Vessels’ second studio album, Helioscope, comes after a three-year hiatus, and continues the UK post-rock tradition in fine style. Two giants of the scene, Mogwai and 65daysofstatic, both released records last year, however unlike these bands Vessels’ relative newness has helped them to escape the pressure to produce yet another breathtaking, innovative album in a style which is somewhat self-limiting once a band’s effect-racks and harmonic sensibilities have become entrenched. Whilst they employ all the delay-laden soundscapes and intense dynamic variations that define the genre, they nonetheless have several distinctive features. For instance, they record their albums live, thereby avoiding the tendency of much post-rock to be so saturated with overdubs that live gigs are a disappointment. Indeed, the only disappointment I felt upon leaving this show was the brevity of their performance.

The Haymakers is a great little venue, but it does have a small stage, and their vast array of pedals, synths and keyboards filled the space to such an extent that there seemed little room for the band themselves. However they coped admirably, even managing to keep up their constant role-changes in such constrained circumstances. The four guitarists/bassists/synth players switched instruments at least between every song, and frequently during them. This seems to emphasise particularly clearly the post-rock shift from the lead guitarist or vocalist as the centre of attention, to the drummer being the focus whilst the other musicians provide a textured, complex sound in which no one member is dominant.

Their set was largely comprised of songs from their latest record (recorded and produced by the legendary John Congleton in Texas), and the inclusion of vocals (albeit in a typically mangled form) is a change of direction for the group. Whilst I’m not wild about this development, they haven’t gone as far as bands like Aereogramme who, whilst still being post-rock, exhibit a more formally structured, vocally based approach. Indeed, despite less time-signature changes than usual, Vessels sound as multi-layered and dynamic as ever, with varied, lyrically accented drumming providing the backdrop for beautifully interweaving loops, effects and synthesizers. ‘The Trap’ is an excellent demonstration of the subtle, building crescendos of harmonies and noise that make their melodic contribution to the genre so distinctive.

The gig ended with all four front-men kneeling before their effects boards, gently tweaking a cacophony of static, distortion and glitchy loops until there was but one man and one loop remaining. This image of musicians prostrate before their pedals seemed both a suitable homage to the technology that has made the genre possible, and testimony to their skill in utilising it. Long may Vessels and post-rock prosper.