I’m dashing to get to the venue for the earlier start time, only to read online that Kill The Lights have pulled out of tonight’s show due to illness. As it turns out, they’re fine to play the next night, so who knows what the illness was. Anyway, I cross my fingers that it means longer sets from the remaining two excellent bands, and as it turns out we get good lengthy sets from them both.

Ironically, the lights are indeed killed for Ingested’s intro. Recorded broody piano music sweeps into choir and strings. Leather hooded frontman Jason Evans is the last of the band to menacingly take to the stage, with the crowd going wild for each member in turn. The venue is already packed and a pit preformed for the events ahead. Evans smokey made-up eyes look out to the eager crowd as he points and immediately demands everyone to open up the pit for action. The band storm straight into their brutal signature sound, and their take on Slam Death Metal is engaging and fresh. Evans shows some great variety in his vocals bringing that hardcore punk edge while balancing it with more traditional Death Metal growls and shredding. Despite no live bass there’s still plenty of bass sound in the mix, with a solid foundation from the double kick drum. As expected for this genre there aren’t really guitar solos, but just when you think maybe the guitars are functional rather than overly technical they suddenly leap into a fretboard spider walk without warning. The stomping ‘chum-chum’ guitars are reminiscent of The Black Dahlia Murder and the fans absolutely love every second of it. The place erupts for the fantastic ‘The List’, but I think they do miss out on a layer of sound and punch without the live bass. This is more noticeable as I move to the back for a pint, having potentially foolishly walked straight across the middle of the pit in between songs...But there’s no doubting the credentials and joy these guys bring. The local slam kings even get a ‘Slamchester’ chant going at one point. Slamtastic indeed.

Bleed From Within take to the stage with same flashing red lights and dull thudding bass sound for entrance music that greeted us recently when I saw them support Bullet For My Valentine. On this occasion the venue is much smaller, the gig more intimate and the energy even more electric. The way in which these guys can own the main stage at Bloodstock and also a small venue like this is testament to the engaging way they set about their business. You don’t feel like they’re performing for you, more that they’re sharing their creation and passion for their craft with you. The Glaswegians stride about the stage as they open with the dynamic ‘Into Nothing’. Frontman Scott Kennedy coordinates the crowd whilst pointing knowingly at supporters and dishing out fist bumps. Their sound has evolved from the initial Deathcore offering to something that fuses so many subgenres from Metalcore through anthemic groove Metal back to Deathcore. Throughout it’s a holistically powerful wall of sound. The mix of mainstream anthems with thrashy verses and core elements of techy djent are delicious yet brutal. They are for me one of the most exciting live bands currently delivering mainstream appealing metal in the UK. I think one of the best complements you can give to a band is that you immediately know it's them when you hear one of their songs out of context, and that's what these guys have. You also know a great live band when every single member has their own character and reason to watch them in their own right, and these guys also have that too. The note-perfect professionality of the band is a delight with intricate technical guitar work laying across stomping drums and thundering bass. ‘Fall Away’ showcases Craig Gowans’ technical guitar work in particular, with amazing tapping. By the time we get to ‘Pathfinder’, which perfectly showcases their varied elements, we are in heaven. Kennedy comes out into the crowd during set closer ‘The End Of All We Know’, and the crowd take him in as one of their own. Destined for the bigger stages that they’ve already tasted, watch their name rise up those festival bills and hang on for the ride.