Download Festival 2019: Part 2 (15th June)

WORDS: Joanne Gray

Just before I start, if you're reading this and haven't gave the review of the Friday at Download a read first and want to, that's over here! 

Still here? Ok, let's go.

Getting to the Saturday at Download after the last few days of rain, the day started off with clearer skies which would only sometimes result in rain a couple of times throughout the day. That, and the arena had been covered in hay in the places which really needed it. Although this could've been more extensive, it was certainly an improvement over the day before. 

What wasn't so good were the queues to get in to the arena that day. 

With an earlier start time, we headed straight to the arena on the Saturday rather than taking the previous detour through the campsite, and were immediately faced with obscene queues. Apparently those who already had wristbands had to stand in a static singular queue with about a hundred people in it, while the day trippers were to stand in any of the other 6 or 7 queues. Nice treatment there Download... Not that anything was moving anyway. 

After waiting for a good twenty minutes in that queue that wasn't moving at all, we just took the plunge and went into another queue that had no one standing in it and got in almost immediately. Good job signposting the fact that we could use any queue instead of waiting for what felt like an absolute age...

Sigh. 

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WORDS: Joanne Gray

With all this taken into consideration, it was quite an achievement that we only managed to miss the first couple of songs of Alien Weaponry's set over on the main stage after hightailing it as soon as we got in. What we were faced with when we got up to the stage was a healthy audience for it being so early in the morning, and a huge sound from the band which didn't lose any impact considering we were standing quite far away. 

For a band who are still (I believe) in their late teens, this was a wicked performance from the New Zealand groove/thrash metallers. Storming through the headbanging tunes 'Kai Tangata', 'Ahi Ka' and 'Raupatu', Alien Weaponry proved that the power of the riff can transcend any language barrier; Rammstein style. In total control of the big stage they were playing on, the band made full use of the open space, walking up and down while shouting into the crowd to get them hyped up. Wonderful stuff for a band of their size and age. 

The drummer then took the time to sing in Maori a cappella before ending with the irresistably catchy 'Ru Ana Te Whenua'. Evoking the groovy bounce of Lamb of God's more party-ish tunes, that guitar riff stayed in my head for a good few hours after seeing this band. By the time they shouted their thanks into the crowd at the end of their set, it was hard to see anyone who wasn't totally into their performance and the band got a great response when they walked off stage. 

This really felt like a moment for Alien Weaponry and they totally lived up to the hype that has been built by the press over the last few months. A truly special band that should appeal to any fans of metal out there. I know that I can't wait to see how this band further develop over the coming years.

Excellent. 

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WORDS: Joanne Gray

Over to the Zippo stage it was then to wait for some friends to get onsite; just in time to catch Bad Wolves' set. Having only really heard the LA metal group's cover of The Cranberries' 'Zombie', I didn't really have high expectations for this band. 

This didn't really change after seeing them play a fairly standard 6 song set which consisted largely of material from their album Disobey. Although the sound was pretty decent, and packed a considerably bigger punch in the live environment than on record, I was pretty ambivalent to Bad Wolves' sound, which took influences from the likes of US radio rockers Five Finger Death Punch, Breaking Benjamin and Shinedown but didn't really have the impact of any of these bands for me. 

I was quite surprised to see that I was apparently in the minority regarding my lack of enthusiasm, as the crowd around me seemed to swell as their set went on, and there was a fair amount of singing along, particularly during the last song. Clearly, this band isn't really for me, but the response they managed to get from the audience shows that there is something to this band that I just don't fully understand. 

Looking at their sales from their album just goes to show this fact, and places them firmly into the area of melodic metal that doesn't do much for me, but tends to appeal to a wider Download audience. And the Cranberries cover has all revenues donated to charity. That's at least one good thing about their set.  

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WORDS: Ray Mondo

Elvana made their Download debut at around 1pm on Saturday. Perhaps one of the more unusual yet interesting bookings for this year's line-up, the Elvis-fronted Nirvana tribute band's appearance on the Zippo stage very much went a long way in improving moods all around the arena, no doubt getting people's minds off the terrible weather they had been faced with non-stop for the last few days. It wasn’t long before heads were bopping and people were noticeably singing along with delight as the band kicked off with a wildly tone-accurate version of popular Nevermind track 'Breed', followed directly by the poppy 'In Bloom' and the classic Bleach sludge rocker 'School'. 

Adorned in a black and red version of the usual Elvis get-up, topped off with red Cobain-style glasses and a 'Big Cheese' cape, Elvana strutted around the stage and rocked the moves best pioneered by The King himself, crooning and yelping out the angst-filled lyrics of songs such as 'Rape Me' and 'Lithium'. This was all while being accompanied by backing dancers in cheerleader outfits (reminiscent of those in the 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' video) as well as a backing band that were more than nailing the Nirvana sound. 'Territorial Pissings' segued surprisingly well into 'Suspicious Minds', before smoothly transitioning into the expected but still as-ever iconic 'Smells Like Teen Spirit', to which giant yellow balloons with the Nirvana smiley face were released into the crowd. 

This was to much amusement of the audience who bounced them around in time with the music that arguably put the 90s on the map and cemented its place in history. Some of us couldn't believe what a good and fun show Elvana had put on, but it was just our luck.

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WORDS: Ross Donald

I’ve been an advocate of this band for a couple of years now so this review may be slightly biased. For those not familiar, Power Trip are a thrash metal band from Texas and have been around since 2008. I got my first chance to see the band last year as part of Trivium’s tour and they really impressed me. So much so that I believe they should have been billed above Code Orange. 

I’d highly recommend their 2017 album Nightmare Logic: a thrash metal so good I even went out of my way to import an American copy of the vinyl record for my collection. The band started fast and furious with 'Soul Sacrifice' giving us a mix of early Metallica and Slayer in the absolute best way possible. The circle pits were ready and waiting. Following this was the band’s biggest hit 'Executioner’s Tax (Swing of the Axe)' which really needs to be heard live for the full effect. There’s just something glorious about a whole crowd of people singing “Swing of the Axe” in unison. 

Most of the setlist came from their latest album with the title track and 'Crucifixation' really taking the performance to another level in terms of sheer riffage and brute force. That guitar solo from 'Crucifixation' really cannot be beaten. Older cuts such as 'Hornets Nest' and 'Manifest Decimation' really went over well with the crowd, with the latter causing the circle pits already in motion to gather more participants. I’m glad that the band has added 'Waiting Around to Die' to the setlist as it was a highlight from their recent album that deserves to be heard by more people. 

Most importantly, the band just looked like they were having the time of their lives in front of the biggest crowd they’ve played to. They even advised that they would wandering around Download to check out other bands so anyone was free to hang out with them. Vocalist Riley Gale went as far to joke around with the crowd saying he was going to play a slower more chilled out song before blasting into their fastest song 'Firing Squad'.

Power Trip were a phenomenal act on this already epic day and I can guarantee that you’ll see them higher up on the lineup next time around. Sky’s the limit for them and I can’t wait to hear about a potential new album soon. Keep your eyes out for the future of thrash. 

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WORDS: Joanne Gray

Following on from Power Trip's awesome set was always going to be a mammoth task, but when Behemoth rocked up to the main stage with their full stage set up in place, it was clear that they were up for reaching that high bar. 

Building up the atmosphere with close up camera shots of their wicked backdrop, the haunting chants of the intro track 'Solve' meant that the excitement was palpable for when Poland's most famous black metal band took to the stage. Tearing straight into 'Wolves ov Siberia' with smoke billowing out behind them, it became quickly very clear that this was going to be one hell of a show. 

Having seen Behemoth last year (you can read that review here), I knew that the band were on high form during this album, but on this large of a stage, it really felt like Behemoth were out to prove themselves. Newer songs like 'Bartzabel', 'Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel' and 'Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer' sounded absolutely huge with those orchestral accompaniments, while older tunes like 'Conquer All', 'Ov Fire and the Void' and 'Chant for Eschaton 2000' proved how ferocious Behemoth still are when they're at their heaviest. 

This would also be the first time during the full weekend that we would see pyro on the main stage, and this really worked in the band's favour; bringing to the fore just how epic Behemoth are in those huge moments designed to get fists pumping and heads banging. Add to this, the sheer presence of the band onstage while they stared angrily into the crowd and you really got a sense that you were part of an amazingly heavy satanic cult. 

It was therefore surprising when Nergal broke out of character to say how cool it was for the band to be playing this high up the bill at Download, and pointed out that this had to be their biggest show as a band to date. Waving the flag for extreme metal in general, this was a great moment for the band and not even Nergal could stop a smile from forming as he relayed his appreciation to the huge crowd. There is a part of me though that thinks that it will probably still be largely the case that extreme metal will tend to stay far away from such huge stages, as Behemoth are truly one of a kind when it comes to extreme metal. Even for them, the sound tended to disappear a little the further away you got from the stage. It was only when we stood in front of the barrier that the sheer intensity of their sound really took hold of you. But when it did, my god... 

What a band, and what a good time to be had watching them slay the main stage. If Slipknot were looking on to this set, they must have felt the pressure to top this act when it comes to sheer power and spectacle. And that's really saying something.

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WORDS: Joanne Gray

Dialing back a bit on the heaviness, but by no means by the energy, it was over to the world's finest (and maybe the only decent) reggae-metal band Skindred to represent Wales in the way they do best. 

Now I've seen Skindred a few times in the past, but this would be my first time seeing them at Download, the home of the Newport Helicopter and an important site for establishing them as a truly wonderful live band. Being a little bit disappointed with 2018's Big Tings album (you can read my review of that here), and feeling like I witnessed their most lackluster show I'd seen yet at the O2 ABC in Glasgow before it shut down last year (RIP), I was a bit nervous about how well this set would go. 

Turns out I shouldn't have worried at all. When faced with a setlist filled to the brim with absolute bangers, there really isn't that much room for Skindred to go wrong. 

Following the conventional 'Imperial March' intro track, Volume's 'Sound The Siren' made it instantly clear that this was going to be a party set from Skindred, as the reggae vibes got the crowd moving and dancing immediately. This only continued with songs like 'Pressure' and 'rat Race' which got many of the fans of their older material singing along particularly loudly. 

Even with newer tracks like 'Machine' and 'That's My Jam', there was always something to get the crowd really engaged with the less familiar material. For the former song, the band was joined onstage by Reef frontman Gary Stringer who featured on the track when it was released. The interplay between Stringer and Benji Webbe was really great to watch as they were clearly both chuffed to be onstage with one another. 'That's My Jam' also saw Webbe getting the crowd to split into two and sing the "Woo woo, that's my jam" lines before the song started. In typical Benji nature, he did so while mocking the crowd humorously in order to get them to sing louder. To which, they more than delivered by the time the song kicked in. 

As the band continued to power through songs such as 'Kill The Power', 'Nobody', a cover of The Prodigy's 'Out of Space' and the now infamous Newport Helicopter accompanied 'Warning', it was evident that Benji Webbe is still one of the most engaging and fun frontmen to watch in rock music. It would be hard for even the most ardent hater of this band not to be won over by this legendary sense of presence and energy onstage. 

By the time Skindred ended with the track 'Nobody Does It Better' playing in the background, it really felt like the band had made their mark once again on the audience, and I was reassured that they are simply one of the best live bands in the world. More than anything, this set suggested to me that Skindred do their best in front of large crowds, and a couple of good albums down the line could really result in the band getting higher and higher up the bill. 

Skindred headline set in a few years, anyone? I'd be more than up for it after this set. 

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WORDS: Joanne Gray

Staying at the main stage, it was over to Florida's Trivium to play their sixth Download set; the first in five years since 2014, and a decade since that legendary 2009 set I've heard all about. After a storming return to form after the release of 2018's The Sin And The Sentence alongside this strong connection to the festival, I was almost certain that this set from the now-metal veterans would be a great one. 

Appearing onstage to smoke machines and a killer backdrop, the band stormed out of the gates with 'The Sin and the Sentence', to which Matt Heafy and co. immediately had the crowd in the palm of their hand. Following this up with another newer song, 'Oblivion' made it clear that this material is really excellent, as the crowd didn't hesitate to sing along with as much intensity as possible. Add in 'Sever The Hand' and 'The Heart From Your Hate' later on in the set and it was truly a case of the band showcasing some of their best material to date. Really great to see. 

Of course, this reaction would always pale in comparison to the response to older songs like 'Like Light to the Flies', 'Down From the Sky' and 'Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr', which saw the crowd erupt in multiple mosh pits. To which Heafy strongly encouraged to break the former record they had set in a previous Download appearance. Judging by his reaction, this may well have happened during that day. Although the sun decided to rear its head a few times during their set, making everyone who had been used to the rain over the last few days a bit tired, the crowd still put on a show for Trivium.

And this show was reciprocated by the band in spades. Matt Heafy simply commanded that stage, utilising the walkway set up for Slipknot later in the day to great success. As shown in the last few shows I've seen of Trivium, Heafy has really grown to be one of the most engaging and involved frontmen in metal, all while absolutely killing it vocally and on the guitar. Although the rest of the band were more restrained than their notoriously charismatic frontman, the technical proficiency of the band shone through with this combination of newer and older material. Extra props to their current drummer Alex Bent, who has only been in the band for 2 years. Given the performance here, you would've thought he'd been in the band for as long as everyone else. Throw in the fact that the band were clearly chuffed to be here, and the tight chemistry between the band which is perhaps more evident now than it ever has been, and this could only be considered a stunning performance. 

By the time that familiar audio track of 'Capsizing the Sea' led into the seminal 'In Waves' (prompting one of the biggest mosh pits seen at that stage so far), it had became clear that Trivium really are at the height of their powers right now. It almost seemed apt that the plane with the banner "Jesus calls, will you follow?" chose to fly over Donington park during this set. Trivium are going to be at the top of festivals like this in the next few years if they can continue this excellent run they're on. It would be an absolute travesty if the likes of Bloodstock don't book them as headliners in the next year or two. 

Simply one of the best, and all of this coming 20 years into their career is a wonderful thing to see. 

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WORDS: Ray Mondo

By the time Stone Temple Pilots had made their way onto the Zippo stage, the weather had once again taken a turn for the worse as black clouds loomed above. However, this was not to dampen the spirits of the band themselves, as new singer Jeff Gutt was determined to brighten up the atmosphere and put a smile on those wet faces.

The band launched into the muscular-sounding hard-rocking 'Wicked Garden', already showcasing the impressive and eerie resemblance to the late and great former frontman Scott Weiland's original vocals. Gutt swaggered around the stage and leaned into the crowd with some amount of attitude, very much carrying on the spirit and magic Weiland brought to his performances while still maintaining his own twist on it and showing off his own impressive skills as a frontman. It was all very clear how Gutt won the vacant position over hundreds of other potential singers a few years ago. Guitarist Dean DeLeo got the hips swaying with his trademark huge-sounding 60s/70s-inspired guitar playing, bassist Robert DeLeo kept the low end full of bouncing bass lines which are more than a delight to hear so vividly, and drummer Eric Kretz had more than a good time behind the kit which reflected perfectly off the group's impressively tight sound.

The band seemed keen to roll out the hits, as they bring out early tracks such as 'Crackerman', 'Vasoline' and 'Interstate Love Song', already making the standing about in the rain seem like not such a bad thing after all. Sure enough, the skies opened up and a rainbow appeared to the left of the stage for a few moments, right as a slowed-down sing-along version of the classic 'Plush' was orchestrated by Gutt to the crowd, in which every person seemed to fortunately know the words. New song 'Roll Me Under' from the latest self-titled effort went down well enough with the crowd, and the set was wrapped up nicely with the addition of further classics 'Dead & Bloated', 'Trippin' on a Hole in a Paper Heart' and of course the grungey-as-all-hell 'Sex Type Thing', in which once again Gutt channelled Weiland's sound and moves perfectly.

With a performance as impressive as this, and of course a new frontman with more than enough of his own charisma to boot, this will undoubtedly make any of the band's recent critics or naysayers think twice about the band's current day presence. Getting to see Stone Temple Pilots still rocking their stuff so confidently was more than a pleasure to watch.

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WORDS: Joanne Gray

After watching a bit of Stone Temple Pilots over on the Zippo stage, I found myself heading over to Dogtooth to catch a bit of the Polish black metal band Batushka just as the rain started to chuck it down once more. 

Having listened to this band a bit before the festival, I was really keen to catch this performance for a couple of reasons. I thought that their 2015 album 'Litourgiya' was excellent, and I really wanted to see what the band were like in the live environment, based on their prominent themes relating to Eastern-Orthodoxy. It was then brought to my attention that the band had been in turmoil just before this show, and the rest of their upcoming tour was about to take place. 

I'll be honest when I say that the whole scenario confuses me, but in short, there are currently two different versions of Batushka which exist at the moment (more on this here if you want any more details on this). Add in the fact that I'm quite unfamiliar with the material, and the fact that the band are all masked, I'm still unsure as to which version of the band I actually saw that day. 

I'm sure this sense of mystique was part of the reason that the crowd was rammed for this band. Starting out right behind the right hand pillar within the tent (a terrible placement for this, in my opinion but hey ho), I was sure I wouldn't see much of anything when the band came on. Thankfully (for me, anyway) the band were late in starting, as the ritualistic lighting of candles took far longer than it really should have. With the rain stopping outside and people getting fed up of waiting, the crowd began to thin and I managed to squeeze in between the pillar and the speakers to get a slightly better view just as the band came on half an hour late. 

This certainly was a spectacle of a set up, with the small stage being littered with ornate looking church paraphernalia, ominous looking masked clergymen, the strong smell of incense and eerie Orthodox-hymns to top it all off. The sound was similarly as impactful when they actually started playing, as the huge, brooding black metal filled the entire tent from front to back. Although much of the crowd left appeared to be there more for curiosity rather than actually knowing the material, it did appear that there was a group of dedicated fans towards the middle of the tent, as the frontman bellowed out the lyrics in a magnificently huge fashion. 

Sadly, I only got to see maybe one or two songs before having to leave for the next band I was seeing. If only the band had gotten on with things, they may have given a better and more impactful show for the audience. I was happy to see a bit more of the band than I would've had they started earlier, but at the same time, I would have liked to get a longer set to judge them more effectively. 

Regardless of what happens with this band (and the other Batuskha) legally, I'll be keeping an eye out for future material coming from either camp, and I would be interested in seeing them again if they decide to tour. 'True' or 'fake' Batushka, the whole situation and sound is utterly fascinating. I just wish the show had matched such fascinations. 

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WORDS: Joanne Gray

The band that I was keen to get over to see was Halestorm who were headlining the Zippo stage. The Philadelphia hard rockers have been working their way up the Download bill over the last decade or so, and as one of my favourite live bands out there, I was stoked to see that they would be finally getting their true chance to shine. Thankfully the fact that Skindred had been moved from the Zippo Stage to the Main Stage meant that the band wouldn't be clashing with Slipknot either. Crisis avoided for me and probably a lot of the crowd here. Phew. 

I was happy to see, while waiting on the band come on, that the crowd was really busy for the band. This was perhaps partially due to the fact that there was nobody playing on the main stage, but the response from the crowd and the fact that the audience only really thinned a bit towards the end of the set suggested that most people here were invested or at least interested in the band. And it could be said that this was one of the most engaging sets Halestorm have ever performed on UK soil. Notoriously known for being a live band who truly transcend their recorded material, they certainly made that point clear during this set. 

Choosing to open with 'Do Not Disturb' showed that Halestorm were willing to rely on their newer material throughout the set. As seen in my review of their last album (you can read that here), I'm really not a fan of the song and although it sounds better in the live environment, it still never fails to make me visbily cringe when they play it. Although this was again the case here, I was quite impressed by the bravery of the band to chuck the marmite song out first in the set. It also meant that the rest of the set was considerably stronger as a result. 

Launching straight into high tempo hard rock rager, 'Uncomfortable' meant that the crowd erupted in what seemed to be the most energetic mosh pit near the front of the stage I've seen at a Halestorm gig. Needless to say, it was at this point that I made my way closer to the front to join in the madness. I have no regrets whatsoever. Although the crowd from where I was earlier behind the barrier were enthusiastic in their performance, those from the front were fanatic, screaming and jumping around to every single word. Throwing out the classic 'Mz Hyde' and mammoth 'I Am The Fire' showed just how huge Halestorm's melodic choruses are, and why they are simply one of the best bands to hit US rock radio. 

I should take this opportunity to stress just how great their sound was from where I was stood at both locations as well. This was perhaps the most heavy I had heard the band in the live environment yet, and the play-off between Joe Hottinger and Lzzy Hale's guitar lines sounded sublime. Throw in the fact that Lzzy has the best voice in rock music, and you're always onto a winner. A high bar to hit (as anyone who has ever seen them can testify), but I genuinely thought she and the band sounded the best I have ever heard them. This show was one that was also filled with sheer moments.

The typical drum solo from Arejay Hale (big sticks included) is something which I personally don't need to see again, but the fact that he kept this short and sweet and the crowd responded enthusiastically to it means that this will probably continue to be a staple Halestorm feature for the foreseeable. Additionally, the guitar solo at the end of 'Amen' showcased the incredibly tight chemistry within the band without overstaying its welcome. Hottinger and Hale are undeniable as a double-team and were clearly revelling in the scale of it all here. Another cool moment was when Lzzy Hale introduced the singer of the Japanese band Lovebites who were also playing the festival that day, before launching into the aforementioned song together. A really cool moment I imagine for the singer, whose band was named after the song itself. 

The sheer joy of such an occasion was evident by the band throughout the entirety of the set as well. There was barely a moment when any of the members weren't displayed huge grins as they blasted through the set, totally excelling on the energy provided by the crowd. The response to newer songs like 'The Silence', 'Skulls', 'Killing Ourselves to Live' and the grungier offering of Record Store Day single 'Chemicals' alongside classic songs like 'I Get Off', 'Freak Like Me', 'Love Bites' and 'I Miss The Misery' also showed just how many huge songs Halestorm have under their belt now, and this is only set to increase with any future releases. 

With just over an hour to showcase their material to date, this was a greatest hits set sprinkled with (arguably) the best material from last year's Vicious and it truly delivered. What a set from the band; one which calms my slight concern about Halestorm headlining arenas in the UK later on in the year. If you haven't had a chance to see this band yet, you really need to, as they are well on their way to becoming festival headliners in the future. I wouldn't be surprised to see them near the top of a classic rock day on the next album cycle, that's for sure. 

Bias towards this band aside, the performance put on here clearly resonated with even the most casual of listeners and this ended up being one of the highlights of the entire festival for myself. So good. 

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WORDS: Joanne Gray

Speaking of highlights...

It was then over to the main stage to watch Slipknot perform their fourth headline set at Download. The sheer anticipation for the band was palpable throughout the day, and the rush towards the main stage towards the end of Halestorm's set was just one example where this was evident. Having left it a bit late to head over to the stage ourselves, we found ourselves just in front of the barrier after much crowd negotiation. Judging by the amount of people crammed into the field to watch the Iowa legends, this was threatening to be a wild set before the band had even started playing. 

And this was confirmed entirely when the band pulled out 'People = Shit', '(sic)' and 'Get This' as their opening songs. There could barely be any three more obscene and insane songs to open a Slipknot set. Even with how far back we were standing, the crowd around us went absolutely nuts, with a wild mosh pit opening up almost immediately. Everyone around us was losing their minds due to the sheer ferocity of the band, who nearly 25 years into their career, sounded absolutely incensed with rage. What a way to kick things off. 

It was only upon the fourth song in the setlist; the recently released single 'Unsainted', that things calmed down a bit in terms of the mosh pits. The crowd more than made up for this as they sang along to that Stone Sour-esque huge chorus though. The song itself also made it possible to see what was happening onstage for the first time. Compared to the elaborate set up seen in the band's last UK tour in 2015 which was reminiscent of a large spooky carnival, this was a visually more subtle affair. If you can call nine members onstage at the one time, spitting utter fury, and interacting chaotically with one another a subtle affair, that is. 

This would also be the first time that UK audiences would see the new Slipknot masks in their glory. As always, Clown's eerie mask was creepily unsettling, Craig Jones' pinhead mask suitably spiky, Mick Thomson's emotionally void mask ever intimidating and Jim Root's carnival-esque mask suitably appropriate for his growing beard. The most significant changes were that of Corey Taylor's transparent plastic oddity and Sid Wilson's weird burnt face appearance, which took a bit of getting used to, but really did contribute to a sense that this band are still able to shock huge crowds this far into their career. 

And this ability to shock was evident throughout the rest of their set. Instead of resting on their laurels in the midst of inner struggles within the band of late (legal troubles from former member Chris Fenn leading to his replacement, and the tragic death of Clown's daughter in the last few weeks, being the most obvious of these), Slipknot built on a sense of fury and chaos that has perhaps not been seen from the band since their first two albums. The intensity of the set, accompanied by the ridiculously heavy choice of songs, a stellar light show, and some wicked use of pyro was something I thought I would never see in my lifetime. 

Drawing heavily from their first two albums, there was barely a moment to catch your breath throughout the set, and the speed of which the band even played more mid-tempo songs like 'Pyschosocial', 'Sulfer' and 'Duality' was utterly thrilling to experience. The choice to place 'Prosthetics' and 'Vermilion' alongside one another was perhaps the most mellow the set got sonically, but the utter creepiness of the songs meant that the tension built up by the rest of the songs never let up for a second. It then meant that when the band pulled out (in my opinion, one of their all time greatest songs) 'Custer', it felt like the entire field was going to burn to the ground. Simply unreal. 

By the time the band ended their main set with their furious new track 'All Out Life' and 'Duality', the sheer pleasure from Corey Taylor of the wildness of the crowd was clear to see. At this point, the makeup he had on had well and truly bled from his face, only showing a twisted grin as he told the audience just how special they had been to them as a band throughout the years. 

And as energy levels regained during the period when the band were offstage, the last two songs 'Spit It Out' and 'Surfacing' highlighted this point spectacularly. As is now customary for Slipknot shows, the break during the first song where the crowd sits down led to perhaps the wildest moment in the entire festival as what seemed to be the entire field jumped around like mad. Leading directly into 'Surfacing', the energy was retained until the very end and by the time the music stopped, people were nearly falling over with exhaustion. 

I can't put into words how amazing this show was, and it is one that will stick with me forever. If Slipknot are on this high a form when they come back during the album cycle (predicted to be during 2020 if any of the screens around the festival is anything to go by), this is a show you simply need to see if you have ever been a fan of this band or heavy music in general. Utterly incredible performance, and what a way to top off (in my opinion), one of the greatest days Download has ever produced. 

Wow. 

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Thanks to Ross and Ray for helping out, and thanks to you for reading the second part of the Download Festival 2019 review.

The third and final part of this Download coverage is here if you want to give that a read. Please leave a comment, give RWEI a like/follow on the socials or get in touch if you would like to make a contribution or submission as well. 

Cheers!