Gig Review: Shepherds Reign @ A Rolling Stone, Christchurch – 8/08/2024

I was stoked to get to go check out this show, it was my second time seeing both bands on the bill, so I had fairly high expectations. Those expectations weren’t just met, they were blown right out of the water.

Locked In Stasis aren’t just a Metal band, they’re a METAL band, with capital letters, spikes, flames, and a couple of demons hanging around in the background, for good measure. Or more likely, evil measure.

They’re an incredibly tight outfit, punishing riffs over pummeling drums, and vocals like a hungover Godzilla with a throat infection. They were even more impressive than the first time I saw them only a few months ago, the accuracy and precision of the delivery of their groove-laden riffs- and they riff hard, Obeying every last facet of The Riff – is something I could just listen to for days, and the sound engineer did them proud too, a superb mix. An older song, Misery, features the guitarist’s clean vocals alongside the ridiculously powerful guttural styles, and I really dig that contrast. Overall, their set was an experience to witness, like facing a bulldozer with spiked treads, machine gun turrets, flame throwers, and a giant rocket launcher.

Once Shepherds Reign set to go, their haunting intro music drifted out from the P.A., and the crowd surged forward as the men themselves took the stage. Drummer Shaymen Rameka explodes into a furious driving beat, bringing forth Shepherd Reign’s signature sound, as unique as it is immense. I’ve long been a fan of anything that blends metal with the folk music of other cultures, and these guys had me hooked from the moment I first encountered Le Manu, which I finally got to hear live, tonight. One thing that I love about them is their obvious love for old-school Metal, with some distinctly NWOBHM and ’80s Thrash stylings at times. Filiva’a James has a voice of righteous power, rich, full, and magnificent. However, his skills on keys and pate were also on ample display throughout the evening, there was a fantastic instrumental piece which featured some deliciously Iron Maiden-like guitar harmonies and interplay between guitarists Oliver Leupolu and Gideon Voon, both virtuoso players, in line with the overall musicianship of the band as a whole, I’ve followed Gideon’s social media for some time, the man is an absolute weapon, both sharp and deadly.

Samoa Mo Samoa was the second to last song was something else, an astonishingly emotive and incredibly deep experience, the stage awash in blood-red lighting to highlight the song’s mood. That still didn’t prepare me for Ua Masa’a though, a song for Filiva’a’s sister, whose life was taken. I had chills after this song, my friend and I just staring at each other like stunned mullets, unable to speak apart from “……wow”. 

My friends who came along to the show with me hadn’t seen or heard Shepherds Reign before tonight, apart from me playing them some of Le Manu earlier in the evening. They left as devoted converts, with fresh new merch in hand. If you’ve not yet experienced this truly amazing band, you can check out their music here. Shepherds Reign are a force to be reckoned with.