Shepherds Reign
22nd July 2021
Whammy! Bar, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Mark Derricutt. Photography by Doug Peters.
The night air was freezing and whilst the world at large remains in lockdown, but a faithful few of kiwi metalheads and bands descend into the darkened stairwell of Auckland’s Whammy! Bar – ready to sweat and scream – not at the tyranny of an oppressive government but to the tribal tones of SHEPHERDS REIGN, with guests CORIDIAN and JUST ONE FIX.
Tonight I’m camera free – opting to soak in the aura of good friends, glorious music, and to capture my thoughts linguistically instead.
It’s a different vibe when you’re not focusing on angles, light, and as many a show at Whammy – shadow, but focusing on the music, and the people, the ability for a chance to hang back after the show and chat, hang rather than run off to edit images – not that words fall instantly into place either, but with less gear around my neck I find myself again more in tune with why I got into the scene long ago – the music and the people.
First band of the night were the mighty Just One Fix.
Without a doubt I have to give the bassist – Ant Ward, the prize of “Best Band Beard” – a striking shimmer of a visage that draws and captivates your attention – and that’s before even playing a note.
“Gods and Devils” opens up the set and Ricardo’s deep bellowing voice pulls your attention to the centre of the stage.
It’s now the 3rd or 4th show I’ve seen since Ross Curtain (Silent Torture, Enoch, Helgorithms) has taken up the drum seat for Just One Fix and now he feels like a piece of old furniture, comfortably playing in yet another style without missing a beat.
We’re treated to another new song born out of their recent EP writing sessions with “Thorn”, solid grooves and massive riffs that rip into a killer solo from guitarist Share Scarborough.
“As I Wanna Be” slows things down for ballad time, I’m not entirely sure I’m feeling Ricardo’s vocals on these slow quiet moments; as the song moves still slow – but with far more aggressive growls and now Ricardo’s nailing it – I’m back in the groove for the set closer “Proxy God”.
Heavy. Primal. We were Just Fixed.
Next up, Coridian. Chatting with fellow reviewer Kev Rowland before the show, he mentioned this was the first time seeing Coridian outside of Auckland’s Ding Dong Lounge and this led my mind to ponder how much the venue, the ambience, and vibe of a place affects a band and their performance.
I’ve never seen Coridian play a bad show, and tonight’s already continuing that trend – however I’m struck with the expansiveness of the sound – it’s like switching from cheap headphones to high end sets – the detail, the clarity, the tone reverberates around the room and it’s like I’m hearing Coridian for the first time again.
“Do you feel the love…..” – Dity cries out… I do – I’m surrounded by friends, people I’m more at home with than most. I’m in my happy place, my escape, my home.
It’s a different kind of love – but love it is.
The final band of the night, the big show, Shepherds Reign.
Having caught Shepherds Reign several times now I know I’m in for a good show, but I also know we’re being treated to several new songs from the forthcoming album tonight, so there’s a whole new level of anticipation and excitement for the coming set.
Traditional Polynesian drumming cuts short any conversations in the room and we’re straight into a new song “Ala Mai” (awaken).
It doesn’t take long for me to notice the mix volume has increased substantially from both Coridian and Just One Fix, where Ditys’ vocals were crystal clear, I’m finding it not so clear for front man Filivaa Burdon James’s quieter/melodic parts – and unfortunately this plagued most of the set.
Taking full advantage of the upgraded lighting – ‘Aiga’ sports some of the best blue and red light I’ve seen at Whammy Bar – whilst this may not be the best for the photographers up front – it definitely lends itself to outstanding atmosphere.
“Legend” from 2018’s self titled up next – sporting a very progressive sounding piano/guitar solo intro/bridge and chorus filled with melodic hooks – this is easily one of my favourite songs by Shepherds Reign – lyrically the song stands out as a heavy, progressive worship song – shows a band with deep personal beliefs, and a means to share it with conviction, and respect – something I’ve found sorely lacking in the New Zealand music/metal scene for a long time.
Up next is “Ua Masa’a” – the follow-up single to Aiga – riffage and a clean interlude before going into some death like growls – I like – although unfortunately the mix is sadly letting things down here again.
The band now welcomes South Auckland rapper Swizl Jager to the stage for another new song – “Nga Ao E Rua” a high energy rap/metal track sung in both Te Reo and Samoan – multi-genre, multi-lingual – two languages whose vocal inflections/enunciation I’ve often thought would fit well for metal – and something I’m glad we’re finally seeing coming to light alongside such acts as Alien Weaponry.
Swizl remains for a cover of “Swing” by Savage – mixing things up for the night – there’s nothing like a room full of metal heads all yelling out a high pitched “swwwwiiiiiiing” to lift ones spirits and just make you laugh.
“Why Can’t You Die” and “Angel In Black” from the self-titled album take us back in time before pulling us all the way forward with another two new songs – “Atali’i” and “The World Bleeds” before the anthemic “Le Manu” closes the night.
Overall, a magnificent night out with great bands, great friends – old and new, and ultimately a bloody good time – you can’t ask for much more than that!
Were you there at Whammy! Bar for this heavy celebration of NZ metal? Or have you seen Shepherds Reign somewhere else? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Set Lists:
Shepherds Reign:
- Intro
- Ala Mai (Awaken)
- Aiga (Family)
- Concrete Walls
- Legend
- Ua Masa’a (The Cup Has Spilt)
- Nga Ao E Rua (Two Worlds Collide) [Feat. Swizl Jager]
- Swing [Savage cover – Feat. Swizl Jager]
- Why Cant You Die
- Angel In Black
- Atali’i (Son)
- The World Bleeds
- Le Manu (The Beast)
Coridian:
- Algorithm
- Nonetheless
- Rite Of Passage
- Mantra
- Seed II
- Blind Faith
- Seed
Just One Fix:
- God’s and Devil
- Behind the Shadow
- Thorn
- As I Wanna Be
- Proxy God
Note: Shepherds Reign provided passes to Ambient Light to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only.
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