First up come the Brits. 'Solitude' of Southampton immediately impress with a tight well-rehearsed set. Opening acts are rarely received with such enthusiasm by the crowd, who usually stand by and hold back for the headliners, but it's hard to ignore Solitude's razor-edged opening track, packed with bludgeoning breakdowns and riffs played at breakneck speed. This, coupled with an astonishingly high level of musicianship and excellent sound quality allow the Southampton metallers to really steal the stage.

Next is Malefice of Reading, five lads who look like they're made up of hair, ink and metal, and who instantly command the audience's attention. Malefice's unique blend of thrash, death, hardcore and metalgrabs the crowd by the throat, and refuses to let go as they rush into the second song, with barely a second's respite. Frontman Dale raucously applauds Devildriver and God Forbid, much to the delight of the crowd. As it's the end of the tour, Malefice really cut loose and before we know it, the stage is a blur of hair and noise, just the way the crowd likes it as the room soon erupts into enthusiastic head banging.

Metalcore old-hands God Forbid are next to hit the stage, and can they keep up the pace? Judging by the deafening chants and cheers from the crowd even before the band get on stage, they have a lot to live up to.

Opening with 'The End Of The World', their sound is tight and flowing, flitting from melodic choruses to heavy sections and back again. The first real action of the night explodes from the crowd, as the room seems to visibly animate, even the customary quiet observers to the rear are sucked into the raging circle pits. Again the mood in the room rises and rises – it's the first time God Forbid have been to Britain for quite a while, and judging by the reaction received, they'll be here again. Frontman Byron toasts the crowd with a bottle of Jim Beam.
A truly wild and unrelenting set.

On to the headliners. Every band that's come before has given tribute to Devildriver and that, it seems, is not undeserved. Dez Fafara's definitely come a long way from the Coal Chamber days, taking to the stage like the meanest looking metaller you've ever met, a thick beard hiding his facial tattoos. The set is fast, furious and covers all three albums from Come Meet The Wretched's 50-metre circle pit through to the aural assault of The Axe Shall Fall and End of The Line. But it's worth pointing out again the bond between the band and the audience. Horns are thrown up into the air as the opening bars of 'Head on to heartache' assault the audience, the sonic shriek of the guitars prompting circle pits across the room. Fafara stares round the venue with the look of a man possessed, his crazed green eyes scanning every eager face. Then, as soon as it started, it's over, and Devildriver are off the stage, leaving the crowd to stare, dumbstruck expecting perhaps to see a crater where they stood.

A truly captivating and excellent experience.