It is times like these that make you realise what a tight knit community we have. You see, Eternal Champion were in rather a bind. Their appearance at Manorfest was meant to be a UK exclusive and they were flying over from the States especially for it. In fact, they were literally on the tarmac when news of Manorfest’s postponement came through. So, they found themselves in the UK all dressed up but with no place to go. Metal being metal, various promoters (including Damnation festival’s very own Gavin and Manchester's Tapestry Promotions) immediately rallied round the band and miraculously managed to pull together a last-minute UK tour. So here we are at Rebellion on Wednesday night for a show that didn't exist seven days ago.

Tapestry been Tapestry, they have managed to pull a number of strings and assemble a rather auspicious support package for the Texan legends. Local lads Asylum City Zoo are first up and the fact that they are here is pretty miraculous according to the brief words I grabbed with them in the unglamourous surroundings of the urinals. What I heard were tales of delayed house moves and lost guitars that made their appearance here feel like it was bordering on the heroic.

What we get from them is not an unpleasant mix of trad and groove metals. The fact that they have overcome obstacles to getting here means that they are not going to let anything get in the way to having a good time. Rebellion may be criminally under populated when they hit the stage, but from their antics you would be forgiven for thinking that they were playing to a rapturous crowd. Nick Harney decides the stage isn’t big enough for him and spends most of the set slapping his bass in the middle of the rapidly growing crowd. In fact, the biggest kudos I can give them is that they really try, really really try. He may be screaming into an empty void, but Rishi Kumar is going to get a singalong going even if it kills him. So big up to Asylum City Zoo for turning up and for making a decent feast of it, in the circumstances that's all we can ask.

Frozen In Shadows is Mancunian institution Footprints in the Custard's serious alter ego. Though once the Joker, always a Joker and vocalist Russell Gregory can't help but throw in the odd gag here and there. There is a running joke that when he states a track is about death, keyboardist Alexandra Green deadpans "they're all about death". There is an element of Children of Bodom fan-boyism going on, but as a Children of Bodom fan-boy myself, that ain’t no criticism. It's all guitar crescendos and keyboard flourishes and at its essence all good fun.

For a show that was only announced a week ago, in the middle of the cost-of-living crisis and on the Wednesday before an extended weekend, the showing isn’t bad. The Eternal Champion faithful are huddled at the front in rapture to finally be within a hair's breadth of their heroes. Essentially, this is the cult hero’s cult hero. Unknown by many, but beloved by those in the know. Essentially this is Manowar but with street credibility. Given that all their equipment is on another continent, this is a stripped-down show, but what it allows is for the band to illustrate why they are so revered.

From the moment they step foot on it, they own the stage. The guitar work is high octane metal at its best, Melodic but simultaneously resplendent with Herculean power. At the heart of it is Jason Tarpey, a powerhouse of a front man who manages both being unassuming and all consuming, for peats sake, for opener the’Godblade’ he is resplendent in a chain mail balaclava. Eternal Champion distils the true heart of metal and serve it back to us on a silver platter. Yes, the subject matter might be more geeky than a Star Trek convention, but the musicianship on show here tonight is simply astounding. It's big, it's bloated, but it is wonderfully evocative.

Given that they only came to this country to do a mid-afternoon festival set, this is a short but sweet appearance. No sooner have they strode onto stage than they are leaving it, but those fevered fans upfront are not going to let them get away with a simple goodbye. With a surprising amount of gusto for a crowd numbering less than 100 they are summoned back for more. The evening ends with the scrum of bodies at the lip of the stage screaming the words of ‘I am the Hammer’ back at the band. Eternal Champion may not be the most well-known name in metal but over the last two weeks they have proven that they have fans who will move heaven and earth for them. During these hastily arranged shows they have risen to the challenge and proven why they are held in such high regard. What did look like an unmitigated disaster has in fact turned out to be an unqualified success.