“We’re English, in case you don’t know,” offers Aaron Stainthorpe, singer with High Parasite.
It’s kind of redundant at that point, given that they’ve just played “Parasite”—a song so English it practically comes with added Yorkshire damp.
That’s what Stainthorpe does. This side project features metal that’s a little more in-your-face than his brilliant day job, but as “Concentric Nightmares” and “Wasn’t Human” underline, while it may be a touch more accessible, it’s still heavy as hell.
Johnny Hunter and Sam Hill have the twin-guitar thing down, while masked bass man Tombs adds a touch of menace.
Drummer Dan has a sick bucket with him, but the slower “Hate Springs Eternal” is a testament to his skill.
The sound Stainthorpe helped invent is present throughout the set, but there’s a moment when the harmonies in “Let It Fall” hit, and you realise he’s still among the masters—such is the energy infused into this performance.
There’s an epic feel to the opening of “Forever We Burn,” but High Parasite is a riff-driven band at its core, and it crushes.
Yes, the music runs deep in all of them, but there’s something in the way they deliver it that transcends passion. It’s skill. It’s class. And High Parasite deserves high praise.
South of Salem’s big entrance—when they essentially take the stage like conquering heroes—is vindication.
All the support slots that people like me have seen them play have led them here. To this tour. To these fireworks. To the cheerleaders at the back of the stage. To the packed room.
Basically, they’ve got brilliant songs. That’s the trick. “Let Us Prey” and their cover of Savage Garden’s “To the Moon and Back” are straight from the top drawer.
There’s a confidence about them. It’s been obvious for the last 12 months, and it bursts forth on “Pretty Little Nightmare.” The new song they play, “Fallout,” has one of those choruses that lodges itself in and ain’t leaving.
They’re here to celebrate the release of last year’s fantastic”Death of the Party” album, and they play it from start to finish—”from ‘Vultures’ to ‘Villain,'” as singer Joey Draper puts it.
The former shines like a diamond, the groove of “Static” is mighty, and after a packed room shouts the hook back with enthusiasm, you can feel the energy.
Essentially, people love this band. “Jet Black Eyes”—like many of their songs—has a whiff of H.I.M., but there’s an atmosphere here that says no one cares. And the manner in which Kodi Kaspar rips through the solo suggests the band doesn’t either.
Listening to these album shows always offers up a song that shines in a way you never expected. Here, it’s “Stitch the Wound.”
“Left for Dead” does heavy, jumping, and fireworks all in one, and the fact that South of Salem are pretty damn heavy is reinforced again by “Hellbound Heart.”
“Bad Habits (Die Hard)” has the feel of an anthem. The title track commits its violence wrapped in glitter, as hundreds of fists thump the Black Country air.
Drummer James Clarke relishes his solo, and anyone who loves rock ‘n’ roll relishes the cowbell at the start of “A Life Worth Dying For.”
The aforementioned “Villain” affirms their arena rock credentials as it brings the set to a close.
Rock stars get encores, though, and these boys are that—no mistake. For that, it’s back to the debut and a blues-tinged “Demons Are Forever,” which sees torches light up KK’s. (“Anything to show us we’re not alone,” says Draper. They’re not. Not here.)
Which leaves just one more. “Cold Day in Hell” has ended every SOS show I’ve seen, and it deserves to end this one. It has one of the great modern choruses. It’s still as good as ever.
You know when you’re watching a band who know they’re at the top of their game. This band of misfits has that feel about them. They always have. But right here, right now, it feels like things are getting seriously good.
Death of the party? Purleeease. They ain’t even started.
