8. Lamb of God
Heavy metal and brutality have walked hand in hand since the very first days of helicopter drum-beats and machine gunning guitars, but Lamb of God have always seemed to exist on a higher, more brutal plane. This performance, gamely met by multiple circle pits down the front was no different: if there were any band that the Not For The Faint-Hearted label was invented for, it was very possibly the Virginia natives. Their brutality has seemingly come at a cost, because vocalist Randy Blythe's pipes have seen much better days, but the willingness of the crowd to join in on the big, brutal numbers does offer some charitable help. And Blythe still has the same energy and boundless enthusiasm he's always had, so we can forgive a few stumbles along the way, especially when the band are handing out lessons on whipping up crowds so freely. It's a fan-friendly set as well: the band aren't here to sell new records (unlike some of their line-up-mates), so new material takes a firm back-seat to the ear-bursting classics. http://youtu.be/QYFiJ7cqusQ
7. Rise Against
Though most eyes were turned towards the Main Stage event that was the reunited Black Sabbath, anyone who shunned the spectacle of Ozzy Osbourne shuffling around making far louder a noise than he ever looks capable had an even louder, technically assured alternative on the second stage in the shape of Rise Against. And those who went were rewarded with a typically blistering, irresistible blend of furious pace and melody, infectious guitar licks and chorus hooks that invariably leave their audiences singing to themselves well after the end of gigs. Read Emma's full
review of Rise Against here.
Next Up: The self-styled greatest acoustic guitar rock band ever and Scotland's premier rock band.