With the month of top notch music events that the fair borough of Blaenau Gwent has just played host to, you'd think it would be impossible to keep up the quality for yet another weekend, but bugger me if Ebbw Vale's favourite sons Fell On Black Days don't go and pull another ace with the launch party for their long-awaited, and quite frankly stunning debut album, 'Talion'. And to make doubly sure the evening goes off with a bang they've invited Newport metallers Outgunned and [Ten Cent Toy] and the Abertillery drunk 'n' roll machine Trigger McPoopshute to get the party well and truly started.

By the time guest DJ Fen, from Thursday Night Rocks on Dapper FM, introduces Outgunned there's already a very tidy crowd gathered to see the brothers Damsell and co. rip through their high tempo speed metal assault. Building their set around their recent 'Embers' EP they are bang on the mark tonight with the crisp guitars shredding through the mix and Tom managing to entice an early bit of pit action as they finish their set with a pummelling 'Catharsis'.

I'm ashamed to say that I've not had the pleasure of catching [Ten Cent Toy] live for a while (though Pit Worker swears I have, or at least my doppelganger). In the meantime they've released their rather face-ripping 'Off The Grid' opus and played more toilets than George Michael has been banned from. Hence when they take to the stage and promptly take people's heads off with their brutal metallic assault you can't really say it's a great surprise.

Their live sound is skin-flayingly sharp and with frontman Kev commanding the front of the stage they quite literally hammer through a set built on the aforementioned 'Off The Grid'. As Pit and the rest of the 'Toy finish the metallic section of the supporting entertainment you can't help but smile to yourself at the sheer wealth of extreme music talent South Wales is currently blessed with. And that's before the headliners have even struck a note. [DS]

Abertillery's finest fun lovin' criminals Trigger McPoopshute glide onto the EVI stage with all their punk-esque trashy swagger knocking out such tunes as 'Balloon Knot', 'Fry's Chocolate Cream' and 'Knobrot'. This is Trigger McPoopshute and let's pause ever so briefly to remember, as they utter from the stage, "We are not Metal," amidst requests from legendary frontman/bassist Darrel Sutton to do a spot of "Line Dancing" to accompany the musical friviolities of 'Gloryhole Viper' and 'Mr Muthafucker'.

This is one hell of a genius fucked up Summer Season at the Stute and with the sweaty mosh pit lapping it up the fab four decide to take their show into the pit, mics and all (minus their Ringo) to yank it out face to face with the gathered amigos down front on 'American Manc', 'Give and Take' and 'Trigger McPoopshute' and if the rumours circulating are correct Lips of Anvil has nothing on these guys, with the term "Cock Rock" becoming quite relevant tonight with one Trigger afficiendo getting his thing pretty up close and personal with a certain Rickenbacker bass before the Trigger's leave the floor and stage with the great sentiment "Fuck Tribute Acts...Fuck International Bands...Support Local Bands."

As the intro tape rolls Fell On Black Days hit the stage with a brutal intensity and smash straight into 'Ends With Me' and new tune 'Walk Away' and already it's pretty messy and insane at the front, all marching to the beat of FOBD's very own Colossus of Ebbw Vale frontman/vocalist Gavin Robinson, the blistering axe attack of Matt Hall and Mark Tranter, the pounding solid beats courtesy of Shaun Hodson and new(ish) member Glenn Newbrook's thumping basslines.

The musical onslaught continues with 'Mea Culpa' and spanking new video release 'Some More Than Others' before thrashing it out on 'Talion', the title track and reason for tonight's shenanigans, the launch of FOBD's five star Uber-approved album 'Talion' and, judging by the crowd's adulation, the devil horned respect and the pro level of dedicated musical performance on tracks such as 'Path To Ruin' and 'Tooth & Nail', it's obviously evident on tonight's showing that the guys have moved up deservedly into the next musical league, rounding the set off with 'Bone Of Contention' before being joined not only by former bassist Jason Morgan on the Slayer classic 'Raining Blood' but by what seemed like the entire paying clientele and assorted support band members of tonight's launch to end things on such a definitive intensified high.

We Have Lift Off..... [RW]

[Photos by Yasmine-Dahal: ScrapMetal-Photography]