Just a few songs I'm quite liking at the moment.

Almah - Birds of Prey (Power/Progressive Metal)

Serenity - Reduced to Nothingness (Melodic Power/Progressive Metal)

Rage - From the Cradle to the Grave (Heavy/Power Metal)

Candlemass - Bewitched (Heavy Metal)

Andre Matos - Endeavour (Heavy/Power/Prog, who cares, it's Metal)

I am soooo annoyed that Falkirk lost.

I'm not going into detail, but we were CLEARLY the better team, even Rangers fans were admmiting they didn't deserve it.

Still, what a gyp. Biased refereeing (Goal chopped off) ensured that once again The Trophy goes to the Old Firm. What a surprise.

And Rangers fans can hang their heads in shame. That was the WORST chanting/singing I have ever witnessed. Singign "Glasgow Rangers, Glasgow Rangers ohhh ohh ohh ohh ohh" to the tune of Yankie Doodle = fail.

Still, I hope you're happy. You beat a superior team in the day who just escaped relegation. You beat a crappy team who hardly merit their place in the SPL. Well done. Well done.

So it's 80 days until I voyage down to England, in the Chapel town of Lichfield for Britain's Best Metal Festival. Here's my impressions of the line-up.

It's AWESOME

Well, most of the line-up is.

Here's a breakdown of the bands at the festival in different catogories in which I have catagorised them catagorically and in order of awesome.

Must See: Saxon , Sabaton , Blind Guardian , Die Apokalyptischen Reiter , Celesty , Arthemis , Candlemass , Amon Amarth , Turisas , Municipal Waste Battlelore

Will Probably See: Kreator, Enslaved, Girlschool, Fear Factory

Don't Mind seeing: Arch Enemy, Carcass, The Haunted, Equilibrium, Europe (Yes, I am considering seeing Europe..), Katatonia, Million Dollar Reload, Pythia, GWAR, Satyricon, Moonspell

I Know I'm Missing Due to Running Order Conflict: Apocalyptica

I Would Rather Gouge My Eyes Out With a Rusty Chainsaw Than See: Cradle of Filth

We've done it! We saved our sorry asses from relegation. And boy did we deserve to stay up. Ta ta Inverness, you deserved to go down!

Now bring on Rangers at the Cup Final. We can do it! The passion is there. And I'll be there

So this has been an AMAZING year for Falkirk FC. And spookily, it's almost a direct repeat of season '56/'57...and if it is, we're due for a Cup win!

Good luck to the Bairns, and I hope fellow members of GameSpot will join me in supporting Falkirk againstthe Gers.

Name a Power Metal band (not called Helloween) that is more influential than Stratovarius. You can't. No, not even them. Sonata Arctica and Galneryus are practically Strato tribute acts. The duelling keyboard/guitar solos have become commonplace AND a cliche in Power Metal, all thanks to Strato. Well, mostly down to Timo Tolkki who has now departed from Strato. This was Strato's first time in Scotland, and I hope not the last. And Firewind were there as well. So that's two of my "top 10" bands in one gig. Get in!

Eden's Curse

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...Sorry, still asleep from a boring performance, Balding old men playing balding old men Metal that could only be liked by balding old men. Stay away!

Musically quite inept and all they did was take up valuable Firewind and Strato time!

2/10

Firewind

Firewind are ace. No way around it. Gus G. is one of the most talented guitarists in Metal today and Firewind could show your Slippyknots and Avenged Sevenfolds and Arteyus how REAL METAL is done. Nae messing, just riffs and solos and choruses. This marks my second occaison seeing Firewind in Glasgow, and I must say it's a welcome return! Firewind strode onto Head up High, then marched (or should that be walked ) into Tyranny. From then on in, it was a fantastic performance of incredible musicianship and riffs galore. Outstanding.

Highlights included Maniac, a brand new song which will be called Losing Trust or something similar, Mercenary Man, Tyranny, Destination Forever and I am the Anger (A real PM classic) Unfortunately due time constraints Gus announced that they would have to cut Falling to Pieces from the setlist. EDEN'S CURSE CAN BURN IN HELL

I gave a celebratory grasp of hands to Mark Cross (drums) and Bob Kastin...Bob the keyboardist

10/10

Stratovarius

It amazes me. Only 3 years ago, Stratovarius headlined Bloodstock open air. Only 2 years ago, Stratovarius were special guests at Wacken. In 2009, Stratovarius play a 300 capacity venue in Glasgow.

This was Strato's first ever gig in Scotland as well as their first ever tour sans Tolkki.

The lights went down, and the intro to Hunting High and Low sparked up, and I don't think I have ever seen a crowd so excited. Timo Kotipelto strode onstage and we were all waiting for that opening line....but when it came, his voice was off. I blame the acoustics of the venue. However, he totally redeemed himself with the anthemic and powerful "NOW I'M LEAVING MY WORRIES BEHIIIIINNNNDDDD" line and the equally anthemic chorus.

After that came the other Power Metal classic Speed of Light. Oh yas! What a night this was gonna be.

But then Timo announced he has sickness, so he may faint onstage. And then the songs got obscurer, and obscurer before Paradise, which was rather fantastic, then it was back to obscurity.

The new guitarist is no Tolkki, but he does the job. The new songs ain't bad either.

So I'm getting disappointed, wanting to hear more classic Strato, and it's delivered with the set finisher Eagleheart, one of my favourite Stratovarius songs.

The encore began with a keyboard solo...on one song could be coming....but before that, it was fun to watch the drunk gits air guitaring to a keyboard solo.

So yeah, the keyboard solo descended into that familiar Harpsichord ostinato, and the crowd went crazy for Black Diamond. There was another epic song-along for the choris of Black Diamond. Ah, it was fantastic. To hear that song live is the dream of half of South America. El mejor de mi vida! Strato!

After the gig, I met a guy in the car park who got the setlist. About 5 songs had been cut EDEN'S CURSE!!!!!

10/10

I only found one vid from the gig this time:

Hunting High and Low

But here's some videos if you have no idea who they are. Should this be the case and you claim to be a Metal fan, LEAVE THE HALL

Black Diamond

Eagleheart

Hunting High and Low

Maniac Dance