 | | Fall Of Troy |
First up were Seattle natives, The Fall Of Troy. Possessing, to put it lightly, the best guitarist I have ever witnessed live, the three-piece made a sound so huge, it makes you wonder why other bands feel the need to have any more members. Sounding like Yngwie Malmsteen jamming with The Blood Brothers, to see a band so young, yet performing with startling musical adeptness coupled with such ferocity, gave inspiration to all. Truly one of the greatest opening acts I have ever seen.
 | | Fear Before The March Of Flames |
Next up were Denver’s Fear Before The March Of Flames. Singer Dave Marion, resplendent in an old Manchester United shirt, proceeded in leading his band in a sonic onslaught that threatened to crash out of the speakers and punch you in the mouth. Rarely using a standard time signature, and favouring a visceral, spiky wave of noise over any sense of melody, many in the audience seemed either unimpressed, or indifferent. However, Should’ve Stayed In The Shallows provoked a warmer reaction from the crowd. Only under tonight’s circumstances would the headliners, Arizona’s The Bled, seem rather tuneful. Promoting their new release, Found In The Flood, the band took to the stage and kicked into gear with Dale Earnhardt’s Seatbelt from 2003’s Pass The Flask. Filling almost every song with thunderous breakdowns, shown brilliantly on Get Up You Son Of A B***h ‘Cos Mickey Loves Ya, the earlier low atmosphere was immediately heightened, the crowd whipped into a frenzy. The progression in sound over the two albums was shown tonight, as the band mixed up the heavy (I Never Met Another Gemini) to the more brooding and melodic (Daylight Bombings). Tonight’s show laid waste to any claims that heavy music is stagnant and lacks originality. Three bands approaching from different musical places brought an exciting, dynamic and intense show. Brilliant. | 
