Live Review: Bone, The Long Lost Brothers, Mudlark/Aloi, Doctopus

After a long time waiting, everyone's favourite doomcore/alternative/noise rock group Bone have returned and chosen Mojo's Bar for the launch of their long-awaited debut album, For Want Of Feeling. The band cited depression as a major influence on the new album so while it wasn't going to be the most upbeat gig, it certainly wasn't going to be the quietest.

Garage rock three-piece Doctopus kicked off the night in fantastic discordant fashion with the ultra-lo-fi Good Times On The Reg. “Big shout-out to Steve and his fridge,” said bassist/vocalist Stephen Bellair referring to the massive Ampeg bass cabinet supplied by The Long Lost Brother's bassist that dwarfed each of the bands that played tonight. Bellair put it to good use, firing off heavy feedback-laden bass solos throughout their set that fitted the punk vibe well. At one point, eager to test out his new loop pedal, Bellair started beatboxing and looping his voice, threatening to freestyle rap over the top before launching into the slow jam, Man I Think You're Cool.

Experimental two-piece Mudlark saw Steven Bovenizer's reverb-drenched, effects-laden guitar sound pulling off quick stop-start rhythms alongside drummer Warsame Hassan on openers Proud Nubian Princess and Troy Buswell Sniffing On Seats. Vocalist Nora Zion, who had been sitting cross-legged by the side of the stage while the band played the first two songs, joined them for their RnB/soul alter-ego ALOÏ. Zion's smooth sultry vocals were put to great use during a full-spread jam midway through the set, mixing in verses from Ghost Poet and others into the jam while the band laid down a pulsating rhythm together.

Love Junkies frontman Mitch McDonald, fresh from a performance at the Astor, jumped onstage to play drums with Andrew Ryan and Steve S in rock trio The Long Lost Brothers. From opener, China, onwards, the lads' set was heavy with Ryan's droning dirge-like guitar combined with the tight rhythm playing of McDonald and Steve S with tracks All My Nights and Snakes And Ladders being clear highlights.

As the night reached its climax, it was finally time for Bone to take the stage, greeted by a warm reception from the audience. Choosing to play through the entirety of the new album, For Want Of Feeling, the band started with slow-burner Perfect, the overdriven guitars bashing out dark, dissonant harmonies with each other. Then it was onto track two, Pedestal, bringing in some death row drum beats combined with a wailing guitar sound akin to an ambulance siren.

For such melancholic, dark music though, the guys played a surprisingly tight set, giving more energy and volume to the songs, adding another layer to the manic-depressive madness of the music and showing why the guys have been playing together for so long. By the time it came around to the epic eight-minute-long Bath Time, the band had powered through all 42 minutes of the album to great effect and proven that while their music is certainly unique, nobody does it better than them.