Review – Download Festival 2012 – Donington Park – Saturday 9^th June 2012

Kicking off day two of the festival, As I Lay Dying put in a sterling shift over the course of a 30 minute set on the main stage, which proves them to still be one of metalcore’s shining lights. Tim Lambesis is a seasoned pro, and he leads the line so well from the front, his muscular presence and guttural growl drawing a good response from an early morning crowd who are ready to get things under way for a second day of metal action.

The fact they are on the main stage is a refreshing change, and they make the most of a set which flies by in a heartbeat, but not before they have torn the place a new one with the likes of Forever, Confined and Through Struggle.

Over on the second stage, Fozzy follow, with WWE superstar Chris Jericho warming the responsive and sizeable crowd up early doors for the day’s festivities. The songs are listenable and hugely enjoyable, but the main star of the show here and the main attraction is the powerhouse presence of Jericho, as he baits the crowd and gets them into every moment of a rapturously received 30 minute slot.

The fact remains that if Jericho was not the frontman, this band would struggle to play the second stage of this festival (their songs being solid if unspectacular) but the riotous chants of Yes!Yes!Yes!Yes! from the hordes of WWE fans in attendance (myself included) shows that with Jericho at the helm, Fozzy are more than deserving of a shot on this stage.

Straight after Fozzy are one of the hottest bands in the rock scene right now, with Halestorm receiving a great response from the crowd and responding by hitting out some big tunes, focusing mostly on the incredible The Strange Case Of . . . record they put out earlier in the year. The only thing wrong with their set today is that it doesn’t last long enough, and it is over too soon, with 6 tracks hardly enough to showcase how far this band have come in the last year.

Love Bites (So Do I) is a ferocious opener, and coupling it with the following track from the record in Mz Hyde is a masterstroke, that juggernaut riff hitting hard. I Miss The Misery and Freak Like Me are two huge numbers as well, as lead singer Lzzy Hale shows off some impressive pipes whilst strutting around in the most incredibly high heels I have ever seen on stage. It is all the more impressive still as she goes about hitting the most impossible of notes and riffing like the new queen of the rock scene – this is a role she was born to play, and the undoubted star quality she possesses will see the band’s stock rise considerably in the coming months.

They take it all the way back to their debut cut as they finish on It’s Not You and I Get Off, leaving all in attendance in no doubt that they are on the verge of something very special indeed.

Back over on the main stage, Black Veil Brides struggle today, as they face an unsettling amount of metal-head hatred on a stage that seems to engulf them on this day. They are more than capable of killing this slot and owning this stage, but faced up against an apathetic and hateful crowd who seem intent on flipping them off and throwing things at frontman Andy Biersack, it is not at all an easy watch.

At times Biersack antagonizes the crowd and baits them, but he hits the nail on the head with one impassioned speech – at the end of the day, if people don’t like them, they should just fuck off and go watch another band – it is hardly like there is nothing else they could do across a site that boasts a plethora of stages and entertainment throughout the weekend.

However, a lot of people remain, and give the Black Veil Brides a rough ride today. One entertaining moment is when Biersack moons the vengeful crowd, and takes the power off them by making them give him the finger. They triumph over adversity – getting through their set is a sheer miracle – but the likes of the The Legacy, Fallen Angels and the outstanding Rebel Love Song deserved much more today.

There is really no need for any band to suffer the indignity of being treated the way they were today – it is inexcusable. To their credit, they soldier on regardless, and irrespective of what the detractors think of them, they have no choice but to respect the professionalism shown in that by the young band.

Trivium, on the other hand, smash it clean out of the park, putting in one of the finest shifts of the entire festival. They are treated like returning heroes as they walk the stage, the seasoned Download vets clearly not forgetting the way they ripped this main stage up back in 2005 when they broke big, in the performance which blew them up over here. That unforgettable set back in 2005 was their catalyst, and they dominate again here today, the only downside being how criminally low down on the main stage bill they are. They should be playing second or third from the top, and a 45 minute set fails to give the fans what they want to see here, and that is Trivium rip it up for longer.

Opening with a venomous In Waves, flipping straight into a phenomenal Pull Harder on the Strings of your Martyr, Trivium throw out two of the biggest hits in their arsenal early, in a sign of what is to come – their set is simply majestic, proving just why they are one of the finest metal bands of this generation, with charisma and talent to boot, and some of the most engaging metal tunes around. A Gunshot To the Head of Trepidation is simply enormous, the huge crowd jumping in unison on command, and The Deceived sees front man Matt Heady recollect that magical day seven years ago, as the crowd attempt (and succeed) in beating the number of circle pits this track received all those years ago. The band look truly dumbfounded at the response their performance receives, but in return they obliterate the stage today, and destroy all in their path.

Their set goes by too quick, but it is by far one of the best festival sets the summer season will bear witness to – by the time they finish on Throes of Perdition, it is clear that we have just seen the future from these boys yet again – it is surely only a matter of time before they are back near the top of this bill, if not headlining - fucking incredible.

Steel Panther are up next, thrilling a gigantic crowd with their parody metal schtick which is still ever so enjoyable, and the perfect mid afternoon festival tonic. They are some of the best musicians around, which is what makes this supposed parody so comical in that they continue to outperform many of the bands which they imitate. They are simply hilarious, their comedy routine still going down a storm, alongside some massive hits in the likes of Asian Hooker, 17 Girls In A Row,  Just Like Tiger Woods and Community Property.

Highlights come in the form of Eyes of a Panther and a fantastic Party All Day (Fuck All Night), two of the finest moments from their awesome debut, with the closing Death To All But Metal featuring a cameo from Corey Taylor going down a storm with the huge crowd. They were born to play stages this big, and they never once look out of place, backed up with the tunes and the comedy gold to make them stars.

Sticking them on mid afternoon on the main stage is a work of genius from festival booked Andy Copping, and they, as always, do not disappoint here this afternoon.

They also give Tenacious D something of a tough act to follow, the real problem for the D being that although Jack Black’s A-list credentials give him a guaranteed high main stage slot, the band themselves do not have enough quality tunes to really justify a full hour long set, considering how short the likes of Steel Panther and Trivium had before them by comparison.

They put in a solid shift, that is a given, and Black is a true superstar, holding the crowd in the palm of his hand for the duration of the band’s time on stage, but the lack of big hits hinders them somewhat. The Metal is a highlight, but the real star moment comes in the one-two of the irrepressible Tribute coupled with the touching ode to love making that is Fuck You Gently.

It is an enjoyable set, if unspectacular, and their stage set, standing in front of a replica of their latest album Rize of the Feniz, (which looks suspiciously like an inflatable cock and balls masked as a phoenix) goes down well with one of the biggest crowds assembled all weekend.

Biffy Clyro are up next though, and once again prove just why they are meant for slots just like this, having morphed into one of the finest British rock bands of a generation over the past few years. As they crack through 17 tracks, previewing 4 new ones, whilst sticking mostly to the hits that got them here in the first place, it is clear to see why they are such a special band, and how they have built themselves up from the toilet circuit to being one of the most exciting live bands around.

Opening with a colossal Mountains is a masterstroke, and any fears of them not going down well with a predominantly metal audience is rubbished from the outside as a huge crowd welcomes them with open arms back on the main stage. Simon Neil only ingratiates himself further with the metal masses by declaring his love of Metallica, echoing the thoughts of the many before him by declaring; Birth, School, Metallica, Death. It does nothing but help his band’s cause, as they rip through That Golden Rule, Shock Shock and a breathtaking Booom, Blast and Ruin.

Many of Horror goes down a storm, provoking yet another massive sing along from the crowd, and a rare outing for Folding Stars is another heartwarming moment.

As Simon Neil takes to the front of Metallica’s snakepit stage to set off a flare for Who’s Got A Match?, his star quality shines through once more, and leading his band though blistering versions of Bubbles, Living Is A Problem, Because Everything Dies before a thrilling climax of The Captain, Biffy sign off today with a set that can be deemed nothing short of emphatic and thrillingly triumphant.

Over on the second stage, as some early evening sun pierces through the clouds, Killswitch Engage take to the stage for their first UK show since original singer Jesse Leach rejoined the fold. They are greeted by an enormous crowd, as the band set their sights on once more proving just why they are still one of, if not the biggest draw in the metalcore scene.

I am a huge Howard Jones fan, and his voice became synonymous with Killswitch’s sound. With him long departed and Jesse Leach back in the fold, I was sceptical as to whether Leach would be able to live up to the heights set by his predecessor From the moment he first lets rip on a sensational Fixation On The Darkness though, it is clear that he is more than up to the task.

Following an incredible opening salvo with the anthemic, call to arms that is Rose of Sharyn is an ingenious move, and by the time the second song is over, it is clear that not only has Leach’s arrival rejuvenated the band around him, but he is more than capable of ably carrying the Jones-era songs with a voice that switches effortlessly between the metalcore screams and the soaring melodies that Jones injected into the Killswitch sound.

If Jones had to leave, then Leach is clearly the perfect fit for the band, and their set goes down a storm here this evening, with everyone losing their shit and their minds collectively to some of the finest metalcore tracks of all time.

This Is Absolution is as dominant and powerful as ever; The Arms of Sorrow as euphoric and powerful as it has always been; and by the time Leach croons over The End of Heartache, Killswitch’s set this evening is a glorious rebirth for the band, and one that they will only build on going forward. My Curse is another huge number, but the band destroy all before them with a heartstopping My Last Serenade (the signature track of the original Leach-era) before their Dio tribute Holy Diver sends them off to a rapturous applause.

Although there is another band following Killswitch over on the second stage, you would not know it as the mass exodus following the end of their set sees the majority of the collected hordes traipse over back to main, for the night’s main stage headliner, the immortal Metallica. This comes at the expense of the, by comparison, lightweight You Me At Six, who, as you would expect, reportedly play to a tiny crowd, as the majority of punters get settled in for a two hour Metallica extravaganza of the classics, coupled with their seminal Black Album, played here in it’s entirety on this night.

They start of this evening with an opening five track salvo of Hit The Lights, Master of Puppets (thrown out nonchalantly as the second track of the night), The Four Horsemen, For Whom The Bell Tolls and recent cut Hell and Back from the Beyond Magnetic EP, which acts as the perfect warm up for what is to come.

Following on from some extended screen footage taken from the recording sessions of the bands seminal 1991 self-titled album, commonly know as ‘The Black Album’, the band continue their set, as promised, by playing the album in it’s entirety, somewhat flipping the usual trend of playing a record in full from front to back (like they did here in 2006 for Master of Puppets) by playing the album in reverse order, from back to front.

Some of the latter tracks on the record may be lesser known to the more casual listener, but are still well received, with the biggest response early on coming on the arrival of the epic Nothing Else Matters to the fold. It remains one of the most definitive Metallica tracks, and as the Black Album segment of the set picks up speed towards the latter stages, The Unforgiven is another big moment, as is Wherever I May Roam, before the incredible album highlights of Sad But True and the perennial Enter Sandman (complete with majestic fireworks) bring the main set proper to a thrilling close.

Metallica don’t do average shows, and they are still the epitome of how metal on the big stages should be done (along with Maiden) and tonight they are in their spiritual home. They never disappoint here at Donington, and an encore of more of their greatest hits goes down a storm with the ravenous crowd, following on from their Black Album play through. As Battery, One and their preferred set closer Seek and Destroy close out their set, it is yet another stunning performance from a band that is nothing short of world class, and who often put every other band before them to shame with their clinical precision and showmanship.

As he wears a denim jacket adorning a Black Sabbath patch, James Hetfield and his comrades well and truly tonight throw down the gauntlet for the metal masters Black Sabbath to match tomorrow evening.

It is no easy task following what went down here tonight . . . but if anyone is up to the challenge, it is the mighty Sabbath.

Setlist – As I Lay Dying - The Sound of Truth / Forever / Through Struggle / Condemned / Anodyne Sea / 94 Hours / Nothing Left / Confined 

Setlist – Fozzy - Pray For Blood / Sand Paper / God Pounds His Nails / Martyr No More /
Enemy

Setlist – Halestorm - Love Bites (So Do I) / Mz. Hyde / I Miss the Misery / Freak Like Me / It's Not You / I Get Off

Setlist – Black Veil Brides – Coffin / New Religion / Youth and Whiskey / Rebel Yell
(Billy Idol cover) / Love Isn't Always Fair / God Bless You / The Legacy / Rebel Love Song / Fallen Angels

Setlist – Trivium - Capsizing The Sea (intro) / In Waves / Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr / Rain / Black / The Deceived / Dusk Dismantled / A Gunshot to the Head of Trepidation / Throes of Perdition / Leaving This World Behind (outro)
Edit Setlist

Setlist – Steel Panther - In the Future (intro) / Supersonic Sex Machine / Tomorrow Night / Asian Hooker / Just Like Tiger Woods / Community Property / Eyes of a Panther / Party All Day (Fuck All Night) / 17 Girls in a Row / Death To All But Metal
(with Corey Taylor)

Setlist – Tenacious D - Rize of the Fenix / Low Hangin' Fruit / Senorita / Deth Starr / Roadie /  Throw Down / Kielbasa / Kickapoo / The Metal / Beelzeboss (The Final Showdown) / Fuck Her Gently / Tribute / Double Team

Setlist – Biffy Clyro – Mountains / That Golden Rule / Get Fucked Stud / God & Satan /
Modern Magic Formula / Booooom, Blast & Ruin / Folding Stars / Who's Got a Match? / Toys, Toys, Toys, Choke, Toys, Toys, Toys / Many Of Horror / Shock Shock / The Joke's On Us / Glitter and Trauma / Bubbles / Victory Over The Sun / Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies / The Captain

Setlist – Killswitch Engage - Fixation on the Darkness / Rose of Sharyn / This Is Absolution / The Arms of Sorrow / Self Revolution / Life to Lifeless / My Curse /
The End of Heartache / My Last Serenade / Holy Diver (Dio cover)

Setlist – Metallica - The Ecstasy of Gold (Ennio Morricone song) – Intro / Hit the Lights / Master of Puppets / The Four Horsemen / For Whom the Bell Tolls/ Hell and Back / The Black Album in full: The Struggle Within / My Friend of Misery / The God That Failed / Of Wolf and Man / Nothing Else Matters / Through the Never / Don't Tread on Me / Wherever I May Roam / The Unforgiven / Holier Than Thou / Sad But True / Enter Sandman / Encore: Battery / One / Seek & Destroy