There will come a point in tonight's gig when some young fuckwit decides to set off a fire extinguisher at the front of the stage during Fell On Black Days' headline set. Crazy behaviour maybe to his fellow mouth breathers but to a person who is attending tonight's gig with the legendary Zoot it is all a little tame. Anyone who has read Uber Rock from day one will surely know of Zoot's gig antics, where liquids were indeed spilled but they were generally of the bodily, not the let's-electrocute-the-band, variety.

But I can't help but feel that there is something prophetic about the moronic act, seeing as the first band on go by the moniker Dark Waters. Would this young band, self described as 'groove metal', be a damp patch on the ceiling of a spooked apartment or in the gussets of the paying patrons inside the EVI? Happily, the latter...in a manner of speaking. Fusing a Pantera style groove to old school, straight forward thrash - early Metallica springs to mind at several points during their set - these guys are about as enjoyable as any young band up first on a four band bill have the right to be and in frontman Lewis Brownhill they have a guy who, perhaps surprisingly given their task as ice-breakers, is immediately at ease with the audience. Ones to watch.

If anything, this gig is proving that Tredegar's heavy metal heritage didn't begin and end with 'Duma'. Crashing out of the town like the Battle of Bosworth come Epic Fail, a noisy bunch of young bastards who throw a crazed mix of styles into the melting pot and conjure up an inspired mix of screamo vocals, big riffs and frenetic soloing. With an impressive local following, a huge spattering of talent shared amongst them and a curio of a singer, you will no doubt be hearing more from these guys. That band name though - it's a little 'of its time', don't you think? Don't agree? Ask the former members of the bands Whassup and Fandabbydozy.....

What more can possibly be said about the mammoth sound thrown out with apparent ease by Lifer? Their set is as gargantuan as ever and features more teeth-rattling riffs in its limited skirmish with our poor ears than most (jealous as fuck) bands could ever dream of coming up with. There is a microphone stand malfunction that would have been funny if it wasn't threatening to decapitate those brave enough to venture towards the front of the stage; I shouldn't really mention that though lest I face the wrath (of doom) of vocalist Scriv. The band's debut album 'Cursing Them Out' is, seriously, one of the finest releases that you could trouble your stereo with this year - if you haven't already got yourself a copy then rectify that immediately as this band are going places. 

And so to headliners Fell On Black Days. However much the misguided fire prevention episode during the track 'Some More Than Others' was - resulting in a certain band member being dragged back onstage after attempting to attack the perpetrator instrumentally in a Vicious/Richards stylee - the fact remained that frontman Gavin Robinson handled the situation impressively....although I'm sure many hoped that he'd maybe go postal for a moment.

It has become something of a joke about FOBD actually managing to get all five band members on the same stage at the same time due to all manner of self-styled Tap-isms that the band deal in, but when they do they are a true sight, and sound, to behold. As the punishing intro segues into 'Ends With Me', the band are all over the stage (and floor) and it is the kind of introduction that every band should attempt as it simply demands attention. 'Talion', the title track from the band's forthcoming album, implies that this will be another essential release this year.

They even attempt to dedicate final song, a tasty cover of 'Raining Blood', to Zoot but the Uber Rock enigma has done yet another of his trademark disappearing acts making him a sure bet to play the role of Fenella in the re-imagining of Chorlton And The Wheelies.

So, a legend book ends this review; happily, sandwiched in between were four cool performances in a venue that, again, provides the perfect backdrop to a quality night o' metal. More please.