Live Review: Slayer, Anthrax & Kingdom Of Sorrow

Sludgey bruisers Kingdom Of Sorrow were the only band on the bill who weren't suffering from a case of Spinal Tap drummer syndrome. With the infectious Jamey Jasta tearing out his vocal chords and Kirk Windstein bringing the doom with panache you could have been forgiven for thinking this was a full-time affair rather than a part-time project.

With a solid new album under their collective wings, Anthrax exuded confidence. Offering up a slimmed down version of their Sidewave set, the boys mixed the old (Caught In A Mosh, Indians, I Am The Law) with the new (Fight 'Em 'Til You Can't, In The End) in an energetic performance that was warmly received by Slayer's notoriously partisan crowd. Vocalist Joey Belladonna was particularly impressive and hit even the high notes with ease.

With all due respect to Anthrax, no-one doubted that Jon Dette could handle standing in for Charlie Benante. But standing in for Dave Lombardo in effin' Slayer – that was another thing. Well, Dette passed with flying colours. A mere half hour after completing his Anthrax duties, Dette was effortlessly crashing his way through the hyperspeed classic War Ensemble while the crowd exploded. Even with a persistently muddy mix, Slayer were of course phenomenal. Even better, they steered away from playing a predictable set by including Hell Awaits, Spirit In Black, Die By The Sword and well received versions of Bloodline and Payback. By the time the likes of South Of Heaven, Raining Blood and Dead Skin Mask were unleashed, all the drama surrounding the band's tour had been completely forgiven. Off stage, Slayer may resemble a soap opera, but on stage they remain a potent wrecking machine.