DÄHTM, is a doom-punk trio from Te Whanganui-a-Tara/ Wellington, featuring twin detuned guitars, and drums that hit like falling masonry. Taking their name from Black Sabbath’s song “War Pigs” the acronym “Death And Hatred To Mankind” echoes the band’s disdain for the modern world.
The lineup brings together three members of the capital’s punk underground. Guitarist Bonnie Tonkin had previously played in bands Poverty and Spit, Ayn Randy, and Shock Futuro. Drummer Katie came up through Pantihero. And guitarist/vocalist Sarsha-Leigh Douglas (Ngāti Maru, Te Arawa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Kahungunu) has a résumé stretching across Shortlived, Shock Futuro, Fantails, Rogernomix, Bonecruncher, Unruly and TVX. Sarsha’s indigenous heritage also adds a Te Ao Māori lens to the band’s songwriting, with lyrics that move through colonisation, environmental destruction, depression, and grief, often refracted through the supernatural.
DÄHTM played their first show at Neil Roberts Day in Whanganui in 2018, and grief has shadowed the band from early on. Their debut EP, Silver Banshee, released in August 2019, was dedicated to Anna, vocalist of TVX and a close friend of the band who died in 2018. The EP’s track “Te Arai I Te Pō”, meaning “the other side of the veil”, stands as a waiata for her.
In November 2020 the band began work on a full-length at Scumbag Studio with producer Vanya Vitali. The result, Kurungaituku, arrived on August 13, 2021, with a launch show at Aro Valley Hall. The album takes its name from the half-bird, half-woman guardian of the forest in Te Arawa and Raukawa mythology. Both Silver Banshee and Kurungaituku feature cover art by Wellington artist Xoe Hall, tying the band’s sound to a distinct, recurring visual identity.
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| Origin | Wellington |
| Genre | doom, crust, punk |
| Years Active | 2018 – now |
| Associated Acts | Unruly, TVX |
| Current Members | Sarsha (guitar, vocals) Bonnie (guitar) Katie (drums) |
| Websites |
Releases
| Title | Date | Label | Type | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rungus Among Us | 2019, Aug 19 | Razored Raw | compilation | tape/ DL |
| Silver Banshee | 2019, Aug 31 | EP | DL | |
| Kurungaituku | 2021, Aug | album | 12″/ DL | |
| Death Throes | 2025, Sept 11 | single | tape/ DL |
Timeline
2018, November 10, Neil Roberts Day
2018, December 31, Long Gully Station
2019
2019, February 15, Newtown Community Centre
2019, March 29, Wellington High
2019, April 11, Valhalla
2019, April 13, The Butchery
2019, August 19, Rungus Among Us
2019, August 31, Silver Banshee
2019, August 31, Aro Valley Hall
2019, December 20, Valhalla
2020
2020, February 1, Valhalla
2020, August 8, Space Monster
2020, October 21, Third Eye
2020, October 31, The Butchery
2020, December 12, SFBH
Beastwars, Demons of Noon, DAHTM
2021
2021, March 12-13, RVC Fest
2021, May 8, Newtown Sports Bar
2021, May 21, Newtown Sports Bar
2021, June 19, Valhalla
2021, August 13, Kurungaituku
2021, August 13, Aro Valley Hall
2021, December 3, Valhalla
2023
2023, May 13, Thistle Hall
2023, July 7, Newtown Sports Bar
2023, August 25-26, Dankfest
2023, November 18, Neil Roberts Day
2024, December 16, Whammy Bar
2024
2024, March 17, Valhalla
2024, September 15, Valhalla
2025
2025, May 31, Underworld Tavern
2025, September 5, Valhalla
2025, September 11, Death Throes
2025, September 19-22, Blacken
2025, September 27, Valhalla
2025, October 3, Valhalla
2025, October 25, Underworld Tavern
2026
2026, March 14, Valhalla
2026, March 27, Valhalla
2026, July 31, Valhalla
2026, September 18, Valhalla
2026, October 23-25, Punkfest
