of lines like a torch song. But prepare yourself—things pick up with a monster riff before settling into a bluesy groove. That riff returns in the chorus, so don’t get too comfortable. Wasted Space is groovier and includes some crushing doom sections before the massive stoner roll of Prisoner. Shit gets creepy and eerie on The Depths, a slow, dramatic doom track that showcases Tupe’s impressive range. Disarm The King ramps up with some righteous stoner boogie before Desert Song kicks up a load of dust. We then get to the impressive stoner/psych track Northern Lights. The final cut, Yggdrasil, starts out heavy but eases back into another tidy groove.
I’ve been blessed with quality stoner music this month, and this album is right up there. Ben Sargent is spot on, but what he didn’t mention is the wonderful clean melodic vocals of Jem Tupe, which provide a great counterpoint to the weight of the music and keep things interesting. Difficult second album? Not with this evidence.
Written by: Smudge
Ratings: 9/10
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