Mountaineater

Opening the night was new Auckland 3 piece Lord Of Tigers, co-fronted with Milon from Cobra Chan and Sommerset and Ryan from Sommerset, it's a mutha fucken assault on surging heavy riffs and barraging rolling metal, the crowed was literally blown away.

The Bacco Room has a rep for being loud and tonight would be a test for the patrons.

The man behind one of NZs largest and most recognized sonic bands HDU, or High Dependency Unit, brought his new take on music to Auckland with Mountaineater. A name that lives up to every visual aspect it conjures up.

Where Mountaineater differs from the more inverted HDU is that it seems designed for more human interaction. There’s more constant builds and dives and solid hammering rhythms.

Tristan's guitar playing, one of the kings of sonic delay and guitar bending swirls, proved again why he is so revered. His full control on the more rock sound (and I use that in the best term), can only be described as brutal. Sometimes a punchy, almost Shellac sounding drive, and at others mind blowing time-signature 7/8s that had most of the bearded crowed having a quick chin rub.

Tristan writhed about on stage, fully consumed buy the songs as they passed, his vocals naturally suited for this more confrontational music and with new additions Chris Livingston (drums) and Anaru Ngata (bass and guitar), this pressure cooker of a band are a breath of fresh air on a sometimes dispassionate live music scene.

Best gig of the year.