Live review from Rock Show For All:
Setlist:
nb
burn
hiding
heart
abitoflove
ambiton
headache (cover)
Lies
KVYLE, the 2 piece, noisy, erratic, angsty and brash punk outfit has just finished their German tour and band members Kelsey and Underdog show no signs of tiring or nervousness for their first time playing The Fringe.
A grungy noisy loop plays for their first song “nb”, the crowd whistles and hollers to the angry riff and beat, overbearing vocals and gnarly distorted bass tone, giving first time listeners a taste of what’s to come. The second song “burn”, a song not featured on their online catalogue, gave a vibe similar to nine inch nails, had great energy carried by the main riff, and the song worked surprisingly well for live drums and bass and guitar backing track. After this song Kelsey introduced themselves as they say it – “Kaylee”, apparently one of the four ways to pronounce the band’s name. The third song “hiding” had a bit more of an indie rock feel to it compared to the other songs. The prominent melodic bass riff in “hiding” has been stuck in my head since the gig, it seemed to emit a certain power that really pierces into your soul. As Kelsey was stamping around quite a bit, their neck strap broke as they was playing “abitoflove”, they ended up playing whilst supporting their bass on one knee and keeling over the microphone; the whole thing felt very art-house. At the end of the song, the guitarist from Shiver Shadow saved the day and lent Kelsey their guitar strap.
“ambition”, the next song and their signature song on bandcamp, gave way to pumping drum beats and fierce screams, had almost the whole crowd jumping around, including Kelsey who was thanking everyone in between breaths afterwards before launching into “headache”, apparently a cover of “a certain noise punk band from Canada, although I’m not sure which band, it had everyone jumping around again including What They Do Members, almost forming a mosh pit but not quite. Showing no signs of slowing down, Kelsey announces the last song “lies” introducing it saying “it’s a crazy one”, Kelsey starts the song off with a chaotic riff, screamy verse segue-ing into a melodic chorus, it reminded me of refused’s shape of punk to come, with heavy chaotic moments and melodic, yet noise driven parts, Kelsey finishes the song in style, leaving the guitar down for a feedback loop while they take group photos with the fans on stage.
KVYLE has a very intense aura on stage, as the dissonant and frantic backing gives them energy, the punching bass sound is really something that’s better seen live then heard through a recording, with Kelsey and Underdog’s spirit complimenting the stage and wistfully guiding the crowd during the expressive, melodic parts. KVYLE is definitely a sight to behold and a band you should be on the lookout for.
– Sherman Leung
