"... drink beer, fuck fall out boy ..."

With song titles such as Tomorrow’s Whores and Prepare For Death, you know from the get-go that you’re in for an uncompromising attack on polite sensibilities with Gift Wrapped Fist.

They are Angelo Vidigal (vocals), Danny Norris (drums), Sam Marriott (bass), Roy Taylor (guitar) and Matt Daly (guitar). Based in Burton On Trent, and coming from the shores of Jersey, Gift Wrapped Fist say they are determined to make their way through ‘the crap that is the metal scene now’ and in doing so demonstrate a taste for derisive nose-thumbing that not even fellow metal musicians can feel safe from. Their music features fuzzed-out guitars slicing through the murk of an aggressive rhythm section, and vocals that are one-part Lemmy to two parts violent tramp. They create a monstrous derangement of lust and anguish, and create something that is radically new with the forms of classic metal. Their performance on July 17th promises to be unmissable.

Metal nights at Asylum are always exciting events due to the loyal support of a heavy music loving crowd recognising that, uniquely in Jersey, the Live Lounge genuinely supports the scene.

Nailed To The Furnace are John Ward (vocals), Lee Raeburn (lead guitar), Andy Thomas (guitar), Molly Warren (bass) and Danny Gallichan (drums). They are a hardcore band aiming to bring a different style of metal to Jersey. I’d sum up that sound by saying it is like a chamber quintet offshoot of Glenn Branca’s symphonic guitar noise orchestra playing relentless, monochordal anthems with ferocious intensity and fronted by a vocalist with real menace.

Bulletproof are the island’s respected punk dons, Steve, Lee and Eddie, committed and vital as ever, all of whom I had the pleasure of interviewing for Asylum on YouTube recently. Check out the interview and performance videos here.