FROM the word go this head-banging Newcastle quintet left little doubt of what could be expected to follow.

The thumping bass of Yourcodenameis:milo (YCNI:M) drowned all other sounds as it shook the solitary rotary fan; trying to keep the sweat-filled, but pleasantly smoke-devoid, Fibbers atmosphere as fresh as possible.

At first glance YCNI:M appeared to be a band that would refuse comparison, but as the guitar-led rock tunes faded out, letting the vocals come to the fore, something more than a passing similarity to the style of American rockers System Of A Down could be heard.

The power of three guitarists seemed lost on the small venue, as lead vocalist Paul Mullen competed to make his voice heard, but the audience appeared only to revel in the result, no matter what the song.

From the angry, roaring guitar-led torrent that was The Problem to the moments of covert melody in Seventeen, the band displayed a wide range of styles, but it was the final song of the set, Schteeve, which was highlight of the night.

The song was easily the most vocally-driven of the gig as Mullen showed the depth of his vocal talent by raising the pitch, and bringing out the melody encapsulated within the anthemic rock track.

By the time the song came to an end, the once more restful crowd were head-banging in time with the enthusiastic guitarists.

The band then left the song to collapse into noise, accompanied by generous applause from the crowd.

Updated: 09:55 Thursday, January 27, 2005