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There’s been so much happening that I’ll struggle to fit it in this week.
Let’s have a crack though, since the next fortnight will be jazz fest-focused and I want to follow up last week’s column about the alternative scene.
But we’ll start in Whakamārama at Soundtree Studio, where Shane Davis has been busy, after the release of his own very worthwhile album Silence.
He recorded and videoed a lovely ‘Arms Of An Angel’ by Ōmokoroa’s Sweetleaf Duo, longtime musician Pat Hawkins and his daughter Jana, a terrific singer. The song is dedicated to late Tauranga singer-songwriter Shirley Ryder. He’s also made a video for ‘El Bandito’, another song from the irrepressible Gary Harvey’s ‘Outta My Head’ album – always nice to spot local locations on film!
Claymation
Talking videos, the latest two from Threat.Meet.Protocol reinforce the band’s commitment to individuality and quality. ‘The Cure’, from late-November, and ‘#Cancelled’, released this month along with their self-titled third album, both feature brilliant puppeteering claymation videos from Videos Mosconi. Very cool.
But it’s the full recording, in all its 10-song glory, that is the real gem. Threat.Meet.Protocol has crafted a monster of an album where the quality of songs, imagination of arrangements, and depth of sound come together to create 40 minutes of rare power and occasionally surprising beauty.
A lot can be attributed to Evan Pope, who recorded it at Mount Maunganui’s 11B Studio and whose excellent drums provide vital colour, from the almost-distorted percussiveness of cymbals on opener ‘Fall Of Humanity’ to the rich deep floor toms of ‘Event Horizon’.
But the band’s not-so-secret weapon, as imposing musically as he is visually, is keyboard player Luke Turner. Threat.Meet.Protocol, for the uninitiated, is a keyboard trio: keys, bass, drums, no guitar.
And Luke Turner is a genius on the keyboard, conjuring growls, howls, power chords, fast rhythmic arpeggios and more. ‘Time (a concept)’ kicks in like a straightforward piano-led ballad before Luke lurches into dissonance, ending up with a sort of metal Aladdin Sane.
Four fast tracks
Meanwhile, Austin Cunningham proves what a fine singer he is with delivery running from mainstream rock to considerably more hardcore. His bass playing is also a feature, relentlessly solid and driving while creating moments of melody amidst the mayhem. ‘Full Noize’ begins with a beautiful bass line and whispered vocals before building to something resembling a football chant and a final wall of sound, with Austin’s anguished repeated cry of “where there’s no way out”. It’s quite something.
Somacaine. Photo / Supplied
Things close perfectly with the epic ‘204’, a slow-building epilogue that offers a moment to relax and regroup. Damn fine. An album that offers unexpected depth and subtlety on repeated listening. And rips your head off too.
Two Skinner. Photo / Supplied
Meanwhile, bass-less two-guitar band Two Skinner has released a wonderfully-named debut EP, ‘Twoicidal Skindencies’, offering four fast and furious tracks, with a vague hint of blues amongst the thrash. They play at Kūwao Space on Grey St along with Stunt Clown and Somacaine on April 5.
Stunt Clown. Photo / Supplied
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