I'd wondered how many people were actually going to turn up for this show with the queue outside being next to non-existent but it was getting nicely busy by the time Betray These Angels kicked things off. With the dingy Music Box sporting it's newest addition – a stage, well OK, some flooring balanced on top of upturned beer crates – it actually meant a few more people could see the bands, which is always nice, and those that were there for Betray These Angels were hopefully as impressed as I was by their heavy-as-fuck metallic hardcore. There aren't many UKHC bands with riffs as crushingly brutal as these guys and with some nice juicy beatdowns they're perfect for the pit and it even rouses some of the typically dormant Sunday night crowd to pull some moves.

The Nothing don't really get any kind of reaction – which is a shame cause they're a fantastic heavy band and while their heads down metallic onslaught is maybe not as danceable at BTA they deserve better then the polite applause they receive. It's perhaps unsurprising that frontman Farrell looks less than pleased. Now TheXBreakinX have released one of my favourite metallic hardcore CDs of recent months with their This Ends With Us EP but then singer Duggan left and it seems they've lost their edge. Guitarist Dan has taken over vocal duties – though Nate from xCanaanx sang on their upcoming album – and it seems like a brave move. Basically, the band's crunchy, muscular metallic hardcore requires strong vocals and Dan's seem more suited to an old school band, they lack the bite you'd hope for. Still, he may well grow into the role so I'm not giving up on ThexBreakxIn yet.

The front of the venue was nicely packed out by the time Walls Of Jericho came on stage and the had the crowd in the palm of their hands after playing their most recognisable track 'All Hail The Dead' first off. Passionate, hard-hitting metalcore is the order of the day with this lot, with frontwoman Candace prowling the front of the stage like a caged tiger barking forth some impressively hate-filled vocals. Things go decidedly sketchy midway through their energetic set though when some idiot kids - and I mean kids, they can't have been older than 15 - in the pit take offence to the windmilling and floorpunching. Why stand at the front of a hardcore gig if you're not going to put up with being barged and knocked about? And why then decide to start your own pit which basically involves punching each other and those around you? Things descend into chaos briefly and the set loses momentum but it shouldn't detract from a damn impressive gig all round.

Rating: 4/5 by Nick Mann

Further links

Trustkill Records

Home of Bleeding Through, Open Hand, Eighteen Visions, and more...

Roadrunner Records UK

Online home of Machinehead, Soulfly, and more...

Walls Of Jericho (allhailthedead.com)

Website for female-fronted metalcore bruisers Walls Of Jehrico