Behind the Riverstage the night sky is crackling with electric energy. The sultry Brisbane weather seems to rise a few degrees inside the arena as sounds from some of the best in the metal world pound out of the venue’s huge speakers rolling over the fans crowded on the hill and slamming it in the mosh.

High On Fire have only been added to the bill in the last few weeks and as this now puts the lineup to four bands they take to the stage minutes after the gates are opened. With the revelers still filtering in, attention is quickly turned to the Americans tearing up the stage. They don’t seem to slow their pace once throughout the 30 minutes, which is quite an achievement in the stifling heat, and it is easy to see why they are held in great esteem by their colleagues and critics alike. The set is full of no-holds-barred guitar riffs and pounding drum beats and Matt Pike’s vocals hold no pretences. Song of the set is Devilution and as the crowd that has gathered are all sitting up and taking notice it is clear that High On Fire have gained new fans tonight.

Keeping the energy alive, the second band on the bill are Massachusetts thrashers Shadows Fall. Seeing this band live for the first time is an experience, as they are well-known for their energetic and full-on live shows. Brian Fair ’s knee-length dreadlocks are a sight to behold as he windmills them around his head and whips the crowd into a frenzy. Fair displays awesome vocals – effortlessly moving from screaming into the microphone to the melodic, cleaner parts of each song. The set is over all too soon as Shadows Fall do what they do best, and the crowd is now truly amped up for the remaining two bands of the night.

DevilDriver have been hailed as one of the best metal bands of the new century and tonight they prove yet again that this is an accurate comment. The anticipation of the crowd heightens as the banner is unfurled at the back of the set, then suddenly the lights go out, the strobes begin to flash and the roars are deafening as Dez Fafara leads his band onstage. The 45 minute set is too short for this powerful band, but they hold the attention of everyone in the venue for the entire time. Shattering bass lines and thumping drum beats get the mosh moving, although at times the sounds are too much for one of the amps as it squeals in protest during the early minutes and then again towards the end of the set. Fafara’s vocal range is extensive. From guttural depths to higher, lighter lines, he leads the band as they rip through the set list which includes crowd favourites such as Chase and I Could Care Less, as well as the title track off the latest album, Pray For Villains. Coaxing the packed mosh into huge circle pits and at one stage even dividing the crowd into a sort of human re-enactment of Moses parting the Red Sea, Fafara succeeds in keeping up the frenzied pace set by the first bands of the night.

Lamb Of God have a laidback approach to their shows and it is an effective method. The simple set up on stage involves two ramps on the side leading up to a podium where Chris Adler is perched on his drum stool; leaving plenty of room for the rest of the band to windmill, headbang and stalk about the stage. And do they ever. Although each member of the band is nearing the big 4-0, from the start to the end of the performance the set is pure energy and the primal roars and technical instrument work coming from the five suggest that they are nowhere near retirement. As they thrash out the very best from their repertoire, the crowd eats it up and the moshpit is a constant ebb and flow of bodies that never seem to pause even between the songs.

Older Lamb Of God favourites such as Walk With Me In Hell and Ruin are well received, as are the new favourites off the latest album, Wrath. Two of the standout songs were Dead Seeds , and just when it seemed that the band was starting to tire, they took it up a notch and absolutely tore up the stage with the fast-paced thrash song Contractor, both of which are off the new album.

However, the most popular song of the night went to Redneck, played second to last and encouraging even more punters to join the mob in the mosh. Chris Adler’s drumming was fierce and fast and the epic solo from Mark Morton and Willie Adler on the guitars broke up the set and show off the skills of the talented artists. It is also refreshing to see a front-man such as Blythe. He converses with the crowd better than most lead vocalists, expressing his heartfelt gratitude for the loyalty of each fan, and they roar their approval back at him, even going so far as to bow to his wishes and throw their shoes onstage, well, just for the hell of it. As the hot and humid night draws to a close, Lamb Of God have proved yet again that they are definitely one of the best in the business and that they aren’t done yet.