Live Review: South of Salem - KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
3rd April 2025
Support: High Parasite, In Search of Sun
Words & Photos: Scott Clarke
The lovely spring evenings have been good to us these past few days and tonight continues the theme as the fans queue outside the doors of KK’s Steel Mill in anticipation of tonights entertainment that would see three bands take to the stage all of which were a little different in styles.
Upon entering the halls of KK’s it was evident that tonight was going to be quite a busy one as the merch desk had a fair share of occupants all vying for the latest in t shirts, records and other apparel from their favourite artists, there was also a fair few in the arena itself as a loud bubbling of conversation filled the air and mixed with the great pre gig audio selections that KK’s generally plays to get us in the spirit.
It wasn’t a long wait between doors opening and the first act, due to the 3 bands being on tonight as the lights dimmed and In Search of Sun took their spot on the stage.
It was a pretty active pit for us with a few regular photographers and from what it looked like, In Search of Sun had bought their own photographers and videographers along. Nevertheless the first thing that took my attention was the energy on stage from the band, they never kept still.
Adam Leader providing lead vocals for the group, marches around the stage in an almost early 00’s Fred Durst style, Sean Gorman is beating out the powerful rhythm for the funky tracks that have dual guitars thanks to David Mena Ferrer and Quinton Lucion who tonight is filling in for the absent Rory Kay. Both guitarists are exceptionally adept and despite Quinton filling in on this tour, you wouldn’t say he was out of place at all and fits in with the natural dynamic of the group. Faz Couri rounds out the ensemble with his bouncing groovy bass lines that punch the rhythm.
It's a quite funky, melodious set that the fellows from London put together for the fans tonight. Including tracks, Mega Piranha, In The Garden, Fire I Play With, Contagious, Rhythm and Bad Girl. It’s an electrifying performance and certainly one that lights a fire under anyone to start the evening, its also an interesting blend of styles that captivate the crowd. They garner a great response from the busy room and I hear a few people commenting on enjoying their performance. I think for those that haven’t seen them before, they’re an unexpected hit, an injection of energy that you can’t help but enjoy with their obvious love for being on that stage, there are smiles galore adorning their faces throughout and the energy is infectious.
From the moment the lights dimmed and the first chords rang out, it was evident that In Search of Sun were ready to leave their mark, charisma and talent were in abundance and they certainly entertained and won a few more fans tonight.
Next up tonight as the lights dimmed for a second time were High Parasite, they’re from the UK as lead vocalist Aaron Stainthorpe is keen to press home to the fans in attendance, theres a dry sense of humour that flows from the frontman throughout their time with us tonight and more than once it causes a ripple of laughter throughout the crowd.
As I said in the beginning, tonights acts are all different in their styles, from the upbeat, groovy opening we transcend into a spot of doom metal, which seems a juxtaposition to Aaron’s demeanour between songs as he seems a fairly upbeat and down to earth guy, yet the music and his vocals on the songs are both deep and dark as melody and growls blend to create the atmospheric music.
Their set with us tonight, at around 45 minutes packs in a fair few tracks including Parasite, Concentric Nightmares, Grave Intentions, Wasn’t Human, Hate Springs Eternal, Let It Fail and closing with Forever We Burn.
Despite their new found formation to some degree, the band are tight and perform well as a group, even drummer Dan Brown who as we learn was under the weather just the night before is able to rise to the occasion and wails on those drums. Both Sam Hill and Jonny Hunter provide powerful chugging rhythm and intricate yet melancholy solos while Tombs, clad in a skull like mask and face paint looking every bit a character of doom, provides driving bass, high energy on stage and backing vocals.
It’s a raw and gritty sound and from the first note, the band exude confidence and charisma. Their very distinct monochromatic appearance and stylistic choices including the fact that all the instruments are white is a nice touch and adds to the appearance of a well organised and structured group. It’s a contrast to the somewhat chaotic opening as befits their unique styles. In Search of Sun were high tempo and upbeat, High Parasite are the opposite - dark, brooding and deliberate, it feels much more emotional and visceral.
Regardless of the change of pace for the night, the band went down exceptionally well with the crowd. Aaron and the rest said they’d be available at the merch table a few minutes after their set to take photos and sign merch and meet and greet which is always a nice touch of a band and shows the appreciation they have for their fans and there were plenty in the crowd that did just that and returned to the front with albums and shirts, I think thats a good sign that High Parasite will be welcome back again in the future.
The lights dimmed for the final time tonight as the band that so many had turned out to see were about to make the night their own. As Bournemouth based horror-rockers South of Salem entered the stage and greeted the fans the atmosphere changed instantly, filled with the infectious energy of the opening track, Let Us Prey saw the band waste no time in stepping it into top gear, their high tempo, high energy performance came complete with light up coffins, floor to ceiling sparklers and cheerleaders on stage to boot. It was an impressive start to what would turn out to be a lengthy set.
Known for their unique blend of metal and horror-themed aesthetics, the band wasted no time in immersing the audience into their theatrical world. After a cover of the Savage Garden classic, To The Moon And Back which was incredibly well done, Pretty Little Nightmare and brand new track Fallout were next on the list, the latter keeping up the pace with what has been on offer thus far, the heavy riffs on the verses give way to a more melodic and catchy chorus. They have a distinct style and they pull it off supremely well. It was The Death of the Party UK tour and as such we had a complete play through of the full album from 2024 which included Vultures, Static, Jet Black Eyes, Stitch The Wound, Left For Dead, Hellbound Heart, Bad Habits (Die Hard), Death of the Party, A Life Worth Dying For and Villain. Its quite a feat to perform an entire albums worth of material in one sitting and shows the quality of the material that they have crafted. The evening rounded out with Demons Are Forever and the banger Cold Day In Hell.
The band's frontman, Joey Draper, commanded the stage with charisma, his powerful vocals soaring through the venue, captivating both newcomers and die-hard fans alike. The chemistry among the band members was almost symbiotic, with each guitarist, Kodi Kasper and Denis Sheriff, armed with a beautiful Ibanez Jem, able to deliver incredible guitar work whilst masterfully traversing the stage from left to right as well as tackling risers that elevated them for the all important solos. This left drummer, James Clarke and Dee Vower on bass, who was sporting an impressively large hat, to complement one another, creating a sonic experience in rhythm duties that vibrated through the crowd.
Their setlist featured tracks that showcased the best of the band and their dark, yet melodic style that feature heavy riffs as well as catchy hooks to offset the moody lyrics which had the audience singing and headbanging away all night long, the energy levels in the building from the outset were tremendous.
The backgrounds, the stage props, the light show and the pyrotechnics all blended together to create quite a memorable show, they enhanced the storytelling aspect, or the theatrical element if you will, of their performance that went down very well with the loyal fans in attendance. Comments after the show and on social media echoed the enjoyment and the quality of the performance, I even heard about it through work the next day from people I didn’t know were going to the gig how they enjoyed the experience.
It was a night of electrifying music and a dash of the macabre that saw the pretty packed out KK’s Steel Mill jumping from beginning to end, but it’s also another example of how a stage performance and a bands identity can uplift a live performance. What could’ve just been a play though of an album, track after track in celebration of it, turned into more of show because of the efforts of the band, their dedication to craft something more than just the music and its something that the fans both appreciated and adored tonight.
Photo credit: Scott Clarke
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