Tonight was all about giving the ears a good hard battering before the onslaught of the Christmas holidays and with this line up it was a certainty. Dripback bolted out of the gates with their metal/hardcore assault receiving some very positive reactions from the crowd. Energetic brutality mixed with a 'fuck you 'attitude ensures these are ones to watch out for in 2012.

Christ on a bike, if the previous band didn't batter the senses then The Rotted are certainly on a mission to rectify that. Their mix of death metal meets punk complements the other bands on tonight's bill, without compromise they tear Nottingham apart. Airing tracks from their latest superb album Ad Nauseam the pit soon erupts with arms and legs flaying into the red lit room.

With only three dates in the U.K, Lock Up's mini tour very nearly didn't go ahead with drummer Nick Barker suffering from pneumonia and only leaving hospital a few days previously. He puts in a performance worthy of a medal and is forgiven for the slightly longer breaks inbetween songs for him to catch his breath. Tomas Lindberg must be one of the best frontmen in metal today, his presence is undeniable, stalking the stage and screaming his lungs dry. Complemented by Shane Embury pounding the ass off his bass and Criminal man Anton Reisenegger keeping the South American connection, Lock up deliver a brutally beautiful, violent show. Airing songs off latest album Necropolis Transparent the pace is relentless with the masses getting restless and boisterous in the pit. Catching this performance in a compact intimate venue certainly added to the grindcore values Lock Up adhere to and with Andy Sneap and Bloodstock festival organizers in the crowd maybe we can expect another visit to these shores in 2012.

Words & Pictures
Mark Davies