Supersonic Festival @ The Custard Factory, Digbeth

Supersonic returns to the Custard Factory for its ninth year, bringing together a bewildering array of bands and performers working on the experimental edges of noise production, from electronica and jazz to the very depths of dark, sludgy and grimy metal.

The line-up is brilliantly curated by Capsule, offering the chance to see old favourites and discover new treasures, and the design, aesthetics, and visual accompaniments are perfectly pitched. Along with three stages of live music, there are art events – including the Home of Metal exhibition featuring precious relics from the birth of Napalm Death and the Black Country’s grind scene - special performances, film screenings, workshops, panel discussions, a market place and some very delicious real ales.

FRIDAY

Slabdragger open proceedings at the Boxxed stage on Friday evening, the Croydon three-piece laying on a heavy clod of distorted doom, followed by some thumping, hypnotic techno loops from Drumcunt. Later, Scotch Egg brings a wilder breed of techno with his trademark mix of quick-fire breaks and digital hardcore.

Over on Supersonic’s main stage, Space 2, Secret Chiefs 3 deliver a breathtakingly good set, one of the highlights of the festival. Trey Spruance’s current collection of Chiefs are incredibly tight, the mesmerising arrangements varying from nomadic desert rock, Morricone-esque western scores, psychedelic surf, death metal jams and an astonishing rendition of the Halloween theme. Mind-blowing stuff. Scorn rounds off the evening, ex-Napalm Death man Mick Harris blasting the crowd with some extremely heavy industrial basslines, and we retire to bed with ringing ears and happy hearts.

SATURDAY

Saturday gets underway with a civilized afternoon start; Teeth of the Sea take to the stage at teatime for some energetic, throbbing space rock. In a similar vein, Antilles play some rather brilliant Kraut-ish stompers. Bardo Pond knock out some gentle psychedelia on the main stage, followed by Wolves in the Throne Room with a set of relentless, monotonous death metal.

Back over at Boxxed, Finnish hypnotists Pharaoh Overlord play an excellent selection of narcotic-infused rock, and then there’s the brutal thrill of Gothenburg experimenters The Skull Defekts.

Late on Saturday we are treated to another festival highlight, the dark, satanic and very, very heavy metal of Electric Wizard. An hour of awesome sludge is accompanied by suitably devilish and ritualistic visuals. Monarch play the final slot of the day with a screaming dirge loud enough to rattle the teeth out of our heads.

SUNDAY

Sunday starts with a profound hangover, but luckily Selfless are on hand to blast away the cobwebs. Playing under the vaulted ceiling of the Old Library, the Birmingham four-piece rapidly screams and thrashes through their short and sweet hardcore grind numbers.

Veteran artist and composer Tony Conrad plays the main stage, stark lighting projecting his sinister shadow above as he squawks away at his violin, creating oscillating sounds that never quite reach the explosion they seem to promise. Even so, it’s an intriguing performance. Back at the Old Library, unfortunately clashing with Conrad’s appearance, William Bennett, under the guise of Cut Hands, unleashes his abrasive Afro-influenced industrial sounds.

Drunk in Hell produce a hair-raising wall of nihilistic, down-tempo brilliance. For this reviewer the Middlesbrough five-piece, with vocalist Bish coming across like a vexed Henry VIII, are among the best bands of the weekend.

Sunday evening’s fun continues with the awesome stage presence of Circle, sporting an attractive expanse of Spandex, satin shirts and studded-armbands. Byetone headlines the Boxxed stage with some wonderful minimalist rhythms.

Throughout Sunday a distinctively denim-clad clan of Turbojugend start appearing amongst the audience in anticipation of headliners, Turbonegro. The Nordic rockers delight their fans with a hearty dish of deathpunk, and the festival, sadly, comes to an end.

Supersonic is an incredibly satisfying festival experience, with a line up that's perfectly balanced between legends of the avant-garde and delightful new revelations. There is also a variety of extremely pleasing distractions in the form of art, film, special performances, and the Market Place area offering much sought-after vinyl, zines, clothing and prints. The visuals across all three stages were exceptionally good, perfectly complementing the sonic experience.

It really is impossible to find fault in any aspect of Supersonic, apart from the difficulty of dragging yourself away from one stage to catch another unmissable performer playing elsewhere. Next year marks the festival’s tenth birthday - this reviewer looks forward to 2012 with eager anticipation.