Conductor required
Symphony Cult have only been together for just over a year and have already knocked out 3 UK tours and it’s no mean feat that they find themselves on the 2nd stage at Download albeit in a morning slot.
As a five piece female fronted band they draw inevitable comparison with Lacuna Coil and Within Temptation and whilst it’s fair to say that they don’t achieve the heights of either of those bands there is some promise. Singer Charlotte Lubbock has a decent voice and she’s backed up with decent songs, if anything a little heavier than the aforementioned bands. Therein lies the problem though, everything about them is OK but none of it is great; the guitar solos are passable but they really lack a great tune and hook and other than the pained expression of Lubbock there’s not that much going on up on the stage.
They do however save the best until last; there are more dynamics, more drive and perhaps it’s just taken them this long to get into it but with this opportunity they really needed to be on it from the start. Subsequently they get respectful rather than rapturous applause.