Now an annual institution, the Roadrage Tour – which previously brought us the likes of Spineshank, Killswitch Engage and 36 Crazyfists – is a chance for three of the label’s newer acts to win themselves some fans; and this year, the label’s 25th anniversary, is no exception.

Their original rotating line-up having been abandoned, it’s Still Remains who take the stage first. Even playing some of the more melodic pieces from their recent debut, such as ‘White Walls’ and ‘Recovery’, they’re still very, very heavy. What’s even more amazing is how technical they can be, while thrashing about.

Obviously influenced by the likes of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, 3 Inches Of Blood are a very different prospect, but frontman Cam really looks the part of some Viking warrior, even down to his spiky bracers. Having been denied a soundcheck before, there’s a bit of a wait for them to get started, but when they do they seem happy to be back in Oxford. Drawing mainly from their Roadrunner debut, Advance & Vanquish, it seems the crowd enjoy their fantasy-metal, with the likes of ‘Wykydtron’, ‘Axes of Evil’ and ‘Destroy The Orcs’ going down well. Closing predictably with ‘Deadly Sinners’, there’s no Justin Hawkins this time, but the crowd are evidently entertained.

The band everyone really wants to see, however, are Trivium – forced to headline the tour by popular demand and they’re no disappointment. Drawing heavily on Ascendancy it’s a shame they perhaps don’t have enough material to maintain the quality for a much longer set, as their commanding stage presence belies their tender years. Surprisingly, save when Matt deliberately whips up the crowd, it’s possibly the calmest pit of the night, which I can only put down to the audience really wanting to see this band in the flesh.

Fists pound the air to the beat of ‘A Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation’, while people go wild to ‘Like Light To The Flies’. The band pretend to end their set there, but don’t even leave the stage before treating the audience to a covers medley (including ‘Master Of Puppets’) and ending with their own ‘Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr’. It’s obviously too early to compare the young band to their idols, such as Metallica and Megadeth, but I’m left wondering if this is how people felt about them twenty years ago. Of all these promising bands, Trivium clearly have the potential.
(4/5)

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