Floridian death metal veterans Obituary help kick off Slayer's farewell celebrations tonight to an understandably sparse collection of early birds and faithfuls, given the 6.20pm start. Still, they capably lay the foundations for the 80s metal splatter gun that is Anthrax, whose set is a glorious, fun-filled flashback to the larger-than-life, almost cartoonish aesthetic of their heyday, plastering a smile on the faces of everybody already screaming for 'SLAYEEER'!

Comparatively, Lamb of God offer a much darker and brutal experience, walking us into hell for 45 minutes of some of the most accomplished metal anthems of the modern day. The Virginian bruisers prowl the stage like they own it, and the venue erupts. Future arena fillers in their own right for sure.

For now, however, it's Slayer's turn and from the moment 'Delusions of Saviour' announces the band's arrival in a hail of hellfire, they bolt the go pedal to the floor for an hour-and-a-half of non-stop pure metal brilliance.

Casting their net wide across 30+ years of recorded material, from latter-day anthems such as 'Repentless' and 'Hate Worldwide' to blood-curdling classics such as 'War Ensemble', 'Post-mortem' and 'Disciple', Slayer pack punch after punch tonight - and they all land. Barely stopping for breath, even during their non-core of sorts, only leaving the stage for the recorded intro of 'South of Heaven', their set is about as relentless, chaotic and pyro-filled as any fan could ever hope for, and a bittersweet, albeit fitting end to a long and storied career.

The band deliver one last visceral gut punch, courtesy of hallmark anthem 'Angel of Death', when an enormous banner drops to pay tribute to fallen guitarist Jeff Hanneman who sadly passed away in 2013. As the last distorted barbs ring into to the air, our headliners say a solemn thank you and vocalist Tom Araya emotionally surveys the crowd in silence, drinking it in for one final time. As the lights go up and hell freezes over, one thing becomes clear: there is no 'big four', there is only Slayer.