Fire and punch on its way to Smash

HUM TO SCREAM: Coridian in full flight. Vocalist Dity Maharaj has been described as taking the band from hum to scream within seconds. Picture supplied

Big themes, fat sounds and a mega night add up to September 16 when the “well-oiled machine” of Coridian takes to the stage at Smash Palace.

It's promising to be a supercolossal night for Coridian, who will be joined by Pull Down the Sun from Whanganui and local bands Uni-Fi and Lazy 50.

If you don't know them — and this will be their first appearance in Gisborne — Coridian are a four-piece Auckland-based crowd, now established as one of the best new names in Kiwi rock, with a singer known as “Pogo” because he's so off his feet during gigs.

Drummer Kris Raven spoke to the Herald this week and said the band is looking forward to the rubber hitting the road again.

“The main reason we're going on tour is because between 2017 and 2019 we were touring all over the country and then lockdown came. So this is our first proper tour out of Auckland for three years,” Kris said.

“It's a great celebration to go to places we've been to — and never been to before.

“We've never been to Gisborne — some maybe for a holiday — but we're hearing some really good vibes about it.”

The band is made up of Dity Maharaj (vocals), and brothers Mike (guitar), Kris (drums) and Nick Raven (bass).

“The Raven brothers work as a well-oiled machine; the gearbox of which is Maharaj, his vocals taking the band from a hum to a scream within seconds,” one reviewer said.

When touring was simpler pre-pandemic, Coridian toured New Zealand, including their own headlining tours and performing with high-profile New Zealand acts such as Devilskin, City of Souls, I AM GIANT, Skinny Hobos and Written by Wolves.

They have also supported international acts such as Skillet (USA), P.O.D (USA), Fuel (USA), Fozzy (USA), Sumo Cyco (Canada) and Red Sea (AUS).

Kris describes their music as “broadly rock with a heavier tinge”.

“It's progressive rock, modern progressive, so it has a few more obscure time signatures, not the typical verse-chorus.

“We like to take our audience to different places and we bring massive energy and create a huge atmosphere.”

A music mag asked them once if they had to describe themselves as a pizza, what would they be, and their answer was “tomato-based pizza. Four core ingredients but full of fire and punch”.

Kris says the memorable stuff is “a song that makes you feel, sends shivers up the spine, takes you into another moment”.

Coridian are set to bring that and more to Smash.

The band takes on big themes and their albums to date have focused on the “elements”. They have released a string of singles and music videos, including NZ On Air-funded Reflections and Rite Passage.

Their three EPs as part of their Elements Concept include 2015s Oceanic (Water), 2017s Caldera (Earth) and 2020s Eldur (Fire), which won them a worldwide following.

Hava (Air) is the final chapter and latest full-length album. With the first single, Wicked Game, released in 2021 followed by Endless War, they'll be promoting their new single Rakshasa while they're on the road.

Rakshasa is a Sanskrit word translating as a malevolent demon spirit that consumes us.

They teamed up with Written By Wolves' powerhouse vocalist Michael Murphy to create the single, and they reckon it takes you on a journey of emotional highs and lows. It's heavy on high-powered guitar riffs, with an intense opening and an almost trance-inducing bridge before the huge ending comes crashing in.

The single blends hard and heavy alternative rock with huge melody and a touch of the progressive.

Queen it's not, but it does play with the “norms” of rock and roll, (if there ever was such a thing).

Coridian have worked with some of the best names in New Zealand and Australian music including Zorran Mendonsa (BlackList/City Of Souls) Forrester Savell (Karnivool, Shihad) and Ermin Hamidovic (Architects/Intervals).

This is a gig not to miss.

Coridian, with the support of Uni-Fi, Lazy Fifty and Pull Down the Sun head to Smash Palace next month on their Elements Tour. Friday, September 16, 7pm. Tickets from undertheradar.co.nz