Viet Cong, Oslo, London

Evacuations, pointless experiences and death. These are just three of the lighthearted topics Calgary quartet Viet Cong tackle on their debut self-titled album; a record that frantically zigzags between bleak post-punk and thunderous, practically industrial indie rock. Seeing them live at London’s Oslo isn’t exactly the musical equivalent of coming home to a nice cup of tea after a long Wednesday, but it is tremendously more exciting. It’s a bit like cracking open a bottle of champagne and yelling “FUCK YEAH” while you stand on top of the kitchen table pouring it over yourself, say.

Breaking the chin-scratchy crowd in easily by starting with some cuts from their Cassette EP, it’s surprising to see just how far Viet Cong have come in such a short time. ‘Unconscious Melody’ is off-kilter yet mellow - not the most enthralling of beginnings - and although ‘Oxygen Feed’ dazzles like stray light catching your eyes, it’s nothing compared to the sheer force that’s unleashed when newer material like the manic and unsettling single ‘Silhouettes’ come out from behind the curtains and leave everyone dribbling in shock and awe.

Achieving that awe factor is partly what’s so enthralling about Viet Cong tonight. Despite lacking all of the equipment necessary to bring their mammoth of a record to the peak of its power due to, well, the cost of bloody flying, they harness everything they’ve got so brilliantly and pump in so much energy that it actually doesn’t matter. ‘March of Progress’ burns slowly into this electrifying, hugely melodic section that sounds a bigger sum of its parts than simply a keyboard, guitar and bass. Vocalist Matthew Flegel is consistently on-point this evening, throwing his voice as far as Oslo will carry it, shaping the performance with a fierce intensity as he does so.

Closing song ‘Death’ lives up to the hype its 11-minute counterpart conjured up on the album, with the band demonstrating that they’re at their strongest when they’re given the room to let their instruments rip and their musical wavelengths collide. Sounding profoundly hoarse by the time it’s all over, Flegel should be immensely proud of what he and the rest of the band achieved tonight - a storming performance of melancholy and desperation made ironically enjoyable through the enormous melodic power exerted through their songs.