Ell V Gore

Billed with gloomy Danish punks Lower and Iceage, Toronto four-piece Ell V Gore's darkly gothic brand of punk rock seemed a seamless fit. For the last night of NXNE, Ell V Gore apparently decided to go out with a bang, playing a relentlessly energetic set at the Garrison. Playing punk with apparent cold-wave tendencies, the band's songs just didn't seem to let up from start to finish as singer Ell V howled over a heavy bombardment of noise. The dimly lit Garrison felt like a very appropriate venue for a band whose recent EP Sex Static has been described as "four weirdos you'd meet at a pitch black, late night bizarre sex party beating their instruments half to death." For their final song, Ell V laid down his guitar and walked around the stage almost threateningly before picking it up again and holding it against the amps to produce a feedback-laden crescendo. Ell V Gore have been making a name for themselves in Toronto for some time now, and their solid NXNE performances alongside bigger acts like No Joy and Iceage will undoubtedly bring the band some new fans. I'm already one of them.