Unfortunately, thanks to a crash on the M56, I miss the opening act on tonight’s bill (sorry Portrayal of Guilt!). I put a positive spin on the situation by thinking that it might help the cause; co-headline gigs, especially those with intense bands such as Touché Amoré and Deafheaven, can sometimes be hard work. How wrong I am, as both bands tonight deliver masterclasses in their art.

Deafheaven seamlessly drift between bludgeoning you in the head with abrasive extreme Metal to soothing all your pains with calming jangly indie guitars. I’m ably informed that they belong to a, sometimes denigrated, sub-genre of Black Metal labelled Blackgaze. They are a genuinely intriguing mix of abrasive Black Metal vocals and violently brutal drumming, but with shoe-gazer guitars entwining in the audible gap between the two. Daniel Tracy is stunning on the kit, providing everything from characterful grunge drumming to frenetic blast beats. Even when considering new track ‘Black Brick’, which starts more like a traditional Black Metal offering, they purposefully subvert the norm and sweep into more hypnotically dreamy territory by the end of the song. The guitars don’t always play out wistful arthouse soundscapes though, and at their most dark and aggressive, they are reminiscent of the excellent The Black Dahlia Murder. They do however frequently allow us to delight in their engrossing combination of psychedelic post-rock guitars and barbed wire throated screams. Irrelevant of what genres you like or dislike, I implore you to check these guys out live as they are superb.

California’s Touché Amoré take to the stage without any grandiose introduction or fanfare. It’s a fitting entrance for a post-hardcore band that share similarities in style and ethos to seminal act Fugazi. Their jangling yet jagged guitars provide the perfect backdrop to Jeremy Bolm’s raw emotive screaming. There’s a cohesion and groove to their performance and songs throughout, which conjure thoughts of The Dillinger Escape Plan and Converge. Johann offers me the description that they are “The Killers but with shouting” and, whilst I definitely see what he means, I’d describe them more as early Alex Is On Fire but without the soothing tones of Dallas Green dropped in. This absence of melodic vocals means we’re treated to an uncompromising and unrelenting emotional assault from start to finish. Don’t get me wrong though - it’s a delight.

After only half the set Bolm tries speaking to the crowd in-between songs and all we can make out is a croaking hoarse squeak. It’s a moment of light comedic relief which both the band and the crowd enjoy together, and exemplifies the true experience of Touché Amoré gigs – that everything is experienced in harmony. The band live their music, the lyrics delivered emotively and with purpose behind the meaning, but the crowd equally give back as much as they receive from the band. Punters’ arms flay in wild abandon and whenever Bolm offers the microphone to the pit you can guarantee that they sing his part word perfect and with unbridled passion. The dedication the fans show to Touché Amoré’s committed performance is inspiring to say the least, and matches the impressive on stage display perfectly.