The ‘Tron’ and the ‘Fish-Head’ join forces in a High Risk Maneuver.

High Risk Maneuver is a thrashy grindcore band formed in 2011, known for their chaotic energy and blistering speed. The original lineup featured Sam Thurston (guitar), Tony Pearson (bass), Jace (vocals), and Ben Clancy (drums), split between Wellington and Hamilton, New Zealand, which limited rehearsals and led to sporadic, high-octane gigs.

Their debut EP, Aotearoa Highriskcore, was recorded in December 2011 at Studio Blasphemy by Sean Carmichael and released as a mini-CD in January 2012. In April 2012, they recorded a self-titled 13-track EP at Scumbag College in Wellington, released on 7” vinyl by Always Never Fun Records in October 2012. The musical equivalent of hitting the glass BBQ before jumping off the top rope naked into oblivion, it clocks in at under nine minutes, with the EP capturing their frenetic style in tracks like “Self-Inflicted Lone Victim Massacre” and “Aborted Mayhem.”

The band’s intense live shows were epitomised by Jace’s infamous stage dive at Christchurch Punkfest 2014, where, donning a luchador mask, he forward-flipped into the crowd, sconning an unlucky audience member in the head and drawing blood.

In 2014, Dan Fraser replaced Tony Pearson on bass, debuting at a Take Shelter bunker show. High Risk Maneuver’s last gig was at Whammy Bar in December 2015. Following Ben Clancy’s move to Australia, the band went on hiatus. Jace pursued grindcore with Hamilton’s Dogcock, while Sam and Dan now play in Forced Starvation.

Origin	Hamilton/ Wellington
Genre	thrash, punk, grindcore
Years Active	2011 – 2015
Labels	Always Never Fun, United Blasphemy
Associated Acts	Dog Cock, Shortlived Forced Starvation
Past Members	Jason (vocals) Sam Thurston (guitar) Tony Pearson (bass 1) Dan Fraser (bass 2) Ben Clancy (drums)