Johannesburg’s Newtown Knife Gang is one of the top local rock acts at the moment and it’s hard to argue this when one looks at their work ethic, stage prescence and ability to write hard riffs and catchy melodies. Mainly composed of the former members of the successful SA band, 16 Stitch, Newtown Knife Gang has truly formed its own identity for the past few years. The band consists of Spencer Martin (vocals and guitar) Nick Argyros (drums), Paul Norwood (guitar) and Gareth Norwood (bass).
5. To Be Honest
This is a slower track but does not let up in quality and is one of the band’s most thought-provoking and inspiring songs. The lyrics “If you don’t face yourself if you don’t face your fears, your heart will be closed shut and forever sealed. Faith is not lost, it can still be found,” make up one of the standout moments of the song as Martin almost sings this acapella before the instrumentation kicks in again for the second verse. The song builds up slowly before it picks up speed at the bridge where the distorted guitar kicks in to end the song off on a higher note. The use of synth elements such as violin also gives the song added quality. The song has a great message of hope, even in the depths of despair.
4. Crossroads
“I’m never gonna let you down, never gonna let you sing this on and on alone.
We’ve been down this road before a thousand times or more, but we move on and on,” is how this brilliant song starts. It showcases the band’s versatility with various instruments and song patterns. The loud, soft dynamic works brilliantly in this song with the aforementioned chorus being the standout part.
Norwood’s guitar part takes this song a step further with a catchy lick before a combination of drum fills and subtle piano provide the extra structure. A beautifully written song.
3. Words
This opening track from their 2012 self-titled album does everything that a great album opener should do. There is build up, great opening lyrics and instrumentation that catch the attention from the outset. The opening lyrics, “I am not the one who made the world just what it is today,” are thought- provoking and lay the groundwork for the rest of the philosophical nature of the lyrics. This song is also categorised by electronic elements, great drumming from Argyros and Martin’s vocal range throughout the song. A fantastic track that sums up everything good about the band.
2. Listen
“Listen” will always be one of my favourite tracks as this was the song that brought the band to my attention in the first place. It was the first single from the band’s self-titled album and has a fantastic singalong pace with a brilliant chorus typified by Martin’s emotional vocals. Another standout section of the song is the bridge, where crunching guitar and hard-hitting beats add extra aggression. “Say what you wanted to say, Give me a reason just why I never listened, take what you wanted from me, cause I never thought that maybe I needed something more,” are some of the band’s best lyrics on relationships and their struggles.

1. Sleeper
This is without a doubt the hardest and most aggressive song that Newtown Knife Gang has written to date. The song opens with a pummeling guitar and drum combination that is given extra meat with a great scream from Martin. His screams on this track really show off his versatility as a rock/metal vocalist; he can go from hard-hitting to melodic all in one song. Paul Norwood’s guitar playing in this song is also fantastic as he dishes out the fast riffs to the hungry ears of the listener whom, after this song, will be begging for more. The song is naturally also perfect for a live show, where the ending of the song sets the moshpit into motion. One of Newtown Knife Gang’s hidden gems on their self-titled album.