Live Review: Avenged Sevenfold, Five Finger Death Punch

It may seem obvious on paper, but for those who were there it was hard to tell who the bigger drawcard for Tuesday's show was: Five Finger Death Punch or Avenged Sevenfold. Whilst A7X certainly enjoyed a bigger budget, what with pyrotechnics and enormous stage props, both bands enjoyed massive crowd support and played at their very best.

Fans of Death Punch were frothing and the prospect of thrashing around to Burn MF was irresistible (especially for Ben, the stunned mullet they plucked from the front row). The response to The Bleeding was epic. They also generated impressive pits, with a big section of the floor space involved, and frontman Ivan Moody just wouldn't quit with the love-in attitude. Seriously – if you weren't their biggest fan you'd feel guilty, he was that emphatic about what we meant to him. If that wasn't enough, the viking on bass with the plaited beard (Chris Kael) was ready to throw down some tough love for those still not convinced by their airtight spitfire thrash riffs.

A7X have been rocking at peak commercial capacity for a while now, and have their stage craft buffed to a shiny sheen. All their hair was in place (although Johnny Christ's throwback mohawk just couldn't compete with Synyster Gate's dreamy bouffant) and they made sure everyone got a good view at all times. All their cues were hit without mercy and without fault, and their setlist was tastefully deep without feeling highbrow.

This is a band that bridges the divide between '80s hair metal and underground speedcore, and as such you have to recognise the level of theatricality at play if you are to appreciate them fully. Their show on Tuesday was perfect for their rabid fans, but barring major technical difficulties, at this stage in their career they would never deliver anything but. It's purely a matter of taste, not music quality, and the only thing you need to know about the show's critical success was this: the fans fucking loved it.