Live Review: Tangled Thoughts of Leaving, Solkyri & Antelope

The fantastic thing about instrumental shows is that what the bands lack in lyrical content, they make up for with their explosive physical energy, and anyone with at least half a brain knew that Tangled Thoughts of Leaving's EP launch would certainly be the best place to get their fix this weekend. Perth's very own five-piece Antelope proved this fact straight from the offset, blasting the modest crowd with a wall of sound in what was a furious opener. The drumming performances were a sight to behold, the sticks a blur and looking ready to snap at any moment, while the guitarists' clear, driving riffs opened a world of imagery for the audience's collective mind to explore.

NSW's Solkyri were next to grace the stage in front of a slightly more substantial audience, and although their number was two fewer than their predecessors, their sound was just as prominent. Drawing inspiration from post-rock greats Mono and Mogwai, the band's melodic focus again let the imagination run wild. Stranger was a standout track, the ten-minute epic beginning soft and delicate and building to a chaotic crescendo of sound along its course. The general consensus among the crowd afterward was that we'll all be there when they come back.

As if the anticipation wasn't bad enough, technical issues forced Tangled Thoughts of Leaving to delay the start of their performance by 25 minutes, so when they finally picked up their instruments, the crowd were ecstatic. From there, the band played their brand-spanking new EP in its entirety, and what a treat it was to hear. Ron Pollard may have called it an “attempt”, but the band were as composed and well-rehearsed as ever, and seemed to enjoy it as much as the audience. Pollard was going nuts, howling as loud as his lungs would allow him due to the sheer amounts of adrenaline coursing through his veins, while Ben Stacy was completely in his element on the drums. An excited cheer went up from the crowd when the band announced they would be releasing a full-length album this year, and if this EP is a sign of things to come, rest assured it will be one of the best we hear in 2013.