Post
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOjtpyFV0SE
Like Hallelujah Picassos, these guys are mostly unsung but were a big presence in the Aotearoa music picture of the late 1980s and early 90s;
In 2021 Pumpkinhead put out a 25th anniversary release of their 1996 album Sloth, which featured beloved singles like Nark and I Like;
https://pumpkinheadnz.bandcamp.com/album/sloth-25th-anniversary-edition
Every song is so different. Inflatable Man Syndrome, Be Sure, and Bateman offer Faith No More vibes, akin to 13 era Head Like a Hole. But between them, the vocals go melodic and angsty, like J Mascis and Dinosaur Jr in Third Eye, or like Corgan's Pumpkins crooning on Treakle.
There's 14 tracks on the disc, and that's just the first 5.
I forgot what a banger Water is;
https://pumpkinheadnz.bandcamp.com/track/water
These guys were ahead of their time and deserved a much bigger audience than they got when they were touring.
Another band that listening to Pumpkinhead reminds me of, from the same era, is the Dead Flowers;
https://www.audioculture.co.nz/profile/dead-flowers
I bought their 1993 album Skin of a Stone on tape and later, the 1994 follow-up Sweetfish.
This was a weird, experimental time in Aotearoa music. Heavy guitar bands were pulling from a wide range of influences. Shihad, Head Like a Hole, The Bilge Festival, The 3Ds, Runt, Chug, and more, were making great hybrid albums and touring relentlessly.
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