ROCK is dead, according to some.

But most of those people probably have not heard Black Peaks.

The Brighton band prove that heavy music does not means sacrificing melody with the four-piece blending brutal riffs and thundering drums with incredibly catchy hooks, progressive song structures and atmospheric soundscapes.

Singer Will Gardner also has a great range swapping between singing and screaming to match the changing tones of their deceptively intricate songs.

The four-piece's music is big, no – huge – particularly live. They thrived at Manchester's Deaf Institute where they played through almost all of their debut album, Statues, which is out this week.

And you could tell the energetic band were enjoying the show as much as the crowd with Gardner having to take a breather in quieter moments to recover.

Featuring angular riffs and experimental tempos that have arguably revitalised the post-hardcore scene, Black Peaks gave their all for every moment of the gig. No song was 'by the numbers'.

And despite being a relatively new band, you could sense the chemistry between the quartet. Their talent was unquestionable.

Keen music fans will also hear all of their influences from Mastodon and At The Drive-In to Oceansize and Reuben.

But the inventive band have become much more than the sum of their parts.

DAVID MORGAN