Live Review: Lo!, High Tension, Jurassic Penguin

“It doesn't matter if we're playing to a few people, like here tonight, or a thousand people,” remarks Chris Horry, Jurassic Penguin's singer, halfway through the band's set. He's referring to the poor turnout for the show – a rough headcount during Lo!'s set falls short of 50 people. Undaunted by the numbers, Jurassic Penguin put on a short but relentless set of Converge-inspired hardcore, ending in a squall of guitar noises and with Horry collapsed onstage.

Next up is High Tension. Made up of ex/current members of The Nation Blue and Young & Restless, this Melbourne band have been making great strides since their formation less than a year ago. Their mix of abrasive guitar, a pulverising rhythm section and singer Karina Utomo's impressive vocal range (enough to put most singers on a Soundwave line-up to shame) gives them an entirely unique sound and makes for an awesome show. They cover a mix of songs from their self-titled EP plus a stack of new songs off the album they're currently recording. Utomo gets off the stage to make use of the room at the front of the crowd for some songs, throwing herself around and getting in people's faces – just the way live music is meant to be.

Lo! are an interesting beast. The Sydney quartet's sound is a mix of all the entire metal spectrum: any song can go from the technical precision and speed of Dillinger Escape Plan to the doomy sludge of Eyehategod within seconds. This interesting mix keeps everyone on their toes during the band's unrelenting performance. Guitarist Carl Whitbread ensures each song tears from screaming riff to screaming riff with ease, while Adrian Shapiro's bone-crushing bass and Adrian Griffin's thunderous drumming round out the chaos that provides the backdrop for frontman Jamie-Leigh Smith's roared lyrics.

The first handful of songs are pounded out without any break between, for either the band or the audience – there's only enough of a pause for the band members to make sure they're on the same page. Lo!'s unrelenting set keeps up for just under an hour before the cacophony is brought to an end. It's a shame there are so few people here to witness these three great bands, who are truly in their element putting on an incredible live show. Disappointing for a city that prides itself on a thriving music scene.