There is no doubt that Tauranga’s The Eternal Sea is serious about their music and career – and it’s time to sit up and take notice. From the quality of the recording, to the songwriting and playing, to the album artwork… it’s a class act all the way. A solid rock metal trio with Mark Wright on guitar, vocals, synths and programming (as well as writing all the songs, bar a high quality cover of Home By The Sea – yes, that old Genesis classic), Simon Power on drums, and bass by Jared Dykes.

Cited influences are, among others, Deftones, Tool and A Perfect Circle, but you can throw all that away and just treat it as an entry point. This album is very good. The Eternal Sea have their own vibe, their own piece of the musical earth, a confidence and competency that demands attention. There’s a ‘concept’ that runs through this album, it’s almost a metal version of The Porcupine Tree, and that is indeed a compliment. Vampyre, Eve’s Bite, Transhumanism, No P, Chemtrails, Home By The Sea – 13 quality tracks, and you’re left wanting more. How many albums can you say that about?