Download Festival
Donington Park, Derbyshire
10/11/12/06/2011

Eight years on from its inception, Download is still delivering. Back in 2003, Bring Me The Horizon were still learning to play their instruments. This time right now, though, belongs to the heartfelt Sheffield mob, and their glistening metal shimmers on the opening afternoon at Donington. Avenged Sevenfold may have been around for longer, but following the death of their drummer and the mourning that followed, the Guns N’Roses-inspired outfit are in the form of their lives. They dedicate ‘A Little Piece Of Heaven’ to The Rev and the sun comes out.

The punctuated Let Live and sludgy Trash Talk seem bonkers by comparison. Both acts are suited to backroom venues, where they can confront their crowd face to face, and it will take time for them to translate in arenas where the people at the back are so far away. Musically, though, the two bands sound like they’re up to the challenge. Already prepared for the festival circuit though are the compellingly catchy D.R.U.G.S.. There are no other new bands who can boast a whole album’s worth of hooks big enough to hang elephants on, and every song sounds just as massive when performed live. Electricity-fuelled epic rapper Hyro Da Hero is equally at home. Like Zack De La Rocha injected with Dizzee Rascal’s upbeat streak, the Texan storms the Pepsi Max stage. As do the startlingly impressive Asking Alexandria. The up and coming Brits fuse the drama of Slipknot with the excitement of Enter Shikari; expect them to become stars soon.

The Therapy-inspired Fighting Wolves and passionate metallers All That Remains perform powerfully and potently too, despite painfully early slots – and Funeral For A Friend have to contend with System Of A Down and Alice Cooper (who are playing simultaneously on the other stages) as well as with appalling sound problems, yet the Welsh warriors still put on a powerful show. So many potentially life-changing bands. Such little time. If only Download Festival was every weekend.

Johnny K