If you read the recent review on these pages of the debut Lifer opus 'Cursing Them Out' you'll know the band have an album to proud of, and what better way to celebrate its release than to get a sweaty pub full of a couple of hundred people and ask a few bands to join in the party as well.

Opening the festivities were digi-death/grind merchants OAP. Frontmen Jinx and Sam lead the onslaught of Berserker-esque audio terrorism and they get the night off to flying start. Next up are Swansea's Black Tamanous who offer a groove laden set of thrashy Pantera riffage. With a bit more stagecraft these lot could be whipping up a storm in the near future. Order Of Tepes bring the darkness with their blackened death as the crowd gets drunker and the pace starts to heat up.

Taking the pace right up are local favourites Mutator, and their straight-up thrash gets everyone in the mood for the party hosts. Mixing some new stuff (which sounds spot-on) with their usual mix of their own material and a couple of choice covers, Stoo, Sam and Pete leave everyone limbered for Lifer.

They're a funny thing album launches, but in this case the objective is clear, ramming the tastiest lump of metal to come out of South Wales in the last ten years right down people's throats.  Kicking straight in with the title track of the album, it's obvious that Lifer are on their usual face-smashing form (with a ball-pein hammer obviously - copyright G Tidey 2011) and you have to remember that whilst the album is their debut, they've been turning in live performances of the highest calibre for the past five years or so. The album merely distills all the blood, sweat and piss from every one of those gigs and tops it up with a quadruple Jaeger. As they crash through album highlights like 'Nothing Left To Lose',  'Broken Bones' and 'Reach' you can't help but grin to yourself, knowing that this could be the start of something special for the band. If they can reproduce the power and groove evident tonight (and, to be honest, present every time I've seen them) across the length and breadth of the country they ought to start nudging the consciences of a few A&R people with any nous. The band all seem well fired up, and on top form. Web and Roy's dual guitar attack is as blistering as Dibble and Wardy's rhythm is pounding and Scriv's alcohol-aged roar rounds their sound out perfectly. It's also very encouraging to see the amount of support tonight, as the place is absolutely packed to the rafters. Even nicer is the number of local bands in evidence to show their support, with members of Outgunned, Deathbullet, Revoker and Skindred all in attendance (as well as the four support bands).

As the set nears its climax and the copious amounts of alcohol imbibed by the crowd hit home, all that's left is for the band to be serenaded in unique, bollock-naked style by OAP's Sam as 'Raging Waters' and 'Embrace The Madness' send everyone on their way with a bad case of whiplash and hearing that'll be fucked until Wednesday.

If you were there you know you saw something special. If you weren't, that's your loss. If you haven't got the album, just get it. OK!