SynlakrosS is a Spanish band that play death metal with many influences within the metal genre like alternative metal, nu metal and metalcore. They have embarked upon a run through Europe and for this cloudy date in Wakefield, they are supported by two UK supports.
Under the influence was the opener for tonight. A 3-piece satirical punk band from Wakefield who are hard to find on social media and when googling “under the influence Wakefield” you instead get news articles about the nightlife in Wakefield. As soon as they came on, they were already quite the experience. I also realised that Under the Influence as an acronym is U.T.I…which is probably the inspiration behind the name.
The vocalist doesn’t take herself too seriously, as evidenced in her introduction; “This song is about an abortion I had, might have another one I can’t lie.” For their aptly named song ‘DEAD BABIES’. Which includes the poetic lyric, “dead babies, dead babies on the floor.”
It would be great if they moved around more, especially the guitarist. I think with a band that have a punk energy about them, it’d be great for the stage energy to match. The singer is quite limited to where she can go, with playing multiple instruments, and the drummer is obviously quite compromised. Unfortunately, it’ll land on the guitarist to be the active one and help get a crowd hyped by their…original…writing style.
Another introduction followed as; ”I heard there’s women in the crowd”, which was met with a “WOO”, to the singer then finishing “so here’s a song I wrote about how much I hate women.” The dry humour of the vocalist amused me their entire set. For some people, it’ll probably come across as too dead-pan. But if you like dead-pan sarcastic humour, I think you’ll find the vocalist likeable. She ended the song with a monologue of “That song goes out to the man who said I couldn’t make it. That never happened and I haven’t made it, but it goes out to you anyway.”
“If you also hate vegans please start a mosh pit or I’m going to kill myself.” – Vocalist, Under the Influence.
Kilonova are a 4-piece based in Newcastle and have a very loyal fanbase forming behind them. The band immediately took the stage with raw energy. The heavy guitars and bass making the room shake and bringing the fans of the band beaming smiles on their faces. Their confidence throughout the set rubbing off on the audience and encouraging them to get involved in the pit and jump up and down.
The vocalist had great fry screams and was so active that was hyping up the fans below alone. Not only her, but the guitarists constantly would play together and move around. It makes the stage feel so much fuller and gives their songs that much more impact when seen live as it’ll only further the energy of the song itself for those watching.
The vocalist had great stage banter and interacted with the audience (even those who may not have been there for them) and as is the sign of a great frontman, the crowd obliged. The band played their song “Leeches and Parasites” that was met with a cheer from their fans, clearly a fan favourite. The rest of their set was littered with some of filthiest screams I’ve heard in a long time.
They wrapped their set playing a cover of “Duality” by Slipknot, which further allowed the vocalist to show her range and enabled the crowd to shout back the lyrics. The vocalist at points joining the crowd in the pit to hand them the mic so they can scream the lyrics back to her.
The crowd moved closer as SynlakrosS took to the stage. The band got straight into it with some heavy drums and heavier riffs. Accompanied with the blood curdling screams of the vocalist that had the crowd cheering.
The band played their song “Pitch Black“, which had the crowd bobbing their heads. The crowd wasn’t as hype as they were during Kilonova, but that’s probably because, with it being in Yorkshire, a lot of the fans were here for the latter. The fans that were here for SynlakrosS however, were eager to close the distance between themselves and the band. Some people staying right at the stage with the phone recording for almost the entire set.
With five members in total, it was hard for the band to move around but that didn’t stop the vocalist from banging her head and waving the luscious green hair on the stage with the guitarists. I always love when bands have staple looks. Whether it’s Hayley Williams and her once orange hair or Gerard Way in marching band get up – it all adds to the aesthetic and I like that the vocalist put thought into what would bring immediate attention to her and make the band recognisable.
The Guitarist ran into the crowd at one point, playing with the crowd and getting them more involved in the performance. Some more eager than others to be involved, as some people were at the back of the crowd hoping to just stay hidden and focus on the music. Others went full on mimicking the guitarists movements and matching his enthusiasm.
The vocalist sadly announced this could be their last tour, in which case I’m glad to see they went all out and booked for multiple shows across the continent. Throughout the set I was blown away by the vocalists stable fries and false chords. I couldn’t tell you how long she’s been doing harsh vocals, but it’s clear she’s well experienced in the craft and how to achieve different screams with her voice. The band wrapped their set to a loud cheer and clapping from the audience, and encouraged fans to stick around and chat.
SynlakrosS are doing a tour around Europe right now. One thing I like about these types of tours is the mix of supporting artists. Not only could you experience SynlakrosS, but you could watch multiple different local bands you would’ve never otherwise come across until they blew up. Don’t miss out and make sure to check out each band on streaming platforms if they have any to show support.
Review & Photography: Jayne Slater
Twitter jsmslater_gigs
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