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On paper it might seem an odd choice to let Belgian noisemongers STEAK NUMBER 8 [7] open proceedings tonight – there isn’t a hummable chorus or melodic vocal anywhere near the vicinity. Instead we get omnipresent feedback, huge doom-inspired grunge riffs and frontman Brent Vanneste’s bloodcurdling screams that bully the earlycomers into some sort of approval.

THOUGHT FORMS [5], on the other hand, sound like they need their batteries changed. There’s nothing wrong with their jangling, discordant shoegaze particularly, but as a support band it’s a thankless task for them to try to grab fans experiencing their awkward, introverted music and stage presence for the first time. Shoes are shuffled, minds wander and Thought Forms fade from the memory instantly as anticipation for the headliners grows.

Having released the debut of the year in 2014, one that reimagines the groundbreaking, punk-as-fuck 90s pioneers L7, Bikini Kill and Babes In Toyland with a metallic, contemporary twist, there is as much expectation in the air as there is goodwill as MARMOZETS [9] open by pulling the pin on Move, Shake, Hide.

That they live up to those lofty standards, and often surpass them, is proof that we’ve got something pretty special on our hands. No band this green and youthful should be so tight, the complex yet irresistible rhythms of Is It Horrible and the creeping, spinetingling chill of Captivate You are presented with the natural confidence of a band that have been playing together longer than the members of Marmozets have been alive.

As great as the band are, Marmozets may not have quite the same impact were it not for vocalist Becca Macintyre, who is, without an inch of over-exaggeration, an absolute superstar with a voice that would drop the jaw of even the most jaded cynic. Ranging from eye-bulging screeches to sugar-sweet harmonies in the blink of an eye and with a raw honesty that is lacking in so many of the cliché-reliant musicians of today, she is a transfixing presence.

After an hour they bid us farewell with Why Do You Hate Me? You can’t help but smile at the irony. Hate you? You’d struggle to find someone in this room who isn’t utterly in love with Marmozets. Surely, thousands more will follow./o:p

Since blagging his way onto the Hammer team a decade ago, Stephen has written countless features and reviews for the magazine, usually specialising in punk, hardcore and 90s metal, and still holds out the faint hope of one day getting his beloved U2 into the pages of the mag. He also regularly spouts his opinions on the Metal Hammer Podcast.