Live Review: Rosetta, Totally Unicorn, City Of Ships, Nuclear Summer

Nuclear Summer have awarded themselves the tongue-in-cheek moniker of 'sunshine metal', although they'll readily admit they have little in common with Iron Maiden or Slayer. Instead, atmospheric post-rock/hardcore was the order of the day from the Brisbane collective, surging Oceanic References a standout, vocalist/synth man Lochlan Watt screaming with conviction.

US progressive/post-metal trio City Of Ships were largely an unknown quantity, but swiftly made numerous new friends. The intensity of their all-too-brief set was typified by drummer Rob Motes, who hit harder than Ali. Moments of serenity, that one could easily lose themselves in, built effortlessly to whopping crescendos. Certainly a band who translate far more efficiently live than on record, and the amount of attendees who scrambled to the merchandise table afterwards was indicative of a job well done.

It takes a brave individual to perform wearing a rainbow-coloured bodysuit, but then it's long been apparent that Totally Unicorn frontman Drew Gardner has no shame whatsoever. The local heroes are veterans at making larger venues their personal playground, but appeared most comfortable in a setting not much larger than most punters' living rooms. Scaling stairs, writhing on the floor and hopping the bar – just another day at the office, folks. He soon stripped down to his underwear to expose his ample beer gut, grabbing a table to dance on with hi-hat in hand for closer Happy Birthday From The Overpass. Delighting the initiated and amusing newcomers while joking about recent touring with certain pop/punk acts, the remaining members tore through a barrage of schizophrenic hardcore, including a new track.

After the previous acts it was left to the headliners to raise the standard again and, while impressive during their inaugural visit to these parts four years ago, it quickly became evident that America's Rosetta had upped their game considerably. Kicking off with the hypnotic guitar drive and effects-laden vocals of TMA-3, the venue's intimacy enabled those up close and personal such a vantage point they could witness frontman Michael Armine's neck veins popping. As he alternated between an unearthly-like trance, leaving the microphone behind to deliver passionate sermons and roaring in audience members' faces, the others threw their bodies and instruments about with reckless abandon. An ambient fusion of post-metal, sludge, hardcore and progressive elements, their 45-minute display was equally crushing as it was transcendent. Overall, it was a powerful, spaced-out conclusion to a diverse evening of heavy music.