Triple terror from Spittin' Teeth, Defyed and By Conquest or Consent

SATURDAY evening - that time when the beige and vanilla people settle down to get ready, don their glad rags, watch crap television and sup their pre-drinks. But on the Ormeau Avenue in the dark recesses of Limelight2 The Distortion Project unleashed a triple terror hardcore and metal attack.

And, the beige and vanilla people will never know the joy of the all-out, balls out musical assault from Spittin' Teeth, Defyed and By Conquest or Consent; all three of which produced an evening of deep passion and smiles all round.

Spittin' Teeth opened up proceedings like the bastard sons of Stormtroopers of Death, Hatebreed and DRI. They managed to be both loose and enjoyable.

Flinging riffs and anger to the audience each interlude produced laughter as Dom confessed to being under the influence. Despite that there is an attitude here well worth cultivating further. Of particular note was the rhythm section, with drumming that pounded and splashed to add aural colour to the set

Defyed have grown up as a band in a relatively short period of time and they appreciate the need to be professional in how they approach their music. From the intro through to the closer this is a tight unit, mixing hardcore aggression with a precise musical approach reminiscent of mid-period Soulfly.

Wayne poured real passion into his singing. He's mobile and stamps out each beat, sweat oozing and his soul bared as the likes of Parasites (dedicated to all politicians and Vladimir Putin in particular on this evening).

Steve and Trev are beginning to have the telepathic understanding of each other that comes with rehearsal and live performances, while Kerian locks it all down.

Spit the Lies and Stick Tight had a real resonance amidst the noise.

This was the first time we have encountered By Conquest or Consent and it was a joy to see such a mélange of hardcore and metal, with the metallic edge being the most prominent.

Pete is a compelling frontman, and Michael looks like a full on metal guitarist, locked on to his Jackson, but the tracksuit bottoms revealing other influences.

Dom on bass (after six-string duties earlier for Spittin' Death) has it tightly bound and is a foil for Pete to play upon, while Jay and Pete bolster the sound.

This is a band with loads of potential and are really enjoyable to watch and listen to.

This Distortion Project offering showed that hardcore with a metallic twist is proof of the diversity of music Northern Ireland is producing and producing well.

One day the beige and vanilla people will walk away from their mass-produced nonsense of The Voice, X-Factor and the rest of the drivel and enjoy the release of pure locally produced passionate music.