CyHra @Metalfest 03/06/2018
CyHra is one of those bands that I never heard of but then suddenly everyone was talking about it. It was a similar experience with Amaranthe. Huh? Anyway, if you’re familiar with both bands then you know where I’m going here.
So, what is CyHra? When I listened to their debut (and only one, at the time of writing) album – Letters to Myself, I liked it immediately. The songs were easy to listen and they get stuck in your head. Days later I get this song playing in my head and can’t remember what it was, you know this feeling, right? And then it turns out to be one of CyHra’s songs! I like outdoor running and CyHra is my steady soundtrack – fast music with catchy and refreshing melodies.
When I saw these guys would be at Metalfest in Pilsen, Czech Republic, I was really glad I’d get a chance to see them. When the day finally came, it was a super hot one but that didn’t let my excitement slip away. The band played around 1pm which is quite early for a festival and there were not so many people in the audience yet. I didn’t get a feeling that many people knew the band as not many cheered. There was one guy in front of me who was clearly a big fan though! He was singing out loud, raising his horns and just having a good time in general. And, to be fair, so was I. The band did an extremely good job, they didn’t look like a newly formed band with not so many live shows behind them. You might say “hang on a minute, all members come from well-known bands (Amaranthe, In Flames, Shining, Rhapsody, Annihilator), of course they’ve done live shows before!”. They did, but not with the same lineup. Everyone looked very confident on stage and seemed like they were having a good time. To be fair, I had a feeling that they just hopped off from the plane directly on stage – probably based on how they looked – a bit tired, not really “polished” – but that didn’t matter! We were at the metal party rather than a school prom.
When it comes to the setlist, the show started with Dead To Me as an intro. It started playing when no band member was on stage. This was a bit funny, as the spoken part contains lyrics such as “You’re all dead to me” – don’t know why, but it made me chuckle at that time, it was like a message to all people at the festival (am I weird to think that? 🙂 surely it wasn’t!)
I couldn’t find the full setlist online, but I think that most of the songs from Letters to Myself were played. The ones I loved most were Karma, Heartrage, Here to Save You (I remember singing along this song, it was great!). Muted Life was amazing probably because I’ve never really got into it when listening the album, but at the festival the lyrics got to me and I started singing along.
I am pretty sure that Closure was also played. Letter To Myself was probably the time when the crowd got most active. I like the lyrics of that song, it’s simple but it surely resonates with so many people. When I listen to it, I get that “been there, done that” feeling – powerful stuff! Dark Clarity also gets me, makes me kind of upset (lyrics) but the music is really uplifting and it encourages me not to give up.
Band’s presence on stage was really good I must say. Jake was encouraging the crowd to clap, scream and raise their hands all the time. He clearly knows how to make the crows go wild!
Overall, CyHra was a great addition to Metalfest. They’ve got the material that is not difficult to get into, it’s catchy, fast, melodic – works much better than slow-paced, long songs when it comes to festivals. After the festival was over I was walking to the bus stop with – guess! – CyHra playing in my headphones. I was walking the streets with that silly smile on my face. I had a blast at the festival, thanks to all the bands, CyHra including. I probably wouldn’t go to their headline show, but they would serve great as a support (or a co-headline) band! I am looking forward to what else they will come up and hope this project will live on. Go CyHra!
For those curious, we’ve got a review of Letters to Myself on our website, go check it out right here!
Also here is our video reaction to their video Here To Save You