Hard rock is a limited commodity in Aotearoa, we’re a pretty indie bunch. When bands like Shihad, HLAH or Beastwars come along we tend to get pretty excited. Auckland’s Hunt the Witch give you that same feeling. The aggressive guitar end of punk and indie rock both get a sly nod here while the Auckland four-piece explore territory familiar to the Deftones and Black Sabbath, pulling in just the right amount of texture and dynamic with touches alluding to a deep knowledge not only of the metal scene but other guitar genres.

Recorded and mixed at Roundhead by Jordan Stone, the crowning moment is the EP’s title track. Lyrically it is a tale of armageddon, personal and universal. Driven by some inspired drumming from Jason Peters (ex Pumpkinhead), the guitars are tight in and pushed hard. Suspending the bass against the guitar is a hallmark of the way this band operates, achieving a bigger sonic architecture with the band’s sympathetic interplay. Dressed with admirable restraint by Sam Whitley‘s vocals, the five songs are hard out, but coloured with lead breaks and middle eights of imagination and exhilaration, always taking you to a new place.

Into The Black by Hunt The Witch