大象传媒

No doubt we are spoilt for choice for bands in Northern Ireland, but it is often too easy to overlook some younger acts in favour of more established outfits. This evening's Up In The Attic showcase provided the chance to witness talent currently on the outskirts of local recognition.

First up is instrumental act Annapurna. Without so much as a greeting, the band unleashes a hard-hitting introduction to proceedings, taking a drone rock approach on their opening piece. Though initially impressive, it begins to lose steam with a wanton usage of the same riffs. However, the 5-piece quickly shift gear as the music descends into bleak minimalism; the band somehow manages to harness the power of silence, as they allow each hook to ring on and brush through the audience before fading away to make room for the next stark guitar line. It demands your attention, and the audience don't dare make a sound. With a team of 4 string players, they tastefully layer their sound up bit by bit and eventually ascend into a flurry of dynamic rhythms and ferocious dissonance. They are a band to keep a close eye on.

Hot on their heels is Polar Beyond. Starting with luscious post rock hooks that are impossible to ignore, the band emanate the same kind of grandiose energy heard from the likes of Amusements Parks on Fire. The vocals prove to be the band's Achilles' heel. Not to say that they are fundamentally poor, but in the midst of bold reverb, they just aren't strong enough to cut through and are effectively drowned out. The band takes a delicate approach mid set as we see the bass swapped for an acoustic guitar: even the guitarist uses a paintbrush to feather the strings to create a subtle, languid ambience. However the vocals take precedence here, and draw focus away from the band's unique sounds. Nevertheless, the band ends on a highly positive note with a song with cryptic desert rock influences. The talent and the ambition are both in plentiful supply and with time, Polar Beyond could prove to be a big draw around Belfast.

Any benchmark set by the two preceding acts is suitably shattered by headlining act Team Laser Explosive. They instantly have the crowd under their hex upon the gorgeous melody of 'Operation Latte Thunder', and soon the power trio erupt and deliver a thunderous set like a cannonball to the mid-section.

Leon Connelly's guitar wizardry is nothing short of incredible: combining dizzying hooks with dexterous rhythms, he effortlessly creates sounds that would normally take two guitarists to achieve.

The music keeps each member of the audience on the edge of their seats, shaking their heads in disbelief at each shift in momentum. To end the evening, the band finishes with 'Roads': the aural equivalent of a violent hurricane.

There is only so much that can be said for a band that left this reviewer utterly speechless. It's hard to believe that only three young guys were capable of making such a triumphant racket. It's time for Team Laser Explosive to step out of the peripheries and make their presence felt.

Chris Johnson