Live Review: Death Blooms w/SYNSY and Lake Malice at The Boston Music Rooms in London!

Tonight is the final show of the “Life Is Pain” headlining tour that has seen Liverpool Nu-Metallers Death Blooms play with a different opening act at each stop. A venue upgrade from The Black Heart to The Boston Music Rooms for tonight and 7 of 12 shows sold out for this tour acting as confirmation that the band are in demand. Before the show and between the sets the PA gives us a wealth of Nu-Metal classics from the likes of KoRn, Limp Bizkit and System of a Down clearly at the headliners request and a refreshing change from the usual blend of crowd calming hip-hop that we’re forced to endure elsewhere.

Opening the show are SYNSY [2/10] who take to the stage as a quartet, three vocalists and a dude on a laptop delivering a set of what they self describe as EDM and in truth sounds more like aggressive Grime infused with Industrial sounds. Fast rap flows are accompanied by unclean moments, heavy bass and air horn addiction are all on offer, the largest issue being that everything they do during their set sounds fundamentally the same. Back in 1999 they would have been tailgated onto the Nu-Metal scene but tonight stand out like a hammer smashed thumb. Given that other shows on this tour have been opened by some supremely talented bands like Miscreant, InRetrospect and Starved this is a real shame.

Next on stage are Lake Malice [7/10] who take to the stage as a trio, heavily tattooed frontwoman Alice Guala stalking the stage while guitarist Blake Cornwall and drummer Jamie Boycey play alongside a laptop providing bass, programmed elements, a second guitar and at times backing vocals. They have an arena filling sound with clear influences from Evanescence to Prodigy, a huge drum sound and a vocalist who is the embodiment of Carla Harvey and Heidi Shepherd if they were singing Baby Metal covers. They bring plenty of energy and while this is officially their first tour together there are no nerves on show; the only complaint here is the lack of other musicians and the reliance on a backing track to assist with creating their dynamic.

There is a long wait after Lake Malice depart the stage, the Nu-Metal cycle broken by a “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion before “We Like To Party” by Vengaboys sees Death Blooms [9/10]  take to the stage. Whether there has been a line up change or it’s just for this tour remains unknown but playing guitars tonight for headliners tonight is Blake Cornwall from Lake Malice. That doesn’t stop the band don’t miss a beat as they rip through as many songs as humanly possible in the time allowed with Paul Barrow getting everyone off the floor from the very start, the bounce in the mosh put reaching new heights with each tune. From the crushing breakdowns of “Shut Up” to the fits in the air chant along of “Life Is Pain” crowd surfing, stage diving and circle pits bring the fun as everyone knows all the words. Cuts like “I’m Dead” and “Gore” go down a storm, the slightly unhinged nature of the lyrics resonating while being nothing but pure unadulterated fun and tonight is a triumph for the headliners who wash away the pain of the opening act with a tidal wave of riffs as they prove they’re very much here to stay.