Sidewinder – Talons
Release Date: 23rd August 2024
Label: Wyrmwood Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Stoner Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Hard Rock, Retro Rock.
FFO: Kyuss, Electric Wizard, Church of Misery, Down.
Review By: Mark Waight
New Zealand Hard Rock heavy weights Sidewinder are just about to release their sophomore album, Talons. If you are a fan of the current Stoner/Psychedelic scene or indeed a longstanding fan of old school Retro Hard Rock, then this may just be the album you are looking for to brighten up your summer. Following hot on the heels of Vines, their 2022 debut Sidewinder again invite you to feast on a bevy of Bluesy Southern Rock tunes with more than a hint of Grunge and Doom thrown in for good measure. After fully sinking your teeth into Talons, as well as your claws, you will be grinning like the Cheshire cat on an acid trip.
Sidewinder is Jem Tupe (vocals), Ben Sargent (guitars), Thomas Rousell (guitars), Sean Fitzpatrick (bass) and Grant Lister (drums).
The retro infused Guardians gets us out of the blocks with a gentle paced and mellow intro before Sidewinder light the blue (or maybe blues) touch paper and boom away we go. What a cracking start to proceedings. Even though it’s the title of the second track, I can assure you there is no Wasted Space on this album. This totally kick ass and this ice cool track is as solid as they come!
Released as a single, Prisoner is a hard hitting, heavy riffing song that ticks just about every box you can think of and then some. Jem Tupe’s vocals are pure class and mirror perfectly the well-crafted musicianship of her fellow band members. Next up, Sidewinder take things right down to The Depths with a darker and more imposing track that has a much deeper bassy sound and sublime retro vocals to give us a taste of those early days of hard rock.
Also released as a single, Disarm the King is a real powerhouse of a tune with a sweet pace and rhythm about it. It relentlessly beats out a sonic treat for your ears in an enjoyable and pulsating journey down the Hard Rock highway. Following on closely behind is Desert Song, which keeps the psychedelic tap well and truly wide open with another stunningly well executed delivery that will keep you both intrigued and captivated in equal measures.
Slowing things down a tad, Northern Lights demonstrates a much softer and more delicate face to Sidewinder, as well as also inducing a warm glowing feeling to your heart. This is a fabulously emotional avenue that I would love to see/hear Sidewinder further explore in the future. Last up is the unpronounceable (well for me anyway) Yggdrasil which puts us back in more familiar territory with a standout lesson in how Psychedelic and Stoner rock should sound. There is no sleeping tonight with this Sidewinder as they are obviously a band not only on the move but on the groove as well!
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. Sidewinder are as cool as you like, and their superb album Talons is certainly worthy of a place on anyone’s playlist. There is so much here for those who love traditional Hard Rock like me, as well as those lucky people discovering this awesome style of music for the very first time, that I have absolutely no hesitation in highly recommending this album, so check it out! 
(4 / 5)
