For anyone who loves metal music & true crime. Tonight is your paradise.
SKYND stands out from the pact. Brandishing her sound of rock, industrial & metal with lyrical themes about horrendous true crime.
Joining SKYND on the UK leg of her current tour is the beautiful & ethereal ZETRA.
I’ve been very lucky to see ZETRA grow in popularity over the past few years. First saw them at a small black heart Camden show celebrating Church Road Records & being blown away by their gorgeous blend of 80s electronic pop with distorted goth rock.
Recently I signed with Nuclear Blast Records and released a new track “Sacrifice”, getting to hear this track live for the first time was wonderful. A great natural progression in the band’s sound. Still keeping their DNA but adding a harder edge to their sound the track was a great hit & won over the crowd quickly.
ZETRA staple “Care” is as powerful as ever. Even with both members being tight-knit on their own perfectly crafted platform, their power & presence blanket the stage & it always feels like a religious experience witnessing their live show.
Closing out their set with “Call Of The Void” the band encapsulates what it takes to be a great opening act. As the crowd slowly always & even mesmerised by the band’s rich sound. 2024 is going to be ZETRA’s year that’s for sure.
https://wearezetra.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wearezetra
As the lights dim, murder is about to begin. As SKYND takes the stage & a radio report on the ever-brutal “Richard Ramirez” plays SKYND right from the first note her vocals are sensational. Right from this first track, she has got you hooked & is slowly pulling you in with her sheer talent & stage presence.
“Bianca Devins” a newer track builds its intensity nicely. Slowly piece by piece as it builds to a huge chorus, it’s got you. And even after the first time, you are singing along. The crowd is jumping, mosh pits & the energy is there.
The most impressive thing about SKYND which I was curious about is her use of vocal effects on her tracks. How would she perform in a live setting & I’m really happy that she is still a phenomenal singer in a live setting. If there was any vocal trickery it was little, and the way she just naturally manuplied her vocals added so much diversity & ambience to the tracks.
As the night comes to a close, “Gary Heidnik” can give you the perfect creeps. This closer is a fantastic final curtain for tonight’s show. A pumping track that peaks & valleys its sonic landscape. If you could call it a “stripped back” SKYND track it has a simple but yet ear worm-like feel & shows just how much of a pure talent SKYND is. I was well and truly impressed by the live show & will love to see her again when she returns to the foggy London town! Maybe a Jack The Ripper song one day ah SKYND?
Review: Joseph Mitchell
Photography: Tony Giannattasio
ABOUT SKYND:
We all conceal something behind the earthly façade we show to the world. Maybe it’s an unspoken fetish. Perhaps it’s a covetous urge. Or it could just be the kind of darkness we acknowledge in passing —but don’t dare reference out loud. SKYND peel back those layers and uncover what lurks beneath. The industrialized gothic electronic duo – Skynd [lead vocals] and “Father” [producer, multi-instrumentalist] – exorcize beauty by bloodletting as they delve into some of history’s most baffling, bizarre, and brutal crimes across their EPs.
SKYND released Chapter I in 2018, which included Korn’s Jonathan Davis as a special guest on “Gary Heidnik“. Chapter II followed in 2019. Chapter III comprised “Chris Watts“, “Michelle Carter“, and “Columbine“, the latter featuring a guest spot from noted hip-hop artist Bill $aber. Chapter IV focussed on “Armin Meiwes“, “John Wayne Gacy“, and “Edmund Kemper.” Each chapter continues SKYND’s exploration of the darkest and most disturbing parts of the human psyche, following their belief that “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Chapter V began in August 2023 with “Robert Hansen“. To date, SKYND’s music has racked up 30.5 million streams on their Spotify channel alone, their official YouTube channel has amassed over 45 million views.
Official Websites:
https://store.skynd-music.com/