With so many four-piece guitar bands clogging up the live circuit, Canada's Death from Above 1979 are certainly a bit different. A two-piece featuring the marauding basslines of Jesse F Keeler and a singing drummer, Sebastien Grainger, they further distinguish themselves by wearing elephants' trunks in their publicity material. "We wanted our band to be like an elephant in your living-room," is Grainger's explanation. "You might not like it but you couldn't ignore it."

Alas, the trunks haven't made the crossing from Toronto. Keeler is a 1960s-patented freak with flailing hair; Grainger opts for a crop, vest and national flag tied round his forehead. They have, however, brought the elephants with them in the form of their gigantic sound, walls of turbulent rhythms lashed out at breakneck pace. The feeling of being about to be trampled underfoot is magnified by a sardine-packed crowd. "It took us three years to get a crowd this size in our hometown," confesses Grainger, who has missed an opportunity by not offering stick-on trunks at the merchandising stall.

Steadfastly refusing to bow to convention and recruit a guitarist, the sonic assault has texture in the form of Grainger's spat-out, sexually oriented vocals, which sometimes suggest a male Siouxsie, and Keeler's occasional bash at keyboards and vocoder. His bass at times seems to trigger other sounds entirely, which may be a trade secret of their hypnotic wall of noise that hints at everything from Nine Inch Nails to Gary Numan.

For a two-piece, their movement and exertion conjures up a visual spectacle, while Grainger excels himself by standing on the drum kit, wrapping the mic lead round his neck and taking a photo with a fan's mobile phone. They're breathtaking for half an hour, then the limitations of their approach creep in and you long for something more. Give us the trunks!

· At the Garage, London N5 (020-7607 1818), tomorrow and Friday. Then touring.