Rolo Tomassi, XOYO, London

Over on the merch stand, on the wall above the records and T-shirts is an item you don’t see for sale at many gigs: bunting. And this is not some sort of twee all-dayer; this is a Rolo Tomassi show.

Being able to buy bunting at any other hardcore show might seem a little ridiculous, but Rolo Tomassi have always reveled in the ephemera that comes with being in a band. And it just so happens that tonight is Halloween and the band, with new members on bass and guitar, have come as a very convincing Addams Family.

Of course after a few songs Eva Spence dances her Morticia wig off and her brother James discards his Uncle Fester bald cap and robe as he hops onto a monitor, standing tall above the crowd. But most of the kids at the front haven’t noticed. From the first barked vocal they’ve been a blur of arms, legs and bodies colliding. Even with the two-year gap since the band’s last album, with few tour dates in between, there is no inertia here. Later in the set Eva seems genuinely touched as she thanks everyone for coming out and supporting the band.

There is plenty of material from their new album ‘Astraea’. Much of it sounds more dense and ferocious than their previous work. Vocals rip through the air as the songs occasionally threaten to break out into grindcore. There is less of the technically plotted guitar lines, the sculptured mysticism or parts written for Eva’s singing voice. The key components of Rolo Tomassi’s signature sound are there though, and the new work sits well alongside the old.

The synth notes that descend like crazed Tetris blocks are more evident on the handful of tracks from ‘Hysterics’ that get an airing, and the few that are included from ‘Cosmology’ add a welcome expansive sound.

Before the end of the set Eva says she knows it can be easy to lose track of bands during their downtime, but from the reaction the encore of ‘Party Wounds’ she doesn’t have to worry about that happening to Rolo Tomassi.