Like A Storm

In 2005 the Auckland-formed outfit Like a Storm coalesced around New Zealand siblings Chris, who handled lead vocals along with guitar, keys and didgeridoo, Matt on lead guitar plus vocals, keys and programming, Kent Brooks covering bass, vocals, keys and programming, and their associate Zach Wood on drums. Shortly afterward the quartet shifted base to North America and eventually settled in Vancouver, carrying with them a weighty hard-rock approach that drew comparisons to Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd, Staind and Drowning Pool while the resonant pulses of the tribal didgeridoo supplied a distinct Kiwi signature.

Although the group launched its career independently, its profile rose sharply in 2009 when the Canada-based New Zealand act supported Creed on the Full Circle reunion trek, exposing U.S. audiences to the band’s fusion of post-grunge, alt-metal and classic hard rock enlivened by didgeridoo. That same year saw the release of their first full-length album, The End of the Beginning. An acoustic set titled Like a Storm Unplugged followed in 2011, after which the band aligned with the international metal imprint Century Media.

The 2014 EP Chaos Theory, Pt. 1 brought the chart success “Love the Way You Hate Me” and a forceful rendition of Coolio’s “Gangster’s Paradise.” The sophomore studio album Awaken the Fire arrived the next year on Century Media and was trailed by extensive touring across Europe and North America. In summer 2018 the quartet returned with its third long-player, the somewhat refined Catacombs.