Sumo Cyco/As Sirens Fall/Suburban
The Underworld – 28/11/2019
Suburban brings a touch of Aussie quirkiness to the Underworld with his rap infused rock that gets the venue bouncing early. Getting up close and personal with the already packed floor is a smart move and the crowd responds in kind. Rap metal isn’t anything new, neither is cross over music, but Suburban has an infectious quality that gives him an edge live. In a compact place like this with the temperature already hitting the red line the music takes on a life all of its own. Fabulous stuff.
There are a whole host of acts out there right now that fill that gap between pop and something much heavier. As Sirens Fall have all the guitars whirring way quite nicely and they err towards modern metal than anything a mainstream listener would recognise. Then there’re the melodies, and the hooks, that’s what you really notice, it’s the clever writing that pulls you in. The band have Mikey Lord too, a dyed in the wool frontman from birth. He conducts proceedings in a way that has even the odd sceptic nodding with approval. As Sirens Fall look like a band ready to conquer all before them.
You have to tip your hat to Sumo Cyco. The Canadians are regular visitors to these shores. They tour hard, work like their very lives depend on it and never stop smiling. Tonight they are simply magnificent. It’s a case of hello London and hit the accelerator for over an hour of sheer musical brilliance. The rhythms are beat and note perfect with Matt Trozzi and Oscar Anesetti operating as a kind of multi limbed single entity. Matt Drake has all the deft touches and big hooks on guitar. And front gal Skye Sweetnam has the audience in the palm of her hand. Her vocals just keep getting better each time the band tour, with pop crispness exchanging parts with metal growls. Everything together is mesmerising, and this remember is a fully independent band. While their music speaks volumes it’s the people themselves that make Sumo Cyco so special. Their engagement with fans, the willingness to go that extra mile and to do it all with class and style, that’s a very special set of qualities. They’ve built a little world for themselves called Cyco City and everyone in the crowd tonight wants to go and live there.
Review and photos by Gary Trueman