Live Review: Boris, Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving

Tangled Thoughts Of Leaving is a band with a sound as thorny as their name. Theirs is a dense, complex noise that has elements of post metal, noise, doom, and, given their keys wizard Ron Pollard (classically trained, no less) boasts impressive piano work that drives a lot of the action.

Several different musical approaches resulted in a righteous cacophony of thundering chaos, a blistering storm of atonal drudgery intermixed with delicate subtlety, all of which were turned up to 11. It was engaging, challenging, and altogether unique, and while untangling its various threads (post rock chord progressions sliding into a messy oblivion before being punctuated with the delicate rippling of the piano's upper register) would prove a Sisyphean task, simply standing there absorbing its brunt was spine tingling.

Boris, if you can believe it, have been around for 25 years, and 2005's Pink was when the world finally caught up to them. It was (and still is) a face melting triumph of helicopter kit work and Jimi-Hendrix-on-PCP fret work. Their Manning show paid specific tribute to Pink, and while album tribute shows lack the electric spontaneity of regular shows, Pink is an album that is a total joy from start to finish, and is worthy of an extended live take.

It was, at times, an oddly reverential experience, the audience dead silent in between high pressured blasts of speed blues. The band were probably a bit confused, Atsuo screaming behind his kit like a Noh theatre demon trying to get the crowd going. It didn't help when security staff put the kibosh on the one and only circle pit reluctantly sputtering to life towards the end. It's weird standing there with one hand in your pocket and one around your beer, nodding along politely to all that sound and fury.

The encore was a new song to be included on their new LP, dropping sometime in July. No alarms and no surprises, just a frothing blues-metal jam that sits neatly within their wheelhouse.