Introducing: FiveSidedDice

If there’s a single country we could pick out as intriguing based on not discovering any artists from the nation and lacking any understanding of their rock/metal scene, it would be South Africa. But we’re putting that right today with multi-genre music project FiveSidedDice, who describe their rock meets nu-metal sound as “colourful, enigmatic and transformative.”

The Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth) project started as a solo project of then-teenager Roscoe Nefdt back in 2008 as “a way to express myself without limits and to have a blanket name for all my musical compositions and lyric writing.” Since then, Roscoe has written and released music and rewritten, reworked and performed tracks with his various bands, including Undead Generation, Twiza and Coastal Clones.

On the sound he’s crafted, Roscoe told us: “Constantly shifting. I try to surprise people with each release, keeping it interesting and unexpected in terms of stylistic traits or genre blends. The glue and familiarity that ties it all together is essentially my voice, and I would describe that as “rustic” or “gritty” for the most part. I suppose the music of FiveSidedDice would essentially fall somewhere under the blanket term of modern ‘Alternative.'”

The most recent taste of this is his new EP Black Sheep, which was released on Friday (18 July) and features a range of guest musicians. From it, he sent us Flesh Cage, which features DemonSlayer. The track opens up with a menacing sound that continues under rapped/spoken vocals, which are joined by a drawn-out bassy synth sound. It picks up as heavy guitar chords kick in alongside vocals, which give way to big screams.

The pace slows again as the rapped vocals return, and the chorus gives way to more intense screamed vocals. A pulsing synth sound comes in under building cries of “flesh cage,” which tees up another couple of blasts of the catchy chorus.

The EP contains an intriguing mix of styles, especially in the diverse opening track T.R.A.Sh.B.O.Y.S, as well as the powerful Voodoo Children, the slightly more anthemic What Do You Care, and heavy final track Humanity.

On the EP, Roscoe told us: “The entire Black Sheep EP is a piece of work that I have been itching to release for over a year now! I can’t wait to hear the reception and reaction from many people I know once it drops, I’m certain a lot of my friends and fans are going to love it, especially those that prefer the heavier and darker side of FiveSidedDice. Folks can expect brooding lyrics, downtuned instruments, electronic elements and samples, chunky chuggy riffs, catchy chorus melodies and rhythms, and an entire lineup of featured guests!”

If you like the sound of the EP then there’s plenty more music to dig into, including at least six albums and a few more EPs. That includes a personal favourite Disorder, from the 2023 EP Cold, which you can check out in the video below:

The FiveSidedDice sound has been influenced by countless genres and styles. But the latest release draws on rap/rock bands like Chronic Future and Gym Class Heroes, nu metal bands like Linkin Park and Korn, industrial/electronic rock bands like 16Volt and Nine Inch Nails, emotive and melancholic songs of artists like Blue October, and the dark and brooding style of artists like King 810.

And on what inspires him to write music, Roscoe explains: “I have been inspired by every aspect of life and existence throughout my writing journey. I’ve written about politics, war, love, loss, death, money, sex, revenge, friends, family, good times, and bad times in general.

“Lately though, and for this release, I’ve been finding it therapeutic and cathartic to simply just write about my own depression and burnout. It comes naturally and it feels like a productive and healthy way to deal with all the negative feelings of social alienation, isolation, hopelessness, and all the other crap that life throws our way. I think the more personal my songs are, the more others can relate to them and possibly find some solace in knowing they are not alone.”

We’ve not featured many artists from South Africa, so we asked Roscoe for his insight. “The South African scene is amazing!” he told us. “We have such incredible talent down here, across the entire music scene, be it jazz, rock, metal, punk, hip hop, electronic, anything! There is an overwhelming amount of hidden talent in this country and I truly hope that one day a light can shine on our underground music scenes and showcase the absolute beasts of artists we have.

“Even just our local alternative scene in Gqeberha is a vibrant and hard-working environment filled with incredible musicians. My most active band, Undead Generation, has travelled across South Africa on many national tours and we have performed with such amazing artists throughout. It would be worth checking out the bands affiliated with all the guests on this Black Sheep EP if you are into metal and hardcore. You won’t be disappointed.”

Roscoe will be in the UK playing a handful of solo acoustic shows over the next few months, specifically in Northamptonshire. He’ll also be playing an EP launch show and tour with his main band Undead Generation, and his other bands Twiza, Rejects and Whiskey & Ginger. And he told us the EP won’t be his final release of 2025, so stay tuned for more soon.

And Roscoe added: “FiveSidedDice is like my personal but very public journal or diary. It is a timeline of my life, and I just want anyone who is reading this or listening to my music to know that I am very grateful for them. I love you. Get in contact with me on any social media if you would like to connect, and I hope you enjoy the new EP!”

You can follow FiveSidedDice on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and check out their music on Spotify, Bandcamp, Apple Music, Soundcloud and YouTube.

We discovered FiveSidedDice on Groover – submit your music to GigRadar!

And listen to all the bands we’ve found on the platform on our Spotify playlist GigRadar Groover