RISCA'S Mr Maggs are taking drum'n'bass infused metal to a new frenetic level.

The four-piece play fast, loud and darkly and hold no prisoners with their uncompromising sound.

They recently supported Skindred and Trip with whom they have similarities, particularly the latter Newport band.

Mr Maggs have also headlined TJ's twice, including the show pictured, yet they formed just last winter.

Fed up with typical bands like Lostprophets, they wanted to break some clichs and get their own stuff out there.

"We've always just written where it takes us," says vocalist and rhythm guitarist Tom Sinner. "We never write to a set format.

"Lostprophets do write to a set style - nu metal - and they're a bit of a girl band.

"We don't mind the girlies liking us but we don't want to directly go for that! The music comes first."

Love of music brought the Risca lads together in the local comprehensive school.

Phil Davies on drums and John Morgan on guitar are now doing music at Crosskeys college. Nick Barry on bass is working, while Tom is taking is GCSEs at Risca comp.

Phil, John and Tom used to be in a band called God's Green Herb but lost that when they parted company with a former bassist and started everything afresh.

Mr Maggs is a friend of theirs - "a cool kid that they all know called John Maggs" - whose name they ended up pinching.

They wanted a name that was anonymous. "You hear most names these days and you instantly know what the music is going to sound like," explains Tom. "That's not the case with Mr Maggs." The music, says Tom, is hard to classify. "It's got industrial, drum'n'bass and metal elements. But it's not metal."

They record in a homemade studio in the guitarist's house in which they produce themselves.

There are loads of influences on the music, says Tom, including Pitchshifter. Their first gig was Sinner-Fest which was a Halloween party in Tom's house.

"Our first proper gig was in TJ's last year. We got mates to come and did loads of promotion, posters, talking to people in the street. We had quite a good turnout."

Since that they've also played with the likes of Kennedy Soundtrack as well as Skindred and Trip in The Union, Cardiff.

The band has a website, www.mrmaggs.cjb.net, at which you'll find a demo with more to follow soon.

More gigs are being planned, including another show with Trip and an end of term-fest for Crosskeys College in either The Monkey or Tony's Pizza in Crosskeys.

The band's main plan this year is to record an album funded by money from playing gigs.

"South Wales is not a bad place to be in a band," says Tom. "It hasn't been too hard organising gigs.

"There's a nice fan base here. Quite a few bands have got a following. So we're optimistic."