Track: Nipaluna/Hobart's post punk maestros Verticoli are back with the thunderous 'Pride And Legacy'.

Having caught our attention with the ice cold ‘Sailor’ back in August, the post punk phenomena that is Nipaluna/Hobart’s Verticoli are back, and this time they’ve ramped up the temperature. ‘Pride and Legacy’ is a thunderous pulse-quickening anthem of the highest order, filled with arching guitars and impassioned vocals that create a surround sound cinematic experience for the ears.

The triumphant march of the song references our parlous times. Lead singer and guitarist Sam Hunn says of the track:

‘Pride & Legacy’ was written when I was reading about Roman Emperors going away to conquer lands in return for the respect and admiration of their people. A certain archaic pride-filled attitude to warfare, where your ability to conquer the ‘enemy’ reflects your worth. The troops are the fodder sent away for you to become great. Obviously, a characteristic of many leaders throughout history, even today sadly. This served as the basis for the song lyrically. Musically I just had a progression of chords I wanted to shape up into something, and I think the ‘epic’ and full feeling of the chords in the intro and chorus was asking for some kind of drama in the lyrics.

Wider than the skies above Tasmania and wilder than the deep forested hinterland, the song is a triumphant and euphoric blast of goodness that puts in sharp focus the dynamism of this band. They share with fellow compatriots EWAH and the Vision of Paradise and A. Swayze and the Ghosts ( antipodean favourites from the same town) a sense of untrammeled explosive passion.

The accompanying video is an enigmatic representation of conflict, never more perfectly envisaged than in a chess game. Filmed, directed and edited by Lachy Hamil, the video depicts a sepia-drenched amphitheatre of onlookers, intensely discerning the choices and plays of two chess players with turbulent cuts to performance shots, displacing members of Verticoli from the war table to the stage. Hunn explains:

The song is about war as a means of generating power and prestige, rather than to defend against an evil enemy. Chess seemed like a good analogy for ‘war games’. Jez and I are tyrants.