The Twilight Sad / We Were Promised Jetpacks / Holy Mountain @ Barrowland, 15 December

Without any sort of warning or restraint, Glasgow's Holy Mountain unflinchingly whip out the anvil-heavy speed-riffs to a partially bewildered audience. Despite the celestial band name, they're a sinful trinity at heart, harnessing the power of all that's dirty and depraved about rock ’n’ roll. The pace occasionally slows down to make way for some decidedly awesome sludgey breakdowns, and the tight outfit keep onlookers guessing with some playful false-stop shenanigans. 

 

With a style slightly more in tune with tonight's headliner, We Were Promised Jetpacks are perhaps less controversial but no less impressive. As the sublime Keeping Warm unfolds and builds up to its huge crescendo, most of the assembled crowd look noticeably taken aback by the sheer majesty of it all, whereas the more straightforward, anthemic tracks (Quiet Little Voices and Roll Up Your Sleeves in particular) provoke impassioned shoutalongs. Their set brings the Edinburgh boys one step closer to playing a stadium. Judging by the vibe, they might as well be.

 

Most of tonight's glory, however, is reserved for Kilsyth's The Twilight Sad, who aren't afraid of opening with the darkest material from this year's excellent, synth-drenched No One Can Ever Know. The stage glows a passionate, violent red to match the mood of the downright menacing Kill it in the Morning. The rhythm section are understated throughout, whereas singer James Graham (who has always made for a fascinatingly unconventional frontman) allows himself to be consumed by waves of feedback and noise, rather than facing the audience directly. When he finally does, he's thoroughly modest and sincere about just how far this band has come, choking up in the moments before an impassioned rendition of fan favourite Cold Days from the Birdhouse. We're lucky to have them. [Ross Watson]