Doomsday - Sunday 9th March - Barfly.

Jointly sponsored by Meltdown and Catacomb records, the evening was compered by Chris from Meltdown and I Am Colossus, who, because of Lazarus Blackstar recently parting company with their vocalist, were headlining the evening.

Black Cesar had travelled from Wales and thankfully their trip was well worth the effort. Played doom in the old style, with elements of early Sabbath, Pentagram and Trouble. Skull-crushingly heavy - their drummer seemed intent on destroying the kit if it was humanly possible; casting my mind back I haven't heard many hit a snare that hard (although Daz from Colossus is one that springs to mind!). Visually unusual, most of the lead duties were taken on by a seated musician who played an unidentified beast which looked like a cross between a zither and a guitar, alternating between beefy rock guitar and then slide/Hawaiian sounds. Sounds strange but it worked very well. No vocals tonight (don't know if this is the norm) their instrumentals were well received and the evening had got off to a quality start.

Aluna. Thanks to the guitarist Dave for the setlist. Saw them supporting Trouble last year and wasn't overly impressed. Since then the vocalist has now added rhythm guitar duties to her repertoire although she still seems almost bored to be on stage (or is it nerves?). The rest of the band tried hard to endear themselves to an increasingly restive crowd, but the vocals themselves were indistinct and her apparent lack of enthusiasm didn't go down well. Enough of the whinge - musically they play traditional doom and the setlist was "Higher", "Living Fast", "Son Et..", a Pentagram cover, "Show Me How" with closer "Spend My Time." Nothing inherently wrong with their music, simply not delivered with enough conviction.

Outburst. Setlist liberated from the bassist who looked more than slightly confused by my request! Five songs aired tonight - "Figures", "Submit", "Primitive", "Sermon" and "Forged In Fire." All well played traditional doom without being distinctive.

Godsize. The only band offering T-shirts in XXL (aka big bastard) so naturally had to buy one! And the vocalist reduced the price as it was a display item, good ol' boy. Only one word sums up their performance - ferocious. Change of style from the first three outfits, they played hardcore with a frightening degree of savagery. Enjoyed them at the Meltdown festival last year (see archived reviews), the vocalist spent the vast majority of the set off stage prowling round the audience. Very tight musically, bass duties were taken on by Dave from Aluna, who along with the rest of the band played a blinder. Relentless brutality, go and see them as soon as you get the chance - awesome.

Haxan. Also on the Meltdown bill, my comments of that performance were, in hindsight, perhaps slightly harsh. That said I still don't see what the fuss is about this lot. Competent musicians they play quality doom, it just doesn't do much for me I'm afraid.

I Am Colossus. Met up with a couple of the guys from the band early in the evening and they were buzzing with anticipation at the prospect of performing their new setlist. Loads of dry ice, more capes than before too they delivered their uber-slow take on doom well. "Monolithic", "Revelations" and "Still Life" got things underway before the band disappeared leaving Chris to perform the accoustic "In Ruins." Well played as it was I found it a strange inclusion in a set of this length; having said that fair play for having the balls to try it! Sure it will work well in a longer set. The band returned for the start of "In The Name Of The Father" before Daz was let loose to batter the living daylights out of his kit during his entertaining solo. Final return for the band saw them play "Moss Icon" to conclude the evening.

Times are hard I know, but eight quid for 6 bands is hardly a major investment, and yet the venue was still frustratingly empty. My views are subjective; being objective all of the musicians tonight tried hard to put on a good show and they provided excellent value for money. These events need better support - Birmingham has a lively metal scene, but fans need to make the effort for nights like this to continue. Godsize won band of the night for me by a considerable margin and I look forward to seeing them pummelling a crowd into submission again soon!