TAPER | INTERVIEW + TRACK REVIEW

Brisbane’s Taper aren’t here to follow the rulebook — they’re here to rip it up, rewire it, and feed it through a pedalboard. Blending crushing riffs, cinematic sound design, and wild technical precision, this four-piece is crafting a brand of metal that feels equally at home in your headphones as it does shaking the walls of a dark, sweaty venue.

With a deep obsession for tone and texture, Taper are doing things differently — literally pulling their songs apart online with “track dissections” to show fans how their layered, experimental sound comes to life. It’s a rare look behind the curtain for a band this heavy, this early on, but it speaks to their ultimate goal — to be the fan’s band.

Their upcoming EP promises to link songs together like one sprawling, immersive experience — a reflection of Taper’s focus on storytelling, easter eggs, and sonic exploration. Whether it’s bass that sounds like a synth, guitar tones that feel alien, or live re-amping techniques performed like an instrument in itself — Taper are building something special.

We caught up with the band to dive into their creative world, their journey so far, and what it really takes to trick the ear and keep listeners coming back for more.. This is a paid collaboration with 'Taper'.

TRACK REVIEW

Taper’s Paradigm doesn’t just start — it lurks, creeps, and pulls you straight into their world like the calm before a storm. There’s a real haunting energy in the intro, that feeling like something huge is about to happen… and when it drops? It absolutely levels you.

The punch of the full band coming in is monumental — goosebumps kind of stuff. Instantly threw me back to my high school days spinning Parkway Drive records, standing side of stage at Byron Bay High, grinning through the chaos.

That scream? Unreal. Perfectly delivered. Raw but controlled — the kind of vocal that cuts straight through you.

The riffs are endless, tight, and tastefully aggressive. And what I love most is the production across Paradigm — everything feels considered, nothing sits still for too long. Just when you think you’ve got the track figured out, Taper pulls you in a little deeper.

It’s heavy. It’s atmospheric. It’s bold. Paradigm is a statement track from a band that knows exactly who they are — and exactly how to grab your attention and refuse to let go.

LISTEN HERE

Your sonic approach is incredibly immersive, how did the concept of releasing track dissections come about, and how have fans responded to hearing your songs evolve in real time?

Thank you, we wanted to do something a little different. Given the nature of our music (and the geographical spread of the band) we found this to be a great way of sharing what we are up to with our followers to keep them posted while we wait for the final iterations of the song's arrangement. The feedback has been really positive (We would love our favourite bands to do something similar to this.

There’s a clear focus on sound design and “tricking the ear.” What’s one moment in your music where listeners might be surprised by what instrument they’re actually hearing?

We have always been infatuated by tone, especially me - it's a never-ending quest for continuous improvement. Taper has given us the freedom to explore this further and blur the lines of what separate instruments can sound like. In our next release there are things that sound like synths, didgeridoos, drums & percussion that are all either bass or guitar.

You’ve mentioned a strong visual element in your creative process. How do visuals influence the music, or does the music come first?

Usually, music first but lately we have been open to watching things & then transforming that experience into music. Two of us recently went through Cyclone Alfred which provided the perfect backdrop for the creation of a song tentatively titled "Of the Storm".

Your influences range from Tool to Gojira to Muse. How do you take inspiration from such diverse bands and still keep your sound distinctly ‘Taper’?

I think we all bring our own influences to the table but there is definitely some common ground. We recently released a cover song of "Sul Ponticello" by Intronaut & it still sounds like us. I think that common ground plays a part in us putting our spin on things. The other reason is that we wrote a lot of this music in a very short amount of time so I believe there may be some spillover.

What’s the idea behind your EP blending together like one long piece? How important is storytelling or cohesion in your releases?

It may not end up one piece of music but there are certainly songs which can link up very easily. Personally, I've always really enjoyed the hidden stuff within music & the old "play the song backwards" type stuff excites me and gives the music further longevity and value. There will be easter eggs to find.

The re-amping and layering techniques you use are next-level. Can you walk us through how a typical Taper track comes to life from idea to audio assault?

Thank you for your kind words, It is easily my favourite part of production. The guitar in particular is just a tool to get me to the fun part. The re-amping is a performance within itself in our next release there are plenty of examples of this -there were expression pedals everywhere all controlling different automations and effects.

You’re creating handmade USBs, offering exclusive content, and even giving away instruments, why is direct fan engagement such a core part of your strategy?

It's simple we aim to be the ultimate fans band, while we appreciate that our music may not be for everyone if it is for you then we want to show our appreciation & give you some value.

With only a couple of fully finished tracks released, why was it important to show fans the raw, unfinished sides of your work?

We are really trying build a fan base & get support so that we can continue to do this at this pace. We are actively looking for investment partners & endorsement deals to slow our starving musician syndrome.

You’ve already hit 1000 YouTube subscribers, congrats! What role do you see your online community playing in shaping future Taper releases?

It is so cool that our music has reached so many people! Our fans mean absolutely everything to us. We take our music seriously & ourselves lightly. We love the interaction with our followers. The online support pushes us to keep moving forward & writing.

Lastly, if someone walked into a dark room and heard your music for the first time, no context, no visuals, what do you hope they feel ?

Great question, even though there is a lot of aggression in our music there is still hope being pushed through either musically or lyrically. I think the best we could hope for is that they feel inspired.

LISTEN HERE