Live Review: Pathfinder Promotions UK & Caliber MGMT Presents – Alton Half Dayer @ Lounge Bar

Alton Lounge Bar in association with Pathfinder Promotions UJ & Caliber MGMT Presents – Alton Half Dayer @ Lounge Bar. That’s right, in perhaps the strangest of locations, some of the hottest upcoming UK Metal and Hardcore bands on the scene at the moment join forces for 6 hours of wall-to-wall distorted guitars and blast beats.

Break Fifty [7/10] from Guildford bring a Nu-Metal inspired groove sound to the table with tracks like “GBH” and “Victimised”. Despite some microphone issues, they’re bass slapping good fun and Hugo Knight is a vocalist of some talent and range. Trio No Worth Of Man [7.5/10] step it up a notch with a more technical metal delivery, guitarist and vocalist regularly taking turns to step on and off the stage into the pit, the laters guttural delivery hitting like a kick in the guts. Supporting King 810 and Puppy in Portsmouth in December will be a real coup for the London based band. New EP “The Middle Farm Experiment” is a winner. Complete with fill in drummer Alex Richins from Bound In Fear, Guildford’s Sunfall [9/10] smash their set with proficiency. Including a cover of “BFG” from the Doom soundtrack they bring the first spin kickers and two steppers out for some fun. Their existing singles including “Extremis” and “Breathe” go down a storm while new track “Snake” about Mental Health is one to get you thinking. MTXS [9/10] treat us to a brand new song that will be releasing next year. Their set comes complete with a pair of motivational speeches alongside a run of classy cuts including “Sleep”. How they manage to play with their trademark snoodes remains a mystery but their Metallic Hardcore is masterful. Amorla [7/10] are a post hardcore band that share vocal duties between 3 of their 5 members. Despite various technical issues they carry it off with some style with “Sail Alone” and “Matches” going down well. Arkdown [9/10] bring synchronous headbanging riffage to the table alongside some brutal blast beats and footwork on the kit. Despite a false start due to guitar cut out and numerous issues with the backing vocal microphones, the whole set is a triumph of all things heavy and sees members of Sunfall and MTXS take to the pit. Songs like “Mirrors” from their upcoming 2nd November releasing EP “The Calling” will surely see them playing on bigger stages that this one. Carbine [9/10] have Sunfall guitarist Oliver on bass and Bound In Fear vocalist Ben Mason on drums in a unique and temporary lineup for tonight’s Beatdown Hardcore set. They will be re-tooled in the future having lost members to other bands of late while their frontman has no desire to give up the band. “Violation” and “Cold Blooded” see the venue destroyed by roundhouse kicks and two steppers. No Great Loss [8/10] have travelled from Belfast bringing with them a dual headed hydra of a vocal attack with a booming bass sound in their blend of Negative downtempo Hardcore. Throwing in an odd Grindcore track to boot. EP “Eternal Sleep” is a fine piece of work and cuts like “Web” are very well received. Bound In Fear [8/10] are tonight’s headliners and despite frontman Ben Mason splitting his jeans from one too many round house kicks during the earlier bands, he delivers the sort of vocal onslaught that is fitting for the Farnham quintet’s downtempo Deathcore sound. August released single “The Hand of Violence” received an outing via Slam Worldwide earlier this year and on tonight’s showing it’s the punch in the face that the title suggests.