We may be Manowar-like immortals, but even us Metal Hammer staff get to take xmas off (most of us have anti-mas with Jurgen back in Norway).

Thanks for all your continued support for what has been another amazing year for metal - and we will see you back here online on the 2nd January 2008!

And don’t forget to pick up your copy of the Dime Tribute Special issue this month for your free CD and Dimebag patch. For more info on what’s in the mag, click here.

MH

The ‘new talent’ film company Filmaka are running a great competition for a chance to direct regular metal collaborator UNKLE’s next music video. They have hooked up with label Surrender All and Canon to launch a competition where the winner will direct their next single ‘Restless’. All entrants need to submit two minutes of video footage (animation, film, whatever) to represent their directing style AND deliver a pitch document 17th December. All details can be found here www.filmaka.com/unkle. Have a go!! 

Firstly: how fucking awesome was that stage? We erected a massive boxing ring complete with lights and descending mic. Not to mention a full band PA and crowd of 700 metal heads going nuts. 

Evile were play fast as fuck, but all sounds too much like Slayer, and as for having a chorus that screams, ‘Raining Blood’ (or something) it’s all a little close to pastiche than homage. 

Goat The Head. Jesus wept. 

Engel: now your talking. Efficient and accurately brutal with killer choruses and precision solos. They may not be the freshest thing under the sun, but they were the best band at that point by a Scando mile. 

Viking Skull: someone later that night said ‘if there was any justice in the world, Roddy [singer] would be the biggest rock star in the world’. And they were right. Roddy and his Skull army were the biggest, boldest, brashest band of the night: their riffs pounding, the vocals scored lines in your eardrums like a craft-knife through pumpkin flesh and the shred was as dirty as Lemmy’s gym-grots. If this band don’t win, I’ll hand in my gun and badge (well, my biro anyway).

Peace. Love. Skull.

Gill

Evile started the night off with a blast. The crowd were chanting the whole way through. With the limited space the crowd had we still managed to get some crowd surfing going. Goat The Head got the crowd going with there crazyness and the fans had fun with there squeaky clubs bashing each other over the head. Engel was surprisingly good and but I think the crowd were starting to get bored. Viking Skull ruled from start to finish, nuff said.

Bloody brilliant night. I was torn between Evile and Engel, then Viking Skull blew me away and nabbed my vote. They rocked so hard they gave me a nosebleed. Filming in the pit was, um, interesting. I cracked a few ribs, but at least the camera survived unscathed.

Was a close call though, with guys climbing on the sound desk and leaping into the pit with the spirit of thrash burning in their veins. If I ever see a squeaky plastic club again, it’ll be an ice age too soon. I was still watching ‘club wars’ on the Tube an hour after the gig. Goat The Head have a lot to answer for. Ruddy Neanderthals.

V.