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“I’ve got some biscuits up here if you want some… no seriously!” TALANAS’s [7] charismatic frontman Hal Sinden cackles. Combining snacks, suave suits and a quirky sense of humour, Talanas present their gothic-tinged progressive death metal with quintessential British eccentricity. < CODE > [7] have gone through many changes since their inception in 2002, both in style and personnel, but the band are back to swirling, avant-garde BM that swoops from atmospheric to brutal, and frontman Wacian carries the songs with ease – although a black metal vocalist in a plaid shirt is probably a first. Norwegian avant-garde troupe VULTURE INDUSTRIES [8] are one of the most intriguing and theatrical forces in underground metal today: from their music – a captivating combo of prog, post-punk and art rock that could soundtrack a creepy gothic carnival – to the presentation, mainly carried with mesmerising melodrama by their wide-eyed, dynamic frontman Bjørnar E Nilsen. Supporting their new album, Stranger Times, their setlist comprises mainly new songs and those from 2013’s The Tower. As The World Burns is deliciously groovy and The Hound has the audience singing along while Bjørnar crouches atop a towering speaker, Gollum-style. His wide-ranging vocals are superb, particularly when he goes operatic, and whether he’s stomping across the stage like a man possessed or starting a conga line for the encore, he’s a formidable frontman in leading his merry band of madcaps through this entertaining evening.

Hannah May Kilroy has been writing about music professionally for over a decade, covering everything from extreme metal to country. She was deputy editor at Prog magazine for over five years, and previously worked on the editorial teams at Terrorizer and Kerrang!. She currently works as the production editor for The Art Newspaper, and also writes for the Guardian, Classic Rock and Metal Hammer.