Album Review: Spearhead - Spearhead (2025)

Written: 4th May 2025

Formed in Auckland, New Zealand during lockdown by vocalist Skottie Hardwick and lead guitarist Steve Morrez, Spearhead are a melodic hard rock band that emerged as a project born out of creativity and circumstance. Joining the duo are Logan Wedgwood (drums), Wade Blow (bass), and Jake Single (second lead guitar).

Their self-titled debut album begins with I’ll Bring The Fire, the opening riffs of which bring AC/DC to mind. As the song progresses, these bluesy, hard-rocking tinges mingle with an attitude that mirrors early Def Leppard. Skottie Hardwick delivers his vocals with heart, passion and a voice perfectly suited to the band’s sound. Lyrically, it is a song of humorous extremes during which ice seduces and fire answers – a love song forged in contradiction, which has the unusual origin of one of the band members drawing inspiration from the difference in temperature between him and his girlfriend’s cold feet!

Cyclone Streets tackles a more serious subject with a feverish trip through the chaos of urban nights, opening with the lines Cyclone streets tonight / With no end in sight / Everything is alright / Chasing lows and highs / With dilated eyes / Until the clouds they take flight. Heavier in nature than the opening track, it shows that Spearhead understands how to keep things melodic and memorable while ramping up the angst in their sound. A searing solo during the latter half of the song keeps your foot tapping and your head moving. Layers of harmony add a little breadth and two songs in, Spearhead have already captured your attention. This continues with the urgent guitars that introduce Redwitch, a song that has something of Burn-era Deep Purple to the vocals. It keeps the lyrical variety coming with a tale of supernatural seduction and destruction set to a heavy rock heartbeat, as exemplified by lines such as You start the wars of kings and men / And launch an era that'll never end / Your twisted smile and your demon eyes / You got us caught up in all your lies.

Titans pounds with stomping percussion that reflects the call to arms asked for within the lyrics. It channels the voice of ancient strength to rise and unite. A slower, more deliberate introduction gives Hardwick the opportunity to grab the listener by the throat and once the band reaches full speed, it is impossible not to be pulled along for the ride.

Allowing for some diversity, Last Summer begins with reflective, moody guitar that alters the atmosphere of the album. Building steadily over four and a half minutes, the intensity develops with each section into one of the most epic-sounding tracks on the album. Lyrically, it captures the emotional turmoil of love, nostalgia, and jealousy, where past struggles collide with present longing: All I know is what's been haunting me / Calling your name / Driving forward to this bright light / The last light.

Spearhead have collected a great selection of hook-laden riffs and Leviathan grooves, striding with an arrogant confidence that unleashes one of the most memorable choruses on the album. The band’s love of classic rock comes through on Pride Before The Fall – complete with a gorgeous quiet central section – and Molotov, the latter of which has another introduction redolent of Deep Purple, this time in the guitars. Playing with the tempo, the slower choruses add a thoughtful counterpoint to the staccato vocals of the verses.

There are some excellent introductions on Spearhead’s debut, and the one found on May I is a contender for the best. A song that shows the quintet is willing to experiment with tones and tempos, it is a little different from the rest of the album but certainly does not feel out of place. The scorching, shredding guitar solo refuses to let the song stagnate for even a moment. Trainwreck is an out-and-out rocker that keeps things simple but entertaining, nonetheless. A lyrical dive into reckless abandon, it captures a wild ride through excess and temptation with lines such as Temperature's rising / It won't be long till we hit the sun / My mind's in retrograde / Losing my mind, gonna have some fun.

Final track Together In The End opens with gentle arpeggios from an electric guitar as an acoustic provides a steady pulse in the background. Trumping the epic undertones of Last Summer, this is Spearhead at their most accomplished, showing a different side to their music, with Hardwick almost operatic in his vocal performance. While not similar in style musically, there is the aura of building an element of the grandiose in the way Queen or Muse might do across a slightly longer track. The second half of the track ignites with a fervent, fiery crescendo, which leads to twin guitars battling to great effect. It is the best song on the album, and it will be interesting to see the band explore this direction further in the future.

With the release of their debut album, Spearhead have made their mark due to the honesty with which they play. They do not embellish their music with unnecessary effects or flourishes. Everything is designed to make their sound direct, intense and appealing (although not in an overly commercial way). Highly energised and with riffs that capture the listener’s attention easily, Spearhead are a band that wear their range of influences on their sleeve and do so with pride but also with a sense of modern rock spirit. Spearhead are not charting entirely new territory, but this album is a testament to their potential. With infectious hooks, an array of lyrical avenues and a raw energy that grabs you, it is solid collection that hints at promises that their future might be increasingly defined by a sound uniquely their own.

Spearhead's debut album is out now.

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