Great news! Western Cape rock band Stoker have released their self-titled debut album. In case you have been living under a rock: Stoker is made up of two sets of brothers hailing from two small towns. Chris and Jurgen ‘Borrie’ Bornman are from Rawsonville and Morgan and Redge O’Kennedy are from Malmesbury. Both of the older brothers imparted their passion for rock ‘n roll onto their younger brothers.
They kicked into gear in 2014 with the release of their EP, “Fox in a Hole”. With this release and Stoker’s revered live performances, they soon became the band everybody likes or want to be like. Festivals caught wind of this exciting band, which led to stellar sets at Oppikoppi (2014, 2015), Up the Creek (2015, 2016), Ramfest (2014), Synergy Live (2011, 2014) and Zeegunst (2015).
I’ve seen them play at Oppikoppi and Up The Creek and I have to say that I was completely blown away both times. There’s no doubt in my mind that they’re definitely one of the best rock bands in South Africa.
The success of singles Evil Shaker, Take a Stab and A Stranger Throne triggered the recording of their full length self-titled debut album. The first single from the album, Forever Drive, was premiered on 5FM’s Hamman Time show on 19 January 2017 and the music video will be released soon.
This debut album shows the listeners exactly who Stoker is – a class act with a pure love for rock, setting new standards and breathing new air into rock music. The album is available on iTunes, at their shows and from Stoker’s website.
If you’re in the Western Cape, catch Stoker live at Mercury tomorrow night (the 27th of January) or if you can’t transport your music loving butt there, catch them at Aandklas in Stellenbosch on the 28th of January. They will also be playing at Bohemia in Stellies on the 9th of March and at Aces ‘n Spades in Cape Town on the 16th of March. The band will be announcing Gauteng shows soon, so watch this space.
If you’re not familiar with their sound, crank up their song “Evil Shaker” below:
Watch this space for regular updates in the Music category on Running Wolf’s Rant.
Highly fucking recommended!