It's not often that the dust is blown off the furniture at London's most famous gig-goers' haunt to host anything even remotely resembling a metal band. But then, to be fair, The Marquee of today really only is that by name; its most recent incarnation being one that's thrice removed from its original location and in its present interior boasting a pit that would heave under the weight of more than fifty punters.

It's just as well though, as tonight, despite this being Face Down's official UK homecoming gig, and their first for many years, very few seem to have been bothered with turning up. It's a catch twenty-two situation -- on one hand, it leaves one free to enjoy the band in decidedly more accommodating and audience-friendly surrounds, though at the same time one must feel for the band, in particular frontman Marco Aro, who when he toured here with The Haunted just two years ago, comfortably packed out a venue of at least four times the size.

But tonight isn't about audience size, nor even about album promotion. Face Down, by their own admission, have reunited for the express purpose of performing the music they love, and while the spastic aggression on their latest effort may not betray their newfound demeanour in the slightest, they certainly don't appear to be phased by the relatively slack turnout.

Before they can take to the stage however, there's the matter of the opening act; in tonight's case, local faves Panic Cell, who seem to be popping up on more bills than George Washington these days. Their Soil-esque aggro-core goes down well, and vocalist Luke Bell works the crowd like a pro, although from time to time his exuberance does border on being just a tad Spinal Tap.

Such is not the case with Face Down, with the quartet being almost note-perfect from the start despite a gratingly muddy mix and stage lights that appear inhabited by the (unwieldy) ghosts of the building's previous tenants. Unsurprisingly, the majority of the setlist comprises a sizeable chunk pulled from _The Will to Power_, but with tracks like "Hatred" and "Demon Seed" being wheeled out, fans of the band's earlier work aren't entirely overlooked. At the same time however, you can't help but feel like these tracks are the work of a virtually different band, as they sound positively dilettante compared to "Heretic", "Blood Tiles" and _The Will to Power_'s devastating title track. Which, when you think about it, isn't at all bad for a band who could so easily be written off as just another one of 2005's many needless reunions.