by Tim Edwards

Waiting for this show was like waiting to tear open the wrapping on your late Christmas present that failed to arrive on time because of the delayed post courtesy of Jack Frost's untimely UK fly-by.

The anticipation for a gig boasting four great bands in their own right was sky-high. Virtually everyone in attendance will have seen Terror previously, the veteran tourers they are, yet many will have been clapping eyes on the other three for the first time.

Hailing from the epicentre of unparalleled Hardcore, New York, Backtrack pull out all the stops. Despite hitting the stage just after 7pm there was a healthy show of support for a band who have yet to release a full length album, their demo and EP proving strong additions to any hardcorehead's collection.
Their springy, youth-crew tunes incites sporadic pit action from the two-step tribe while 'Deal With The Devil' showcases their talent for fusing nasty hooks with catchy lyrics. The Long Islanders have been earning their dues for a few years now yet are still considered ones for the future, especially when you look at the company they keep (Madball, Sick Of It All, Agnostic Front, insert the name of N.E Other great NYHC band here). Their soon-to-drop full length will give a clearer indication whether these young pretenders have the cojones to follow their peers on that bumpy road to respectability and longevity. I expect them to do so.

California's Lionheart are next to prowl Moho's dimly-lit, barrier free enclosure. And my, what a bunch of angry fuckers these boys are. To say their set was littered with slamming beatdowns is an understatement - they love taking the tempo from all out thrash to windmill-inducing breaks - and back again. However, some of their tracks seem to meander aimlessly into a sonic haze and they lack the sort of memorable anthems that come all too easily for the bands they set the stage for.
That is not to say they are not a fine band - far from it. Look beyond some of the tedium and you will find some pretty brutal slabs of Metalcore and I suspect their time is yet to come.

First Blood, supporting their new album 'Silence Is Betrayal', are nowhere near their destructive best although through no fault of their own. Frontman and ex-Terror bassist Carl Schwartz, who possesses one of the most distinctive voices in hardcore, is suffering. His larynx, in his own words, "is shot" and that is one major bullet wound in First Blood's armoury. However, he gives it his all even if he does risk prompting a few guffaws from the crowd by sounding like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo when his vocal chords do their best to fuck him over.
They rattle through their self-titled pit anthem while 'Next Time I see You You're Dead', 'Suffocate' and' Victim' all go down a storm thanks to a little vocal help from the eager kids warming up for the main event. Hell, even new songs like 'Lies', 'Survive' and the ferocious 'Enemy' are warmly received.

And so to Terror. One of the flag bearers for modern hardcore? You better believe it. They tore the worldwide scene a new hole with the 'Lowest Of The Low' EP back in 2003. Now they have surpassed themselves with their latest opus, 'Keepers Of The Faith'. Widely regarded as THE hardcore album of 2010 KOTF is an instant classic and the band know it. The first three tracks off that are included in a mammoth set - 'Your Enemies Are Mine', 'Stick Tight' and 'Return To Strength' - as are 'Your Caught', 'To Hell And Back' and the instantly memorable title track which closes the show.
But long before then vocalist Scott Vogel has the rabid crowd eating out of the palm of his hand, demanding a constant wave of stage divers and invaders to share the mic when not risking life and limb. They duly obliged.
All the 'hits', if you can call them that, are aired. 'Spit My Rage' sees Lionheart and Backtrack members get in on the action while 'Betrayer', 'Always The Hard Way', 'Better Off Without You', 'Overcome' and 'Keep Your Mouth Shut' are all thrust forth with paint-stripping intensity. Drummer Nick Jett, bearing a passing resemblance to At The Gates growler Tomas Lindberg, is the glue that keeps Terror together, smashing seven bells out of his kit as the pumping heartbeat of this Los Angeles beast.

I never thought any band would topple Sick Of It All as my favourite live band for out-and-out fun, pure carnage and raw energy but Terror may just have done that on a night that will be remembered for years to come. Keepers of the faith? More like rightful owners.