Although Coridian will be a band new to many outside Aotearoa, they have quietly been making a name for themselves in Auckland over the last few years. The band comprise the Raven brothers of Kris (drums), Nick (bass) and Mike (guitar) along with singer Dity Maharaj: over the last year I have been fortunate enough to catch them in concert quite a lot, and always come away impressed with the tightness of the music, the vocals of Dity, and the energy they bring to everything they do. To date they have released three EP’s and a handful of singles, but finally the debut album is coming soon, and to lead off we have their take on the Chris Isaak song, “Wicked Game”.
Although their sets are full of their own original numbers, this is a song which has become something of an anthem for them, often played as an encore, and finally they have committed it to the studio. It starts off gentle enough, delicate, with picked guitars, complex patterns on the drums and simple bass. Dity is singing in a style quite similar to Bono, and for the first verse and chorus one could be forgiven for thinking that here was a rock band who were selling out and playing a number just to get onto the radio. But gradually through the second verse it starts to ramp up, with the music slowly becoming somewhat more aggressive and Dity lifting his voice and while maintaining his Bono vibe somehow also brings in Bruce Dickinson and belts through with sheer power while the rest of the guys also pile in. The song ebbs and flows, full of dynamics, but always with the promise of lifting the roof, and they have managed to capture all the energy that makes this such a crowd pleaser. With this release Coridian show just why they are so in demand as a live act, and I am looking forward eagerly to the album, but until then I will keep playing this and suggest you do so as well.
9/10 Kev Rowland
