Metal has long chased extremity—faster riffs, heavier tones, darker imagery. Yet one instrument still sits at the edge of the genre’s comfort zone: the saxophone. In the wrong hands it can derail a song, but when used right it adds a distinctive edge. While still rare in heavy music, the sax has proven it can fit surprisingly well into the metal and hard rock landscape.
Norwegian rockers Spidergawd have embraced that idea. Their sound blends rhythm-driven hard rock with catchy guitar hooks and melodic solo harmonies, anchored by strong vocals. Musically, the band moves somewhere between classic heavy metal and hard rock, with occasional touches of blues rock, stoner rock, and psychedelic rock adding texture to their riff-heavy approach. The addition of saxophone gives their sound a distinctive twist.
With eight studio albums behind them, the band from Trondheim has built a reputation for energetic live performances. Touring their latest record Eight To Infinity, Spidergawd returned to Gebäude 9 in Cologne for a sold out show that showcased both the new material and their well-established stage chemistry.
The stage setup leaves little doubt about where the band’s rhythmic core lies. A drum kit far larger than average dominates the stage, signalling the importance of the band’s powerhouse percussion, although we have not seen much the man in command buried behind the set. Around it, Spidergawd build their sound with driving bass lines, gritty guitar riffs, layered vocal harmonies and, of course, the unmistakable presence of bass saxophone.
The band launched straight into the set with “Grand Slam,” quickly followed by “Revolution,” both taken from the new album. The tempo ramped up with “Is This Love” before easing briefly with the mid-tempo groove of “Narcissus’ Eye.” Momentum returned with “Oceanchild,” keeping the crowd locked into the band’s energetic flow.
Two more tracks from the latest record, “200 Miles High” and “The Hunter,” followed before the closing stretch. “Your Heritage” and the saxophone-rich, slide-guitar-driven “All and Everything” brought the evening to a fitting end.
For a band willing to push beyond the usual boundaries of hard rock instrumentation, Spidergawd prove that even in a genre obsessed with heaviness and speed, there is still room for unexpected elements—and sometimes, a saxophone is exactly what the music needs.
Photo accreditation: Concerteam NRW
