Album Review: Cherry Blind - 'Cherry Blind'

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Cherry Blind were one of the most exciting bands in Auckland’s music scene. Their blend of blistering punk rock and heavy breakdowns gave them one of the most unique sounds in the scene. Their new self-titled album sees them explore this signature sound to its very boundaries, and give us just under half an hour of damn good music. This album is bursting with energy from beginning to end. 


‘Papercut’ opens the album with its fast, energetic and aggressive nature. This song sets the tone for the relentless energy to follow in tracks like ‘Drown’ and ‘Burn’. A track that really stands out on this album is ‘Librium’. In contrast to other songs on the album, ‘Librium’ is largely an acoustic song. It’s the vocal harmonies that really make this song great. One of my favourite songs on the album is the title track. Drummer Mark Tohovaka gives this song plenty of energy with his lightning-fast fills around the kit. I also love the marching-style build-up he plays on the snare drum before Logan’s blood-curdling scream.  Another of my faves is the song ‘Red’. This song has more high energy, along with relentless heaviness. The energy then gets stretched to its very limits on ‘Black Sheep’. The final track, ‘Undertow’ ends the album exactly how a rock album should end: loud, chaotic guitar feedback. 


While it is a shame that this is Cherry Blind’s first and last album, they will always be one of my favourite bands in Auckland's local music scene. Their raw, energetic music and unique sound have made them a band that we will not soon forget.

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