WHO: Devil Sold His Soul
WHERE: Barfly, London
HOW'S THE HEAD/NECK/VOICE: fine/sore/fine
MOOD: Impressed

The Napalm Death/Iron Maiden ratio (fury of pits vs people singing along, each part out of 5): 3:4

Seeing as they've not really played any UK shows in ages, Devil Sold His Soul packed out the Barfly. The sell out crowd meant that things were a bit cramped, however the faithful down the front whipped up one almighty pit as soon as the intro tape finished, lasting right up until the very last note of the set. There was some serious head bang on show and there's going to be plenty of sore throats this morning, as there were plenty of people having a sing-a-long with the tech metal sextet.

The Frets-On-Fire Factor: 3/5 Karl Sanders

There was some serious shredding from the DSHS guys, with guitarists Rick and Jonny providing a seriously heavy twin guitar attack, especially on 'The Disappointment' which left many a face melted and provided ample headbang oppurtunites.

The Superstar Quotient:
  70% Watain

Frontman Ed Gibbs has infamously had problems with his throat in the past, particularly when on tour and sometimes this has affected his performance. However tonight he is firing on all cyclinders, owning the stage at the Barfly. His hardcore credentials came into play as well, giving the venue more of a CBGB's feel as opposed to Camden Town.

The Grim Face/Smiley Face divide (AKA The Immortal/KISS Axis - out of 5): 4 Gene Simmons

DSHS definitely aren't the grim and frostbitten type, and with it being their Christmas show there was definitely a festive feeling in the air, so it was smiles all round from the six piece as they bounced around the tinsel clad stage at the Barfly.

The Lasting Impression

Devil Sold His Soul certainly know how to put a good setlist together and harvested all three of their albums to make their Christmas show one to remember. With the set time passing well over the hour mark, it allowed them to add a wealth of older material to the set, with the likes of 'Crane Lake', 'A Storm Of Light' and 'Sirens Chant' sending the audience into a bat-shit frenzy.