Oozing Wound @ Star & Garter, Manchester, 1 Dec

For all the talk of the importance of progress in pop music, it’s worth remembering that some genres are celebrated not for their forward-thinking evolution, but their dedication to tried-and-tested formulae. For instance, It’d take a brave bunch to try taking thrash metal beyond the parameters set out by its early 80s pioneers; fans know what they want and it’s certainly not futuristic crossover or electro gloss.

Chicago’s Oozing Wound are a canny lot, however, and they recognise that the best way to expand on the genre’s standard processes is simply to take a sideways glance within the wider sphere of heavy metal. As such, there are hints of Melvins-esque stoner rock, the tense malevolence of Scratch Acid and even Lightning Bolt’s structured yet frantic chaos buried in their powerful assault, and as they prove to a (disappointingly small) crowd in The Star & Garter tonight, it makes for one helluva spectacle.

That’s ‘helluva spectacle’ as in ‘fucking great rock show’, by the way: their heaviest sounds come not just from fast-moving power chords, but from the rhythm section. Bassist Kevin Cribbin is the anchor, dropping riffs and squalling noise that hold together the likes of Diver (from ace new LP Whatever Forever) while drummer Casey Marnocha provides nailgun shots of inventive rhythm and aggression. He hits hard, as a torn snare halfway through the set will attest, but it’s never just brute force; there’s a dynamism here which is instantly riveting, and the perma-grin attached to his face is infectious.

They’re a power trio in the most accurate sense, with frontman Zack Weil’s larynx-shredding screams and nimble axework the perfect complement to the muscular base. Cribbin spends much of the set hunched over his instrument, his flowing locks bobbing frenetically in time – we swiftly realise everyone else’s heads are doing the same. In amongst their innovation and subtle yet absorbing stage presence, Oozing Wound offer good old-fashioned fun, dammit, and their intoxicating noise deserves bigger crowds than this. Miss ‘em again at your peril.