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This is a cry to arms to all you Bay of Plenty metal heads out there: Step up for 8 Foot Sativa!
The Kiwi metal masters are teaming up with legendary rockers Head Like A Hole to bring their wild ways to town when they play Mount Maunganui's Brewers Bar on July 25.
An uncompromising and bone crunching show awaits all Bay of Plenty metallers when 8 Foot Sativa plays Mount Maunganui's Brewers Bar on Saturday, July 25. Photo: 8FS
8 Foot Sativa are guitarists Gary Smith and Nik Davies, bassist Brent Fox, drummer Corey Friedland and vocalist Justin ‘Jackhammer' Niessen.
When it comes to Kiwi metal there's no denying they are one of the most brutal this country has produced and their successes helped pave the way for other in what is at times a maligned genre.
This will be 8 Foot's first national tour for 2015 so if you're heading along to Brewers Justin suggests that you best be prepared.
“Hell yeah – it's complete carnage every time we go to Tauranga,” says Justin. “We've played Brewers a couple of times and it's always been awesome.
“You've also got a good local metal scene in Tauranga and some great bands, we actually used to do a bit with DIC back in the day which was cool. So yeah man, we're raring to go.”
Since their inception in West Auckland back in 1998, it's been a long, and at times jagged, road for 8 Foot Sativa.
They've got five albums under their belt, countless tours, and shared stages with the likes of Fear Factory, Mot?rhead, Korn, Children of Bodom, and Corrosion of Conformity to name only a handful.
There's also been a number of line-up changes, with a couple of drummers, a guitarist, plus a few vocalists who have come and gone over the course of the band's 17 year journey.
This includes Justin, who quit shortly before the band flew to Sweden for the recording of their third album Breed The Pain in 2003.
He returned full time in 2012, and a year later the band released their most latest album The Shadow Masters which was heralded as a return to their spine jangling, bone crushing roots.
Justin hints the band are wanting to offer fans new music, but it's a case of watch this space.
“No doubt, we want to record another album, and it's something we've been discussing. We're definitely keen to get some new stuff out there for our fans who we have mega appreciation for.
“They've shown us huge support, from buying albums to merchandise and whatnot, it really helps out. Without it there wouldn't be any 8 Foot Sativa.”
The upcoming 10 show national tour is in celebration of Head Like A Hole's recently released sixth album Narcocorrido.
This will be the first time both bands have been tour buddies and Justin has a vivid memory of one of his first Head Like A Hole gigs.
“They played my high school back in the day but I didn't have a bloody dollar coin to go see them,” he remembers. “I had to sneak through the gym window, so to support them is pretty cool.”
8 Foot Sativa are promising an uncompromising, raw and power filled set, and there's a few songs Justin's looking forward to ripping out on stage like ‘As It Burns' and ‘West As'.
“We've been working on the setlist and there will be a good all round mixture,” adds Justin. “It'll be a different set to the usual and there'll also be a couple of songs we haven't played live yet.”
“Hopefully for this upcoming gig will offer fans a better sound and a tighter band. We're planning a very full on, mind blowing, ear crunching, spine wrecking show for you guys.”
Head Like a Hole and 8 Foot Sativa play Brewers Bar in Mount Maunganui on Saturday, July 25. This is an R18 gig. Tickets cost $47.50 from Eventfind www.eventfinder.co.nz