My admiration for Sylosis is not a secret. After failing to see them once, I was given a second chance when they were announced as the opening act of the Killswitch tour. Oh, the joys of good heavy music!
When I got into the venue, Heartist was already playing for some 10 minutes. At the time, their sound was good enough, matching the bands to come, even though it wasn't completely original. They also managed to make a connection with the crowd before leaving the stage after another 20'. A quick tour towards the merch tables and off to get a good spot to enjoy Sylosis. When they stepped on stage, I felt electrified. Starting off with "Fear The World", the first thought that crossed my mind was that Josh Middleton's live vocals sounded exactly like the recorded-ones. The sound was very clear and the band's energy reflected on the crowd. To my surprise, not only did the kids enjoy the show but they would also participate to the heavy beats and some of them would sing along as well. What I absolutely love about this band is the fact that, no matter how long the songs are, they never get boring or annoying. This is also why I positively fancied the short in quantity setlist. And contrary to my expectations, they didn't focus on their last opus, "Monolith", but went through their whole discography instead. I was a bit disheartened, though, because the band seemed a bit distant despite the overall headbanging and communication with the crowd. "Empyreal" was the perfect choice to end their almost 45' set. I vividly thought that their performance would overshadow the headliners. However, this wasn't the case.
At around 9:20 a disco introduction blasted and the party would commence. The Killswitch machine was on the loose, as they took full advantage of the clear sound. I'd never been the biggest KSE fan but I've always considered them one of the spectacles that I shouldn't miss if I had the chance to see them playing. Let me elaborate. ALL the songs sounded incredibly at home with Jesse's voice. That man is blessed with the gift of an amazing throat and the energy of the stage. Alongside with Adam D., they brought the house down. This duo is absolutely ludicrous. Adam would run all over the stage, doing a sort of can-can dance. Towards the end of "Fixation On The Darkness", he ran behind his rig and re-appeared with a tennis racket instead of a guitar; then he ran back and put the guitar over the racket to finish the song. While the others took little rests, he talked to the mic trying to drink beer at the same time. It was then that Jesse asked a fan to open his mouth and pourred his beer down the kid's throat. At another break, while inspiring a circle pit, he noticed a mexican flag. The holder of the flag was asked to stay put and everyone else should form a circle pit around him. From where I stood, I didn't have a clear sight but I believe it worked out pretty well. The crowd would also sing along to the new songs, making the band proud, as it was "the best show they had ever played in Paris". "No End In Sight", "Life To The Lifeless", "Numbered Days", "Self Revolution", "Take This Oath", "Arms Of Sorrow", "Rose Of Sharyn" followed among others and the band played "In Due Time". Time was running out and the guys announced that they only had a couple of songs left -the romantic ones, "for the ladies". "My Curse" and "The End Of Heartache" made the kids sing on the top of their lungs and when the band left the stage, they chanted for an encore. "My Last Serenade" closed fittingly the setlist.
I was utterly captivated by this show. KSE are amazing performers (and absolutely lucky to experience a great sound and crowd at once in France). When I walked home, I realized how my friends, who are true believers and who had managed to see them about three or four years ago, were completely right at one thing they said: this band HAS to be seen on stage at least once in a lifetime.
0 σχόλια :
Post a Comment