Download Festival Day 2 Saturday 9th June
Better weather today and some top-notch bands as well so here we go
Fozzy
Enjoyed them in Cardiff but here they sucked bad left after one and half songs sorry Jericho your walls couldn't hold me. 5/10
Saxon
Main stage set but very early for the metal legends played the greatest hits and allowed the crowd a choice between three songs before ending with Denim And Leather and And The Bands Played On both of which are about Donington. Biff and the band were on fine form and used the Metallica 'Snake Pit' to full effect getting the early morning crowd revved up. 8/10
Black Veil Brides
This band of Nikki Sixx impersonators failed to connect on every level and even when being confrontational they seemed 'safe' bad show indeed. (Although plenty of kids probably loved them). 4/10
Trivium
Possibly buoyed by the fact BVB who were on before them were shit. Trivium returned to Donington in crushing style. Claiming that they were going to “Take our fucking heads” before hitting the opening of the unbelievably heavy In Waves the Floridian metallers then laid waste to the crowd with a set mainly based around In Waves and Ascendancy. The new tracks and old favourites worked together and showed that with perseverance bands can become great. Today Trivium were beyond great just a shame they weren't higher up the bill. 9/10
Steel Panther
Another load of Glam metal cock jokes with some good musicianship however the joke is wearing a little thin now especially in the live setting. Sorry gents 6/10
Tenacious D
Should this spot have been taken by an actual band not a joke one? Debateable but when you have a back catalogue of songs that everyone knows why not take to the stage at Download. JB and KG were both on fire as they went through Kickapoo, The Metal, Fuck Her Gently and Tribute. While also throwing in some tracks from the new album which blended seamlessly into the comedic carnage. Black and Gass know how to form a rock show and their band are excellent. However that nagging sensation that Trivium could have played in this slot was still there. 8/10
Skindred
Welsh Ragga Metallers brought the noise again using dub, metal, reggae, dance and other genre and mixing them up together into one big party M.C.'d by the irreplaceable Benji. Kicking off with Pressure and Ratrace the crowd was bouncing immediately. However Benji did seem to be losing his voice a little (maybe they have toured too much) and were if you weren't at the front of the stage the sound was taken by the wind. Still with a set consisting of mainly tracks from Roots Rock Riot and Union Black the band showed why they are one of the best live bands in the world when they ended with Warning. 8/10
Metallica
Now it was time for the main event. The biggest metal band in the world playing their biggest selling album in its entirety. The lights dimmed and Lars, James, Kirk and Rob all came to the stage to while Ecstasy Of Gold played before kicking things off with Hit The Lights which was followed by Master Of Puppets, no rest bite as the band were on startling form as they bludgeoned the crowd with two more classics in the shape of Four Horsemen and For Whom The Bell Tolls. The band threw in a new track in the shape of Hell And Back which although worked I think many wanted another classic like Creeping Death or Blackened. Then it was time with the opening riff of The Struggle Within the band set about playing 'The Black Album' in its entirety backwards. The heaviness of the first (last?) four tracks was split by the still fantastic Nothing Else Matters however it was great to hear tracks like Wherever I May Roam, Of Wolf And Man and Don't Tread On Me being played live. The main set ended in the trifecta of Holier Than Thou, Sad But True and the perennial Enter Sandman. Cue fireworks and explosions. These continued into the encore which consisted of Battery a heavily atmospheric One and the finale of Seek And Destroy. With a blast of fireworks and lasers it was all over except for the goodbyes and Metallica ended. This set reminded you why 'The Black Album' is still their highest selling album however as with all album shows you can't please everyone, although those who didn't like the album probably shouldn't have been here. (And thanked whoever it was that suggested this rather than all of St Anger!) 9/10
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