Live Review: Lo!, The Nation Blue, Thorax

Sydney's metal fans were treated to an ear-ringing night to remember as Lo! returned to the local live scene for the first time since last year.

Ahead of their upcoming European tour, the local band headlined the show at the Landsdowne Hotel alongside fellow noise merchants The Nation Blue and Thorax.

Bringing sludgy sounds that set them apart from other metal acts, Thorax fused elements of doom, psych and noise across an intense 40-minute performance.

Singer Kallie spends the opening part of the set on her haunches before her screams catch many in the room by surprise. Low and guttural, she blends with the down-tuned guitars and adds an extra dimension to the band. With the occasional blast beat, time signatures that many bands ignore and measured use of guitar pedals, Thorax's performance improves as the songs increase in complexity and dynamic.

Melbourne punks The Nation Blue may have seemed out of place on the bill but in some ways could still be considered worthy of the headline spot. Sandwiched between two metal bands, the noisy Melbourne power trio's rare live performance remained a treat for those there.

Leaning heavily on material from 2016's twin releases, Black and Blue, the three-piece deliver every note with unmatched commitment. From screaming through I Have No Representatives to slinging his guitar around and playing it with his back, head and hands, flanno-clad frontman Tom Lyngcoln remains as manic on stage as at any point in the band's career. Playing the final songs with blood running down his head, Lyngcoln retains the intensity that The Nation Blue are renowned for despite entering their third decade together.

Headliner's Lo! brought a ferocity built up from almost a year away from the live scene spent working on their third album Vestigial. With a taste of things to come like new single Locust Christ, and many other songs from their upcoming release, Lo! show fans that time away has not diminished the violence of their sound. Singer Sam Dillon's wide-eyed gaze and posturing add an extra emphasis to the fury of their show that is highlighted by the non-stop vicious wall of sound from just a single guitarist, bass player and drummer. Despite the brutality of their songs, Lo! remains an incredibly tight live unit and one that are worthy of the crowd's adulation.