Mogwai In Toronto

It's always a weird proposition to tour an album that hasn't been released yet. When the songs are universally great and markedly different from the band's previous output they're elevated by the material you know and love. An example is Radiohead's 2006 tour, which showcased most of In Rainbows before any of it was put to tape.

But it proves tricky to pull off when you're a band like Mogwai. The problem is that while the quality of Mogwai's output since Young Team is rarely in question, its evolution often is. Even where they've taken different directions, songs that appeared on Mr. Beast could have just as easily appeared on Rock Action, and tracks on Happy Songs For Happy People wouldn't sound out of place on Young Team.

I'm sure diehard fans would argue the semantics, but it's actually an asset for Mogwai when it comes to their performances. It allows them to craft seamless sets in the same way you should make a mixtape, CD or playlist. The beginning might not sound anything like the end, but the steps that lead from point A to point B should be logical. The seminal post-rock quintet used this asset to varying effect at the Phoenix on Monday night as they showcased songs from their forthcoming The Hawk Is Howling LP and drew liberally from their lengthy back catalogue.

The set seemed to be split into three parts. THIH closer "The Precipice" highlighted an upbeat, melodic opening string of tracks, which also featured Mr. Beast standout "Friend Of The Night." From the second song on, Mr. Beast was , ignored. Then came about a 40-minute lull of slow-builders — or just slow songs — that threatened to suck the life out of the affair. As much as I like Rock Action's "Secret Pint" and Come On Die Young's "Ex-Cowboy," lumped with some of THIH's more contemplative pieces, my feet felt like they were setting into The Phoenix's concrete floor.

Thankfully, the last third of the performance more than redeemed the misgivings of the middle. Mogwai inevitably tend to end the night with their best "squall" material. They've hardly forgotten that this infamous wall of sound is what put them on the map in the first place. They were saddled with the "loudest band on Earth" tag after My Bloody Valentine decided to hibernate for 15 years, and that's only faded in recent years because they've made a significant move to quell that sentiment. Their sound man (who apparently also works for MBV) has found a way to distill their noise into a crisp, powerful assault. Now, when Mogwai break out Young Team's "Like Herod," you can hear Stuart Braithwaite, Barry Burns and John Cummings' individual guitar parts. That's a feat when you consider the amount of distortion they're all putting out.

Considering Mogwai are celebrating the re-release of Young Team this year, it's fitting that most of the material from THIH sounds like a return to form for the group following the somewhat overbearing "go-for-the-throat" approach they took on Mr. Beast. It's strange, but the Scottish quintet might be the only group who can reach back to their past and sound even more dangerous in doing so.