Review | Torpedoes album launch at The Wedgewood Rooms, Southsea: 'It’s good to have them back and spreading their brand of gloom'

Four support acts, plus a full 90 minute set from the headliners, all homegrown in Portsmouth, and all for a tenner? Bargain.

However, fortunately there is more to recommend this evening than just the quantity of acts on offer.

Half an hour after doors open we're already onto the second act, so – with apologies – I missed Rich Tamblyn's brief opener.

It's the debut gig by Violent Heartbeat who come with an interesting pedigree - their frontwoman and bassist are the daughter and son of '90s punks 16 Bronson's frontman Jim Woodcock. They're rough around the edges as you might expect, but there's some strong riffs, and in lead vocalist Eleanor they've got a promising, passionate performer.

Next up, Seed sees the return to the stage of a proper music scene veteran. Clair Wheeler was frontwoman of legendary early '80s band Astral Bodies. This is also a debut outing, but there's little hesitation or trepidation here – think Siouxsie goes shoegaze. The four song set is a mere amuse bouche, a tease, so I'm really looking forward to seeing where they take this.

The Cherries are a confident young bunch – three women up front on vocals, bass and guitar, they keep the guys on drums and keys at the back. It's mostly covers – from The Cure to Lenny Kravitz, with a couple of original tracks thrown in, and they go down a storm.

But this is Torpedoes gig – a triumphant return to mark the release of their new album. Titled Heaven's Light Our Guide, it’s a suitably portentous sounding name for these most gothic of rockers, while also nodding towards their home, as it is the city’s motto.

It’s nearly three years since their last hometown gig and they’re not in the mood to take prisoners. The opening salvo runs through the new album’s opening tracks, and for a while it looks like they’re going to play it in full. But half a dozen songs in, they flip to a selection from its second disc (this a 21-track beast of a double album).

It’s moody, atmospheric stuff – post-punk riffs and swathes of synths from these men in black, and Ray ‘Razor’ Fagan is a compelling frontman.

Tracks like Tomorrow’s Mine and An English Rose already sound immense live and like they’ve always been part of the set.

We’re well into the set before we get to hear some ‘old’, in the shape of previous album Black Museum’s standouts, Song for Europe and Gas Chamber.

They invite long-term associate Kid Scaramouche on stage for a tumultuous finale of Heaven’s Light track Artificial Life – he’s on the album version, and they’re done.

They’re not reinventing the wheel in terms of what they do – if you liked the previous albums, you’ll like this one too. But it’s good to have them back and spreading their brand of gloom.