Deftones @ Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, 27 Aug

The recent revival of excitement around Sacramento’s Deftones has been incredible to witness. Say what you will about the 'TikTokification' of music trends in the current climate, when it encourages re-evaluations of three-decades-plus-old bands unfairly tarred by the 'nu-metal' moniker and introduces a whole new generation to a legendary act like Deftones, it's a net positive. The Californian metal band have always had heaps of respect thrown at them by 'ball knowers', but with the release of last year’s excellent private music, Deftones feel on a whole other level of success and creative productivity some thirty-plus years in the game, and tonight’s excited crowd, spanning generations old and new, is proof.

A moody fog fills the air at the Royal Highland Centre, with planes nearby taking off and landing, their engines sounding akin to the true force of Stephen Carpenter’s gargantuan riffs or Abe Cunningham’s monstrous drums. There’s something rather fitting about Ecca Vandal opening proceedings, as an excellent example of what the current younger generation of rock music sounds and feels like. Despite the early start time, Ecca still gets a sizeable and enthusiastic crowd, granted more favoured by the younger attendees present, but manages to convince even the older heads to get involved by the time of her Turnstile-esque anthem CRUISING TO SELF SOOTHE.

By contrast, IDLES feel slightly at odds with the rest of the lineup, on paper at least. But then again, the Bristolian quintet have always had to push against preconceived perceptions of them, largely due to their relatively fast rise to the top with their debut Brutalism and sophomore effort Joy As An Act Of Resistance. Those who haven’t paid attention, however, may not have noticed the evolving shifts in their sound between their last two records, Crawler and Tangk, into something much groovier and self-reflective.

Regardless, older hits such as Mother (complete with updated lyrics of 'Tory' to 'Fascist' to reflect modern horrors) and Danny Nedelko sit happily alongside newer tracks Gift Horse and Dancer, with an impromptu a capella cover of All I Want for Christmas Is You thrown in for good measure; they successfully convince the audience that they still pack one hell of a punch as one of the UK’s biggest rock bands.

Deftones @ Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh, 27 Aug by Tim Craig

As the light fades over the hazy showgrounds, anticipation builds around the Summer Sessions headliners. Fortunately, the rain holds off until the end of the show, but there's an undeniable aura and atmosphere around the place that complements Deftones well, as they take the stage to open with the beloved Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away). As is often the case at these shows, the sound, balance and energy take a couple of songs to truly click – not that the majority of the enraptured crowd notice or care – but by the time of White Pony opener Feiticeria, any short-lived issues are quickly forgotten about.

Though technically still touring private music, tonight’s set truly reflects Deftones' wide and surprisingly diverse oeuvre. Mid-period highlights: Diamond Eyes and Koi no Yokan are represented, as well as their earlier peaks and their current output, with big-hitters such as Rocket Skates and Swerve City. While Deftones maintain a hellacious tempo and energy, accompanied by truly gorgeous yet unnerving visuals throughout, they truly find another level in their closing one-two punch of My Own Summer (Shove It) and last year’s instant classic milk of the madonna.

After a brief encore break, frontman Chino Moreno takes centre stage and truly commands while leading the much-beloved Change (In the House of Flies), leading the night’s biggest crowd sing-along, before reaching into the oldest of the back catalogue, with rarely-seen highlight Lotion before closing on debut album Adrenaline’s fan-favourite 7 Words. It’s exceptionally rare to see an act surpass three decades of activity and reach arguably their zeitgeist 31 years after their debut, but it’s incredibly impressive to witness them straddling the lines of ferocious heaviness and pop sensibilities, hitting at exactly the right time, as proved by the thrilled crowd and reception this evening.