Sometimes looks can be deceiving. From the outside, Urbana’s cozy Canopy Club- nestled between a series of unassuming shops in a Big 10 college town- looks like anything but one of Central Illinois’ best clubs.

Likewise, Cold’s vocalist Scooter Ward, with his shaved head, anemic physique and contortionist stage moves, is a soft-spoken and unassuming stage presence.

But in the world of rock, it is often best not to trust one’s eyes.

Opening the Oct. 4 show was Springfield’s Lidlifter, who rolled through a half-hour set of new songs and material from the group’s latest, “The Greenhouse Effect,” with the poise and aplomb of seasoned veterans. Lidlifter slowly won over the crowd with chugging riffs and the muscular voice of singer Scott Lecocq.

While the entire room was clamoring for headliners Cold, Lidlifter breezed through churning tunes like “Falling” and “Walk Away,” while previewing new tracks “The Test” and “Overwhelmed.” It would be easy to peg Lidlifter as a tepid retread of aggro nu-metal, if not for the soaring vocals of the aforementioned Lecocq and the guitar histrionics of rambunctious axe-slinger Scott House, who hopped and sneered his way blissfully across the stage throughout the set.

Next up was headliner Cold, who brought an arena-sized barrage of sound into a cramped club.

The diminutive stature of Ward wholly belies the bellows and guttural howls the emaciated rocker delivers on stage. For years, Cold has built its rabid following on the strength of frenetic live shows. And while albums like 2000’s “13 Ways to Bleed on Stage” and 2003’s “Year of the Spider” have given rise to the band’s presence on modern rock radio, both records pale in comparison to the group’s mesmerizing live spectacle.

Ward dominated the stage during the show and can go from singing in an easy warble to being clenched into a ball in the throes of a piercing shriek in an instant. With his nicotine-broiled voice and gruff delivery, Ward’s vocal style deftly mixes metal and melody with passion and steely poise.

Songs like “No One,” and “Just Got Wicked” were all performed with a hyper-intensity that is simply not done justice on record. With a backing cacophony of drums, thumping bass and a wall of guitars, Ward’s vocals soared over the enthralled crowd.

Most powerful, however, was Ward’s delivery on the emotional and vehement “Cure My Tragedy (A Letter to God),” which he dedicated to his sister. Juxtaposed between intricate guitar lines and a loud/soft dynamic, Ward seemed visibly pained as he undulated and shook in front of the mic.

With singles “Suffocate” and “Stupid Girl,” the crowd’s voice rose above Ward’s with a palpable intensity as the singer was afforded a rare break on stage. As if giving voice to the crowd, Ward’s lyrics held added girth as hundreds screamed the pained and poignant words.

Dividing the set was a four-song acoustic interlude in which Ward and guitarist Terry Balsamo played a medley of Cold’s softer tunes. Stripped of distortion and the group’s dominating rhythm section, simple song structures and Ward’s voice shone through beautifully. As wispy plumes of smoke circled his head, Ward crooned through the powerful and moving mini set of acoustic-driven tunes.

Although not known for going acoustic, the four-song break offered a peek into Ward’s real talent: lyrics. The acoustic portion ended with the mournful “Check Please” as the rest of the band regained their respective places on stage to finish the show in a bluster of musical mayhem.

Cold has built its musical reputation performing live for good reason. Even at a small venue like the Canopy Club, the group’s intensity rarely relented and anyone who came to the show unfamiliar with the band left as a fan.

function openSlideShow662(){window.open(slideshowpath + 662,’selectUser’,config=’scrollbars=No,resizable=Yes’);}See more pictures from the show!