Heavy Alt-Metal Rock Outfit Haast Hunter Release Debut Album ‘Plastique’
Formidable Kirikiriroa / Hamilton four-piece Haast Hunter, today release their debut studio album Plastique, ten tracks of heavy-hitting hard rock and powerful metalcore that blurs the line between crushing heaviness and haunting atmosphere.
Plastique is the sonic home for a string of recent blistering singles from the band, including title track Plastique, Soul(e)Scape and Dead Moon, and featuring album focus track Chrysalis – watch the new video from Ten Of Swords Here.
Blending visceral riffs, cinematic production, and emotionally charged storytelling, the album marks a defining moment for the ferocious quartet, with the introduction of a new vocalist Sinaea Elizabeth alongside founding member James Harper (vocals/guitar); Chris Gudsell (bass); and Mitch Walker (drums).
With renowned Producer Scott Seabright at the helm, together Elizabeth and Harper create a dynamic vocal contrast, both moving effortlessly between vulnerability and aggression to give the album an emotional weight that feels both intimate and panoramic.
Plastique is more than an emotionally charged collection of songs – it’s a concept album set within Haast Hunter’s dystopian ‘Post System’ universe. Every track contributes to a larger narrative, taking listeners from deep feelings of internal conflict to the triumph of eventual transformation.
Examining identity in an age of performance and pretense, Plastique considers the psychological cost of modern life, and the search for meaning after personal and societal collapse. Themes of mental health, addiction, transformation, grief, and hope are woven through towering riffs, ambient electronics, soaring melodies, and crushing breakdowns.
Since emerging from New Zealand’s underground heavy scene, Haast Hunter have steadily built a reputation for emotionally resonant song-writing and cinematic live performances, combining modern alt-metal with contemporary metalcore.
This is a fast-rising band who unapologetically craft songs that are as immersive as they are explosive, and Plastique is an album that firmly cements Haast Hunter as one of Aotearoa’s most exciting and compelling new heavy acts.
Plastique is now available worldwide on all major streaming platforms.
