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The Onslaught from hell comes home

This is the night that Onslaught step back on stage to play to the legions of thrash metal fans that packed the small 350 capacity venue in their home town of Bristol. The anticipation has been building all evening in surrounding pubs, this is definitely a well awaited gig and is the first time Onslaught have played to their home crowd in 15yrs. For me it has also been 15 yrs since I was last in the Fleece, quite a nostalgia trip for both of us. The Fleece has always been a great venue and the only thing that made it different this time was the noise, it was incredibly loud!

First on stage was local band Dogma – They were the first to be affected by the unfortunate sound issues of the night but they put on a fearless and courageous set, this was a crowd that wanted thrash and nothing less, needless to say a tough audience to play to and Dogma were lost to this. It was a short set but they held their own and their singer does have an amazing voice that was the saviour of the band tonight. I would like to see them again in a different venue and maybe when the crowd are a little less coiled in expectancy for Onslaught.

Onslaught fans were in for a real treat with another local band Fourwaykill who are quite capable of holding their own in any metal venue and tonight was no different. They opened up with their signature 24 hours to die and grabbed the crowd like a pit-bull and refused to let go for 30 minutes. Jay Walsh’s tenacious riffing, Clive Bremner’s hook laden bass lines and Rob Hick’s bone crunching drumbeats just cut through the room demanding attention, which is exactly what they got. Chris Neighbour the lead singer has a prowess on stage that is bordering on demonic, he is threatening and brutal in his execution and holds the audience on a knife-edge. The set was as ferocious and memorable as ever. Fourwaykill cant go unnoticed for much longer their much awaited album Aggressor is due in Spring and hopefully this will thrust them into the summer festival arena with a vengeance.

The crowd are rammed and amped up in the small venue but ready to show them what a home welcome is all about. Horns raised, bodies thrashing and hair swinging, the swirling mass roar their approval as Onslaught make a hotly anticipated return to the stage. Vocalist Sy Keeler makes his first appearance of the night looming up from behind the drum riser, grinning out at the crowd as they attack into their first of the night Let There Be Death. Despite poor sound, the five-piece press on and the audience responds brutally. “This is not a nostalgia trip – we are back” promises Sy as the crowd go insane. They lay down a great slab of metal to reward the fervent fans that had endured the Baltic weather conditions outside while the sound check was completed. Bassist Jim Hinder really getting into the spirit of things and tearing it up like a man possessed, one wonders if a HANS (Head And Neck Support ) device should be made available for headbanging bands and fans alike! The pits are complete mayhem with the older veterans mixing with the young power and thrash metallers. As the set draws to a climax with Onslaught (Power From Hell), Sy Keeler crowd surfs out the last beats of the night grinning from ear to ear. A promising return for the legendary UK thrashers, let down only by sound glitches. The new material shows great promise and after tonight their forthcoming album Killing Peace can only be welcomed by the thrash community.