PROPER rock gods don't want to be cool or quirky or lovable, they want only one thing – to be worshipped.

The way this Knaresborough nightclub is set up with the massive stack of Marshall amps on stage, it's clear Tribe mean to return as conquering heroes.

In the four of them come, well-known to most of the crowd from nearly two decades in local pub outfits, now a hot band of the moment basking in rave reviews for their debut album and successful appearances at rock festivals across Europe.

They certainly look the part, striding towards the stage with that same mix of purposeful intent and nonchalant arrogance that I've seen from many famous bands in the past.

It's all in total contrast to support band Drowned in Flames.

Everytime I see them they seem to be halfway between one point and another, which is a good thing in a way; they are always developing and improving and. . .

What's different this time is new bass player Arran Johnson who, potentially, may be about to change everything in this noisy, passionate, wayward band who've been hailed recently by Rock Sound magazine.

While twin lead singers Craig Gordon in his Poison The Well T-shirt and jeans and Niall MacDougall in his skaters' camouflage shorts and checked shirt beaver away at being hard-working, serious frontmen, thinking through their stage poses and growling vocals, Johnson has the air of a natural – a naturally laidback surfer dude in love with 70s and 80s, rock that is .

He's got a fine, melodic voice and literally adds a third dimension to the band, vocal contrast, visual contrast and a new musical direction built less round Alice in Chains meets Trivium (thanks for that line Ben!) with the crackling energy, if not the actual sound, of Dinosaur Jr and more classic rock meets Biffy Clyro.

The recent songs built along these lines, some from their latest EP such as Feel Free, others never played live before, have a natural flow and glorious singalong oomph – pure power and glory, drummer David Colston battering away on the cymbals for all he's worth – that augurs well for wherever Drowned in Flames' journey takes them next.

There no question of Tribe going anywhere but up. It's as if each member of the band has taken everything he's learnt about music over the years in myriad previous outfits and distilled it into a highly sophisticated blend of all the best forms of hard rock and metal from 1973 to 1993 .

It's easy to have a go at them but difficult to make any of it stick.

These headliners from Harrogate who're big in Germany simply make being brilliant look easy.

Playing mostly tracks from their recently-released debut album Pray For Calm. .