Killswitch Engage @ Brixton Academy, October 3, 2007

Killswitch Engage kick off their European tour at Brixton Academy tonight. With the long wait for them to hit the stage setting in, it's obvious that the crowd are getting restless, incessant chants of "Killswitch, Killswitch, Killswitch" consume the venue. There's an air of excitement that can be felt with the anticipation surrounding tonight's gig.

Search lights flash back and forth as the band hit the stage, a sea of devil horns are all that can be seen of the crowd. Ever the comedian, guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz, better known as Adam D, runs out in a black cape and boxer shorts, to everyone's amusement. He spends the entire gig up to his usual joker antics, getting countless laughs and posturing at every opportunity. At one point he even shouts to the bodies at the back of the room, who are less physically rampant in their appreciation of the music than the cacophony of enthusiasts being crushed against the bars at the front, "I fucked all your mothers!" A sure-fire way to provoke a reaction, the crowd surge forward, putting all their energies into letting the music devour them.

Tonight we're treated to a miasma of tunes, old and new. Every one of them is received with elation. The musicianship is stellar, with the guitar duets beautifully raw and hedonistic. The band are tight, attacking our ears, track by track, until it feels as if they're about to bleed and fall off. 'Fixation on the Darkness' gets everyone utterly pumped up, the only criticism being, that there's so much action on stage, it's hard to concentrate on what's going on. 'The end of Heartache' is fuelled by emotion, with gasps of excitement as the intro sets in – it's like a metalcore break-up song.

As the band leave it feels as if they've only just begun. How can an hour-and-a-half set have passed so quickly? Luckily, an encore is the order of the day. They return with 'My Last Serenade', only turning it on it's head so that there's a grossly extended guitar solo. The crowd take full opportunity to savour the last few minutes, with hair, horns and sweat flying everywhere. Killswitch are definitely back, and they are undisputedly 100% on top form.