A leap year affords us an extra day and we’re putting it to the best possible use, namely by watching two of the UK’s most promising bands. Outside it might be dank and gloomy, but inside Nottingham’s Rescue Rooms Diamond Black are shining brightly and prove themselves a light in the dark. I’m a big fan of three-piece bands, there’s something about this parred-back combination that creates a sound far bigger than their constituent parts, and that’s precisely what this trio serve up. They’re powerful, yet also finely nuanced, and it’s this dichotomy that makes the band so impactful as heavy sections sit next to lithe, and quiet alongside the loud, meaning that their set ululates perfectly. Bringing us tales from the dark side with songs that detail life’s trials and tribulations could result in a sombre experience, yet the energy that radiates from the stage ensures this is a triumphant affair, and one that holds our attention throughout. Observant souls might recognise vocalist and guitarist Ben Cristo from The Sisters Of Mercy, but on the strength of tonight’s performance, he’ll soon be just as well known for Diamond Black.

Originally formed as a band in 2010, Esprit D’Air was resurrected in 2016 (after a three year hiatus) by multi-instrumentalist Kai, and since then it’s been very much full steam ahead. Each successive tour has found the band playing larger venues, and to bigger crowds; the band is growing organically and you feel that nothing can stop their upward trajectory. That they’re on an upswing becomes apparently obvious by the huge cheer that greets intro ‘Into The Oceans’ and when the band appear and launch into ‘Nebulae’, things go off the Richter Scale. There are some hardcore fans crammed in front of the stage (and I mean fanatics) and the excitement they generate seems to fire up the band who respond in kind. The result is a sweat-soaked gig, and one which shows no signs of abating; it’s a foot-on-the-monitor, horns-held-high celebration of metal, and one that fluctuates like a ship on a stormy sea.

There was a definite nautical them to the band’s last album (2022’s Oceans) and in the live environment cuts such as ‘Ocean’s Call’ and ‘The Abyss’ become supremely heavy, with the latter attaching itself to the listener like an anchor to a drowning man and dragging the listener down to delirious depths. Yet, Esprit D’Air have built up an impressive discography with ‘Amethyst’ going down exceptionally well and ‘Ignition’ setting the venue alight, but with that riff, how could it not? Acting as a beacon of hope, ‘Guiding Light’ shines vividly and beams good vibes throughout the venue, and such is the energy expended, the band look visibly drained as we reach the sets conclusion. However, as if to reward the crowd’s contribution to this show, the band return for four (that’s right four!) encores, including an emotional rendering of ‘Dead Zone’ which finds Ben Cristo returning to add his vocal talents (as he did on the album version), ensuring that this is one gig will live a long time in the memory.