I woke up on Friday morning to write this review, and two Advils later my ears were still ringing. Wait -no, I think they were still bleeding. Because Thursday night's ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead show was the most gratuitously noisy-and downright enjoyable-experience I have had all year.

Continuing in the tradition of Sonic Youth and Mission of Burma, Austin, Texas'...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead's dissonant, intelligent, feedback-laden indie rock has delighted stout-hearted hipsters since the release of their eponymous 1998 debut. Performing at Cambridge's Middle East Downstairs, Trail of Dead-following openers Forget Cassettes and IQU-played an hour-long set, revealing several songs from their forthcoming album Worlds Apart and dusting off old favorites. Although bassist Neil Busch-recently sidelined due to medical issues-was absent, the new lineup, complete with two drum kits, played with perfect cohesion. To say it was energetic would be an understatement; from the violent opening barrage of "Will You Smile Again?" until the finale of "How Near, How Far," the Trail incited the most volatile crowd response I have ever witnessed in the small club.

Nashville's abrasive boy-girl duo Forget Cassettes opened, their jerky art-metal occasionally resonating with the largely motionless crowd. But it was the Japanese-American IQU-also a dual-gendered two-piece-that resulted in the most pleasant surprise of the evening. An obvious contrast to the two acts book-ending them, the electronica outfit's explosive set found the previously stone cold audience unable to resist the compelling urge to dance. And while it occasionally played like the bastard child of Portishead and Cibo Matto toying with the laptops of Mouse on Mars and Kraftwerk, the duo's performance-which included a Theremin, Rhodes keyboards, programmed beats, guitars, and a set of turntables-was wonderfully extravagant. Members Kento Oiwa and Michiko Swiggs looped the resulting sounds, creating performance-art that was as elaborate as it was danceable.

After announcing that the evening's show would be taped for inclusion in a forthcoming documentary, Trail of Dead opened with the epic, "Will You Smile Again?" Reflecting the ambition of their most recent work, it began as a rapid-fire clash of jarring guitars and pummeling percussion. As the intro wound down, singer and guitarist Conrad Keely approached the mic, slowly whispering, "Close the door and drift away/into a sea of uncertainty," as cohort Kevin Allen gently noodled his guitar. The verse began to slowly build, towering tension as cymbal hits and subtle feedback joined the fray. Unfamiliar with the song, the crowd was struck by a quickly accumulating suspense, shaking in anticipation of another sonic explosion. Shifting gear, the Trail of Dead instead segued into a mid-tempo stomp-bereft of any instrumentation but a haunting tribal march-as Keely mused, "When you awake and there you are/not far from the line before." It was more effective than any false stop, finally concluding with the inevitable onslaught as a circle-pit erupted within the crowd.

They continued with "Mistakes & Regrets" and "It Was There That I Saw You"- from 1999's Madonna and the 2002 masterpiece Source Tags & Codes, respectively-to an ecstatic response from the audience. Continuing with "Homage," Keely and co-frontman Jason Reece traded instruments and vocal duties, with Keely stepping behind the drum kit.

The newest songs, with titles like "And the Rest Will Follow" and "Caterwaul," harbored a quality both ambitious and anthemic for the Texan quintet. In particular, "Classic Art Showcase" was met by immediate enthusiasm and approval from the crowd. Conforming to the Trail of Dead's usual mlange of discord and melody, it was also surprisingly accessible, signaling that Worlds Apart may result as the band's most unexpected effort yet.

Once notorious for their erratic and violent live act, Trail of Dead seemed oddly pacified throughout the evening. However, that spirit was not lost; the energy convulsing from the stage was most fully manifested through audience reaction. Leaning into the crowd during "A Perfect Teenhood," Keely was eventually overcome by grappling hands and eager mouths hoping to share the mic for the song's coda: the repeated utterance of words f- you. He finally ceded the mic, soon reclaiming it as the group ended with Source Tags single "Another Morning Stoner" and fan-favorite "Fake Fake Eyes."

They returned to the stage moments later, asking for requests. Following "Clair de Lune," they closed with "Totally Natural," taking advantage of their oft-employed tempo-spanning dynamic as Keely screamed, "It's a street, it's an icicle/it's a panic attack/it's only an act" during the song's crescendoed bridge. They then retreated from the stage as the club turned on the lights and three-quarters of the audience found their way onto Cambridge's cold streets. But we loyal few remained, chanting "Trail of Dead," in hopes of a second encore. Moments later, ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead returned for an impromptu "How Near, How Far," smiling amid the chaos, reveling in their own dissonance.