Due to timing mix-ups the two main supports are extremely rushed. Wasting no time Reading’s No Made Sense launch abruptly into an intensely unpredictable and highly rewarding 20 minutes of music. For a three-piece the size of their sound is shocking, the complex drumming providing an entrancing offbeat backbone to the explorations of their extended instrumental sections. Instantly recognisable is ‘The Eppilanic Choragi’; fascinatingly brutal, this winding journey jumps schizophrenically between moods and developing themes. It is a promising look at things to come from this truly progressive group.

  Also strapped for time Shy of the Depth crowd on to the stage to present their brash, tight, Sikth-esque brand of metal with a sense of enjoyment that incites the audience (who seemed to be left a little alienated by No Made Sense after their unapologetically challenging set) to become more involved. The basic drive behind their sound may be a little more straightforward but some high profile musicianship is exhibited in these solos and discordant breakneck-paced rhythms.

  It's Malefice who really strike a chord with this crowd however, chiselling out chugging catchy riffs with a very professional live sound. Held together by a rock-solid rhythm section these chuggy, staccato breakdowns are offset with some impressively synchronised unison and harmony guitar parts while hard-driven melodic chorus lines give these songs an accessible edge.

  It all adds up to a familiar formula but with positive reviews from mainstream press and an obviously honed and very tight live display at the tail end of this mini-tour Malefice seem destined to become an established band within their genre.