This Defenders of the Faith line up was enough to get any Metal fan salivating so in the interest of all things loud and headbangingly fabulous, we girded our loins, donned our black t-shirts and headed down to Brixton Academy in expectation of this positive feast of Metal.


With another ridiculously early gig start to the show (a trend that's turning into a right pain in the backside), the first band I caught were Rise To Remain, a young, very decent band who pounded their way through a pretty solid set. They may not give us anything new but they're damn good at what they do and are certainly one to watch in the future.

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Up next, and the ones that I was easily most excited to see this wild and woolly evening were the mighty Ghost.

"LUCIFER, here we are, for your praise!" and yes, yes we were! From the second the bass of 'Con Clavi Con Dio' boomed out over the line of motionless Nameless Ghouls, to the entrance of main man and chief Satan buster, Papa Emeritus, we were utterly transfixed.



Through the dark 'Elizabeth' and the Doom sodden cries of "Six six six"” on 'Death Knell', we're singing "'Tis the night of the witch" with gusto on 'Stand By Him'. Their lyrics may be heavily 'Satanic', but all I know is that they're bloody marvellous and a breath of fresh air to the Metal scene of today.

Finishing with their superb anthem 'Ritual', their unique brand of intricate, mesmerising doom Metal and haunting melodies is as brilliant as it is bonkers, proving beyond all doubt that the Devil really does have all the best tunes.



Sweden's second band of the night, In Flames, were next up with their set of blistering power Metal, getting the by now very hot and sweaty crowd bouncing and headbanging with aplomb. I'm not sure vocalist Anders Fridenfelt felt the band were fully appreciated at one point so there was some conducting of the audience which raised the applause level a couple of notches, leaving everyone happy!

Headliners Trivium put on a truly blistering performance, executing their complex songs with precision and pure power. A set list containing less from the 'In Waves' album than expected was delivered perfectly amidst a furious pace that never let up once.

Trivium are true Metal masters and it's a tough call to name a better live band currently plying their trade. A truly magnificent performance from a truly magnificent band.



The new and magnificent 'In Waves' slotted in seamlessly alongside the Trivium 'classics'. Yes, classics. 'Pull Harder...', 'Like Light...', 'Kirisute Gomen' and several others are definitive tracks from this generation of Metal. Trivium have produced songs that will still be getting airtime long after the band have retired and they play them unbelievably well live.

All in all, an utterly fabulous night with a smorgasbord of the highest quality Metal around.

Ghost Setlist:

Masked Ball
Con Clavi Con Dio
Elizabeth
Prime Mover
Death Knell
Stand By Him
Ritual
In Flames
Sounds Of A Playground Fading
Deliver Us
All For Me
The Mirror's Truth
The Quiet Place
Fear Is The Weakness
Ropes
Where The Dead Ships Dwell
Cloud Connected
Take This Life

Trivium Setlist:
Capsizing The Sea
In Waves
Drowned and Torn Asunder
A Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation
Dusk Dismantled
The Deceived
Built To Fall
Down From The Sky
Departure
Like Light To The Flies
Black
Caustic Are the Ties That Bind
Dying In Your Arms
Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr
Kirisute Gomen
Throes Of Perdition

25.12.11