Kyuss Lives @ O2 ABC, 4 April

‘Legendary’ is an overused epithet in music journalism, but in the case of Californian stoner-rock pioneers Kyuss, it feels entirely warranted. Since their demise in 1995, Kyuss’ influence has grown with each passing year: like the Pixies or Slint, they seemed to disappear just as they were about to explode commercially, and such is the mythology which has developed around them that their appearance at the ABC tonight feels barely plausible.

Admittedly, this is not strictly Kyuss, but Kyuss Lives – the altered name indicating original guitarist Josh Homme’s refusal to join his former bandmates Nick Oliveri, John Garcia and Brant Bjork. His place is taken by Bruno Fevery, and his absence is barely noticed: after all, Kyuss were always about the sound rather than personalities, and that side of things doesn’t disappoint here tonight. Gardenia, the epic first track on 1994’s Welcome to Sky Valley, is the perfect opener: a jet-engine assault of bass-driven power chords that perfectly exemplifies the Kyuss blueprint, simultaneously slow-mo and impossibly heavy.

Other highlights include the bruising swingbeat blues of Thumb, which sounds as fresh tonight as it must have done at Kyuss’ fabled early-90s shows in the California desert, and the onslaught of 100 Degrees’ driving riff. In the live context, these tracks hammer home the point: despite Kyuss’ incalculable influence, nobody has managed to convincingly recreate their primal, bass-centred sound. They may have been away for sixteen years, but on their return, they still feel more vital and relevant than too many bands that have followed in their wake.