By Christine Hindle (Shiloh)

HEADING from home towards this Engraved Disillusion sandwich, I was unsure what to expect as Taunton isn’t known for its heavy metal music scene.

It didn’t bode well when there was no queue at the door of Okoko but things were already warming up inside with the enthusiastic Mooneater on stage.

The audience was small but appreciative and I can’t fault the band for their 100% gutsy performance. 
They kept the night going with their transformation from performers into eager audience participants. Whatever they had for breakfast, I want some tomorrow morning.

During the short break the audience was subjected to a variety of painful pop music, but we were saved from too much nausea with the timely arrival on stage of Taunton’s Engraved Disillusion. 

Engraved Disillusion’s ‘Eternal Rest’ has received great reviews from the rock and metal press and, sound system issues aside, they blew Taunton’s socks off with their pulsating bass rhythm and super-shredding guitar riffs. 

The new hirsute singer gave a confident performance making the most of his vocal range and the drummer belied his seemingly minimalistic movements with an extraordinary variety of fills. Most impressive though was guitarist Marc Matthews whose quiet charisma provided a sense of calm within a storm of steel.

A brief pause in proceedings between bands was this time filled with more appropriate music – to the relief of all – including an all-time favourite from 1975, AC/DC’s ‘It’s a long way to the top’. 

Headliners Metallica Reloaded, billed as ‘Europe’s number one Metallica tribute band’, eagerly gave the sizeable crowd more than enough metal to break their teeth on.

Clearly accomplished musicians, they started well and got better and better. The audience was there to party and everything that could be ripped was let rip.

I’ve been watching rock and metal bands for more years than I can count, and this is the first time I’ve seen a werewolf in a mosh pit.