MANILA, Philippines?In between beer-guzzling contests and video clips of past awards nights, a preshow segment of the 2009 NU 107 Rock Awards took off with a blasting opener from the Lo-Techs, followed by a down-tempo number from Muziklaban champs, Even.

The show?s ?High Definition? theme featured a giant rectangular screen that cut up the performers onstage like jigsaw puzzle pieces.

If black had been de rigueur attire among the audience in past editions, this year?s Rock Awards had people wearing a rainbow of colors, predominated by shades of yellow and green. There was a couple, though, dressed as a punk-rock nun and a heavy-metal priest. Otherwise, the rest of the crowd came in their regular tees and jeans.

But this must be really one of the loudest Rock Awards ever. Kamikazee?s set sounded like its amplifiers? volume was at 11, as the band opened the show proper with ?Wala,? a political satire, hard-core metal track from its latest album, ?Long Time Noisy.?

Maybe metal is rising again from the underground. Or perhaps it?s the acoustics of the venue. It?s even probable that the saucy repartees between emcees Iza Calzado and Ramon Bautista deserved to be sound-tracked by hard rock.

Even the newcomer group Franco inserted hard riffing to its current reggae-inflected radio hit, ?Song For the Suspect.?

Spicy horns and hot-looking cage dancers added fire to the soul extravaganza of Juan Pablo Dream, which did a medley of ?Tibok ng Puso,? ?Nice Place? and ?Light My Fire.?
Kjwan had everyone swooning to an impossibly emotive love ballad, ?Lifeline,? off its latest record.

But as far as the award winners were concerned, a low-key band made the biggest impact?Up Dharma Down snagging Album of the Year (?Bipolar?) and Artist of the Year trophies, not to mention Vocalist of the Year honors for Armi Millare.

The honor roll:

? Best New Artist: Peryodiko
? Vocalists of the Year: Armi Millare (Up Dharma Down) and Ebe Dancel (Sugarfree)
? Guitarist of the Year: Kakoy Legaspi (Peryodiko)
? Bassist of the Year: Ivan Garcia (Hilera)
? Drummer of the Year: Alan Bordeos (Kamikazee)
? Best Live Act: Hilera
? Song of the Year: ?Antukin? (Rico Blanco)
? Album of the Year: ?Bipolar? (Up Dharma Down)
? Artist of the Year: Up Dharma Down
? Producer of the Year: Robin Rivera (for Peryodiko)
? Best Music Video: Pancho Esguerra (?Last Days on a Cruise Ship? by Bamboo)
? In the Raw Award: Dimmerswitch
? Best Album Packaging: Inksurge (for ?Mornings and Airports? by Sugarfree)
? Listeners Choice: Chicosci
? Hall of Fame: FrancisM