Riverside / Jolly

This month and the next are an exceptional time for progressive metal/rock gigs in the capital with Threshold, Queensryche, Pain of Salvation and Enslaved just a few proggy acts arriving on these shores. Tonight sees Riverside returning to the UK after two years with new release 'Shrine of New Generation Slaves' under their belts. The venue has filled out commendably with people of all ages, showing the impossibility of pigeon-holing the Riverside fanbase.

New York City's Jolly take the stage to whet appetites. Having formed in 2009, the quartet's sound is one of particularly contemporary prog rock, nestling riffs off heavy hard rock into a strong alternative rock edge. Their underground popularity saw them quickly sign with prog behemoth label InsideOut, headline Camden's Underworld last year and now have three full-length albums to their name. Not bad for only four years in existence. Their quirks include moments of silky melodies, strongly contributed via the keyboard. The vocals are melodic yet rough, dripping a robotic variety of passion. Moods vary from the energetic to the soothing. Opening with 'Storytime' from 2009's 'Audio Guide to Happiness (Part I)', these Americans evoke luscious soundscapes with technical accents delivered in an unusual manner. The bulk of the set stems from the aforementioned sophomore effort, with prime choices including 'Joy' and 'Where Everything's Perfect'. 'Firewell' and 'Dust Nation Bleak' represent the shiny new 'The Audio Guide to Happiness(Part II)'.

With the limited space on stage, the band are appealing to watch, particularly frontman Anadale's curious hat. His stage banter is humble and the audience are receptive to him, although they appear slightly subdued during the music. A tale recounting Hurricane Sandy destroying Jolly's recording studio receives keen sympathy. 'The Pattern' closes the set and this four-piece vacate the stage to a roar of audience admiration. It is undeniably safe to say they certainly gained new fans tonight.

With their own take on contemporary prog rock, Riverside politely take the stage to a heavy ovation. Launching into 'New Generation Slave' from the new release, the Poles' air of confidence in the live setting matches their technical competencies with their instruments. Following the opener is the more musically compassionate 'The Depth of Self-Delusion'. The hammond organ that appears on the band's later work is particularly effective in the live environment, adding a vintage dimension to the tender prog rock.

The setlist is largely drawn from the group's later efforts with 'Shrines of New Generation Slaves' and 2009's 'Anno Domini High Definition' contributing the bulk of the tracks. New numbers including the hyper-modern and spacey 'Feel Like Falling' and Riverside throw-back 'We Got Used to Us' sound unfamiliar to a sizeable portion of the audience but the 'Anno Domini High Definition' material, such as 'Driven to Destruction' and 'Egoist Hedonist' received a rapturous response. The setlist is a mostly unpredictable affair, with favourites '02 Panic Room', 'Reality Dream II' and 'Out of Myself' conspicuously absent and the new 'Celebrity Touch', which has its own music video, is excluded from tonight's performance. 'Living in the Past' from the 'Memories in My Head' EP feels like a welcomed rarity.

Vocalist and bassist Mariusz Duda is a humourous frontman, frequently poking laughs from the crowd. He states he is struggling with an illness affecting his voice but his vocals are on top form. The four members have an understated stage presence until the heavier blues rock riffs are executed in which they engage in a headbanging session, showcasing their metal roots.

New song 'Escalator Shrine' closes the set and judging by the abrupt departure from the stage, it is clear an encore will proceed. A moment later and the band return to the stage for a lauded serving of the lengthy 'Left Out'. After the standard thank you and goodnight greeting, Riverside seemingly conclude their set. However, they return for a second encore, beginning with the 'Conceiving You', the oldest track played today. The fans boldly sing along to the chorus and with its nostalgic-sounding guitar leads the song feels too short. The real closer is 'Lucid Dream IV' another unusual choice from the '02 Panic Room' single/bonus disc of third album 'Rapid Eye Movement'. This instrumental number wonderfully sums up the Riverside sound and fittingly closes the set. The audience is definitely happy with this flawless concert and the next Riverside show cannot arrive too soon.

FUTURE GIGS