Syteriaworld is the third album by Yorkshire based Syteria who are a band formed by Jax Chambers from Girlschool alongside Argentinian siblings Julia and Pablo Calvo and Steph Dawson. I was hoping to see Syteria at the rebellion festival but they drew the short straw with a set opening the Opera House at 1 pm on the first day just as everyone was starting to arrive.
The album opens with Chasing Dreams a good crunchy punk pop song of hope as they encourage you to not chase your dreams, as the chances of them coming true are slim, the girl gang backing vocals help make you want to sing along to the chorus.
Breaking Through is built on a solid riff allowing the catchy tune to really breath as they explain what they want to break on through to. Have No Reserve has a prog folk edge as Pablo takes lead vocals on this introspective song, trying to find a way to get back on track after the turmoil of the last couple of years.
It Hit Me gets rocking right away with a good strident punky edge as they realize it's time to get the hell out and move on from all the trauma, as they beg to be hit, so they can then be missed, on a song that mines similar territory to The Soap Girls, while wearing a lot more clothes than that might suggest.
Monsters is a dark rumbling tune, having ago at all the online Monsters trolling you night and day, watch out and keep them well away from you, with all the double talk and nasty bitchy asides, as you all need to be strong, you'll be rewarded with a super guitar solo, before everyone joins in singing along to the chorus as it repeats to fade.
E.M.P.T.Y. is for all the empty promises that have been made to them, as they wait for you to make good on them, the guitars go off while they get those harmonies going, with a nice balance between the full-throated lead vocals and the girl group backing vocals getting enmeshed in bright guitars.
Debt Generation is a pop rocker for anyone drowning in a sea of modern debt, working three jobs trying to survive on minimal wages, wondering where it all went wrong. Unlike this super catchy song for someone who wants to behave like a millionaire but who is living in Blackpool, being up to your eyeballs in debt never sounded so much fun, as they cruise along the front in their battered Ford Fiesta.
It's A Mess takes a good hard look at the mess we are in as humans, as our world falls apart they swelter in the heatwave, trying to reclaim normality after the pandemic as starvation is on the horizon, how will we make a better world, well through great punky rock bangers like this obviously.
Remember Me is something Jax shouldn't have to worry about as she has been a Rock legend since the 80's, yet the way things go she can still feel frail at the thought of being a footnote, rather than a never forgotten legend. Either way this has a stridency like Lacuna Coil but with less goth.
Raise Your Glass is not the Skinhead classic, but another song asking you to come over and Raise A Glass with them and have a good time, this gets speedier as you try to mosh without spilling your drink.
9 To 9 is in praise of anyone whose had to work 12 hour shifts, the never ending grind trying to get by, what will they have to do to survive, how will they still have a social life if you spend all your time at work while you feel like a drone, hoping to get some time to yourself rather than just feeling like your just another number numb to the core.
Couldn't Be Bothered is one of those days, we've had lots of them in the last few years where all you want to do is shut everything out and sit around doing what you want rather than joining in all the mindless trivia going on around you, as this song breaks down with a very slight dubby ska edge, as they sit at home slobbing out, eating whatever they feel like, rather than playing another cool nifty guitar solo or writing yet another super catchy tune like this one.
Pause For Peace (Silent Minute) is of course as noisy as it comes rocking plea, for a peaceful world, to stop all the fighting and hatred, let love in and make sure you are a fully paid-up member of Syteriaworld a peaceful oasis.
Talk Too Much has a funky rock edge trying to get all the big mouths to shut the hell up, stop talking about yourself the whole time, time for you to shut up and listen to someone else, this will however have you signing along with them by the time you've heard it a couple of times as the vocals multiple turning this into a great terrace chant anthem.
The album closes with a great version of Rockaway Beach with full on slow slung guitars as they rampage through The Ramones classic.
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