The local Adelaide music scene got off to a flying start for 2011 with the launch of the self-titled debut album by Like Leaves. These psych heroes put on a monster of a show to give the highly anticipated album the introduction it deserves.

Having released their own debut album last year, Steering by Stars knew what they needed to do to build up the mood as first band on the bill. Their steady bass and guitar repetition, on top of a diverse range of beats, was like an experiment in building tension. By the last song of their set, the band was smashing out a wall of sound so loud and complex it was hard to focus on anything else.

Like Leaves had obviously put some thought into programming the gig, as the second act, Lady Strangelove, continued on this trend of building songs from a single psychedelic repetitive riff into a massive explosion of sound. I hadn’t seen this band before, but it became obvious pretty quickly that Lady Strangelove are the best fucking band in the world.

Lead vocalist Brendan Shaw has the perfect voice for the psychedelic, guitar driven prog rock Lady Strangelove play. The band combines elements of Tool, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and The Mars Volta – they play old music for new times and create simple sounds with unbelievably complex compositions. In terms of 70s psychedelic revival, Lady Strangelove are everything Tame Impala lacks.

Lady Strangelove are an incredibly tight, well rehearsed unit, driven by Fox Faehrmann’s relentless drums. Josh Van Looy’s guitars drown in effects, while Azz Shaw plays not only pounding, repetitive basslines but also adds keys and a sampler to the mix to create additional intriguing layers to their sound.

By the end I kind of felt bad for Like Leaves, because I was so impressed with Lady Strangelove that I was hoping that it wouldn’t detract from my enjoyment of Like Leaves own set. Regardless, I couldn’t detract from Like Leaves for long, as they started their set with what I felt was one of the standout songs of the night. An instrumental piece, it epitomized this theme of psychedelic tension building that was carried throughout the performances. Over a repetitive rhythm section Dan Varricchio began a choppy climbing progression of chords on guitar. The simple melody built into an ongoing, noisy rhythm that was captivating the crowd.

After barely a pause between tracks, Like Leaves began to express their diversity, beginning with simple and soft guitar, and reserved vocals by Dan with harmonies by Juliet Hunter. When the big bass and drums kicked in, you knew the band was really settling in to the swing of the set. Ryan Manolakis is often remarked as one of Adelaide’s best drummers, and the complexity in his drumming was mind blowing. Ryan’s beats accented the song as the guitars moved into much heavier, distorted strumming. Juliet’s haunting violin was introduced to the mix, with stunning results.

By the third song, Like Leaves had convinced me they were not some soft, arty new folk band. The track was short, sharp and tight, with a heavy element and a super fast arpeggio on guitar. Combined with a PJ Harvey/John Parish spoken style vocal part the song created a harsh and unforgiving atmosphere. The resurgence of Juliet’s piercing violin contributed further to this vibe. Like Leaves display the complexity of guitar work and drums of bands like The Mars Volta, but couched in some kind of horrific nightmare vibe that makes you feel like your losing your mind. It's terrifyingly excellent.

Although the crowd was already losing their shit, it was clear Like Leaves were only getting warmed up. In their fourth track the boys pulled out the biggest, most complex, technical riff I'd ever heard outside of math metal or some similar genre. With sudden structural changes to soft verses with dark undertones the band was now bringing more of a Tool vibe to the show. Pat Saracino’s deep rumbling basslines added a lot of depth to the sound and kept the mood dark. It was also at this point that I noticed Ryan’s awesome gaffer taped crash cymbal, a unique piece of kit that brought a refreshingly new sound to drum tracks.

The band pulled out an older song - the self titled Like Leaves - and slowed down the pace with a soft guitar part accented by quiet crash rolls. Juliet came in with sweeping harmonies over Dan’s vocals. But of course this reprieve was short lived as the band began to build up the track once again. It was amazing to hear the skill put into the composition of these songs, and how they continued to build, even when you thought they had nowhere left to go. Those haunting violins came back in and continued to be the perfect high end to counter the guitars. I don't know how long this song went for, as Dan’s massive soloing seemed to stretch for hours and the crowd got lost in the music.

While vocals definitely take a back seat in Like Leaves’ sound, it's hard to go past the purity of Juliet’s vocal parts. She has a simplicity in her voice, but so easily unleashes a harshness that reflects the bands own style so well and this was illustrated in the last few songs. With soft starts and pleasant, soft vocals, Like Leaves lure you into believing this might be a nice softer change in their style. But it never lasts long. The vocals take on a darkness, the guitars get heavier, Ryan continues to bust out the most insanely difficult beats. And then so perfectly the violin comes screaming back at you to remind you that Like Leaves don't play nice. They're here to make your mind explode. Mine did.