Midnight Juggernauts

We're icy during a new opener and lukewarm during 'Shadows'. It's 'So Many Frequencies' that spurs the first engaging moment, thanks to Daniel Stricker's inspired half-time breakdown. There's an unannounced fourth member handling keys on new material and otherwise hovering awkwardly in clear view of the crowd, until bassist Andy dismisses him. His additions to their sound are only noticeable when he switches to percussion on a new track that relies a little too heavily on rhythmic gimmickry, and not enough on the instrumental hooks that have allowed them to fill venues such as The Hi-Fi. See: the innovative bassline in 'Shadows', the looped lead guitar riff in '45 And Rising' and the gently ascending keyboard motif of 'Into The Galaxy'.

Debuting new material live is a perennial hard-sell, and the trio struggle to incite a favourable response amid Dystopia cuts. Laser pods are deployed during 'Ending Of An Era', and it's a pleasant visual addition that doesn't distract from their curious stage presence: Vincent sings upwards, Stricker flails and Andy handles guitar and bass with rigid focus. The latter's vocoder-led 'Tombstone' offers a welcome respite from Vincent's wounded poodle vocals, which remain the band's most feeble element. The live mix acknowledges this weakness by hiding his output under keys and Andy's bass, though the three occasionally share vocal duties. Little fuss is made over new single 'This New Technology' by either band or crowd, though its release is the reason they've returned to the national touring circuit after spending the year recording their second album.

Gone are the barbed synths and three-chord flourish of encore 'Road To Recovery'. Instead, it's rendered toothless in the live setting when the band treat it as an album track instead of their best single. Half the crowd don't recognise it until the chorus. “Path to discovery/Road to recovery,” sing the trio, placing overwrought emphasis on the last syllable in each line. It’s an odd reworking – even for a band who sing about astrology almost exclusively. Plainly, the encore falls flat thanks to the 'Recovery' misfire and even a fleeting '45 And Rising' can't make up for it.

by Andrew McMillen