As I mentioned in my previous post it is New Zealand music month. So today I thought I would share some of my favorite heavy metal bands from New Zealand with you all!

Beastwars

I remember hearing these guys a few years back and being instantly drawn to the funky bass riffs and evil guitar sounds - similar in sound to bands such as Kyuss and Mastadon, but with heavier and more intense vocals. I saw them live a few years back at New Zealand's Homegrown festival and they were brilliant. Beastwars have released 3 albums to date - the latest being The Death of All Things released in 2016.Here is the song ‘Lake of Fire’ with that distinct sludge guitar sound:

Blindspott/Blacklistt

Initially going by the name Blindspott and releasing and now under the name Blacklistt are one of New Zealand's premiere rock/metal bands. Due to legal disputes the name changes and they have released a self titled album in 2013. Their distinct sound comes from the inclusion of a DJ - something not overly common in metal bands. I couldn't find many reliable Blindspott videos (but their music should be on Spotify), but here is the Blacklistt song ‘From the Blind Spot’:

8 Foot Sativa

8 Foot Sativa is for those who like their metal a bit more extreme - death metal and thrash metal are words that come to mind. They have been around since 2002, and released 6 studio albums. Probably their most well know song within the heavy metal community in New Zealand is ‘8 Fott Sativa’ from their first album Hate Made Me:

Although 8 Foot Sativa are not exactly a mainstream band they have developed a solid following over the years - know for their extreme live performances! Here is another one of their songs Fuelset:

Devilskin

In the last few years one of the more successful heavy metal bands in New Zealand has been Devilskin - specifically their debut album We Rise which made it to no.1 in the New Zealand charts, and stayed in the charts for an impressive 47 weeks. Probably their most well known and well recieved song was the lead single from the debut album ‘Little Pills’:

I hope you enjoyed - let me know your favorite!