Baroness @ The Cathouse, 20 October

It's difficult to ignore the looming shadow of last year's horrific bus crash near Bath when talking about Baroness in 2013. The band's membership suffered varying degrees of injury and post-traumatic stress, forcing two members to quit. In short, to see a renewed and refreshed lineup take to the stage tonight in one piece is nothing short of inspiring.

Audiences have had some time now to sink their teeth into last year's ambitious double album Yellow & Green, and though the breadth of the newer material displays a rather dramatic shift from southern-fried sludge to progressively-tuned hard rock, it certainly doesn't look like they've lost any fans: the Catty's sweat-drenched patrons roar along with ringleader John Baizley, hanging on his every word, genuinely grateful for his return to the helm.

 

The new players – bassist Nick Jost and drummer Sebastian Thomson – effectively recreate the live tightness they've always shown, and guitarist Peter Adams is evidently as thrilled as ever as he ploughs through the decorative solos on highlights Little Things and March to the Sea. They're noticeably light on the oldies, but a stellar encore of Blue Record / Red Album cuts gives old fans enough of a fix. All things considered, it's understandable that Baroness would prefer to move onwards and upwards rather than dwell on the past. [Ross Watson]