FESTIVAL REVIEW: Download Festival 2018 – Saturday
After a successful opening day full of music, the Saturday of this year’s Download Festival had quite the task to surpass the Friday’s action. But, with a day packed to the brim of bands, from heavy hitters, new-blooded youths and old giants, not to mention an eagerly awaited headlining set by the legendary GUNS N’ ROSES, there was plenty to look forward. So, let Distorted Sound‘s coverage of Download Festival continue…
POWERFLO – Zippo Encore Stage
Arriving 20 minutes late to their first ever Download Festival performance, American ‘supergroup’ POWERFLO waste no time in blasting into a distinctly average nostalgia trip of music that, despite its crisp sound, ends up sounding horribly dated. Where the PROPHETS OF RAGE still feel as if they have something relevant to say in 2018, POWERFLO seriously lack the same sense of importance, cutting edge and, to be brutally honest, quality. The sheer aural assault that they bring to the Zippo Encore Stage is slightly nauseating in places, hitting you square in the chest with a dull thud that’s more jarring than rousing. The one saving grace is the energy that the band bring to the stage; every member at least looking rejuvenated even if they don’t sound quite so sprightly.
Rating: 5/10
Words: Shaun Brown
VON HERTZEN BROTHERS – Zippo Encore Stage
There’s a lot to be said for an easing into the Saturday of Download Festival and the VON HERTZEN BROTHERS accomplish that with ease on the Zippo Encore Stage. Their psychedelic-infused classic rock compliments the heat and the sun very well, the likes of Flowers and Rust and New Day Rising a welcoming soundtrack to a relaxing yet loud Saturday morning. Thanks to unforeseen circumstances, the whole stage is running late and sets are being cropped to bring things back on track, but for the limited time that they have, VON HERTZEN BROTHERS ensure they make as big an impact as is possible.
Rating: 7/10
Words: Elliot Leaver
DEATH BLOOMS – The Dogtooth Stage
90% breakdowns, 10% melody, DEATH BLOOMS do an admirable job of waking up a noticeably sluggish Saturday morning crowd at Download Festival. While the music itself is very much by the numbers, there’s a real level of enthusiasm and energy lurking in the background that sets this band apart from a good number of their more experienced peers. There are rarely any shifts in pace or changes of direction throughout, but DEATH BLOOMS do prove themselves to be very well versed in getting the best out of their metalcore-type sound. On this evidence they’re far from the finished article, but they certainly qualify as a band to keep a close eye on over the next year.
Rating: 7/10
Words: Shaun Brown
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY – Zippo Encore Stage
With the clouds breaking and glorious sunshine soaking the fields of Download Festival, what better band is there to bask in the sunshine than CORROSION OF CONFORMITY? Despite a hefty delay before the band had even hit a note and a subsequently shortened set as a result, the American metallers dispatched grooving riffs to the highest order. With a mercifully tight mix at their disposal, Woody Weatherman and Pepper Keenan‘s guitar work was easily digestible with the former delivering his gruff vocal style to wonderous effect. Heads were nodding aplenty and ending their set with the classic Clean My Wounds, including a tasteful jam between the quartet at the halfway point, proved to be a masterstroke and ensured that CORROSION OF CONFORMITY had spirits soaring for the rest of the day.
Rating: 7/10
Words: James Weaver
BURY TOMORROW – Zippo Encore Stage
Despite losing a good deal of their impact to the blustery conditions, BURY TOMORROW still manage to take their Zippo Encore Stage crowd by the scruff of the neck and at least come close to pummelling them into submission. New tracks Black Flame and Knife of Gold sound absolutely monolithic, with old favourites Man on Fire and An Honourable Reign provoking feverish reactions from those in the front rows. It’s not the best that BURY TOMORROW have ever sounded but to be honest it doesn’t need to be; their set has gone a long way to converting the masses before the new record drops in mid July.
Rating: 7/10
Words: Shaun Brown
SLEEP TOKEN – The Dogtooth Stage
Tucked away on Download Festival‘s smaller stages, you’ll find an array of talent that daringly pushes heavy music to new and exciting pastures and SLEEP TOKEN are the crème de la crème in that regard. The mysterious metal collective are shrouded in mystery and despite performing to a swarming tent on The Dogtooth Stage, they delivered a live ritual that will be remembered for months to come. Deploying a rich and vast soundscape full of soaring and sombre melodies gripped the crowd throughout their time on stage. The sombre and intricate keyboards on Nazareth for example washed over your head before subsiding into earth-shattering breakdowns that threatened to engulf you; it was utterly emphatic to witness. At the heart of their swirling sonic vortex, Vessel was utterly mesmerising. Deploying super-crisp vocals that raised the hair on the back of your neck, he was simply outstanding and the audience was transfixed. Despite their performance at Download being just their seventh live show, SLEEP TOKEN displayed expert musicianship and a stunning live experience that not only impressed, but made them stand firm as one of the best performances of the entire weekend.
Rating: 10/10
Words: James Weaver
THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT – Main Stage
British blues rock band THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT delivered a stunning set at this year’s Download Festival. Kicking in with Only Friend the band had the crowd blissfully in the palm of their hands, from fans who are well known with their music to those who were just passing they had everyone’s attention. A lot of rock bands try to grasp that classic southern sound from the 70s, and while a fair few achieve it, THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT have mastered it. They are a blast to the past, but also a breath of fresh air. With a charismatic performance and a solid sound, they’re going to be rocking the world soon enough.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Jessica Howkins
L7 – Zippo Encore Stage
California’s own four-piece band L7 performed a set that was not without its problems. Arriving on stage significantly later than planned, drummer Demetra Plakas was unable to play due to a broken arm, and spent the duration singing backing vocals on stage. There were also technical difficulties with lead singer Donita Sparks‘ microphone, which made it hard to hear her over the rest of the instruments. However, the shortened set had the energy expected from the band that influenced the riot grrl movement, with bassist Jennifer Finch in particular interacting fantastically both with the band and the crowd. L7 played some of their most well known songs from before their split in 1996, including Fuel My Fire and Pretend We’re Dead, and managed to get the crowd warmed up for the next few bands on the Zippo Encore Stage.
Rating: 6/10
Words: Chloe Leonard
ROLO TOMASSI – The Avalanche Stage
ROLO TOMASSI have slowly been developing themselves as one the very best bands of the British underground for over 10 years now, and with recent record Time Will Die and Love Will Bury It earning rave reviews from critics and fans alike, the tent of The Avalanche Stage is pleasingly full as they take to the stage. The new songs, as expected, sound absolutely massive; a perfect blend of off-kilter riffing and soaring melodic choruses that captivate all in attendance. The schizophrenic glory of Alma Mater tears through the speakers with the explosive force of a small hurricane, while in contrast the haunting notes of Aftermath show off the fragile side of Eva Spence’s ever expanding vocal range. A good number of people have glossed over ROLO TOMASSI in the past, but with this kind of live performance and the quality of their entire back catalogue, it won’t be long until everyone starts paying them some serious attention.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Shaun Brown
ASKING ALEXANDRIA – Zippo Encore Stage
ASKING ALEXANDRIA brought a hugely varied setlist to the Zippo Encore Stage on Saturday. Mixing newer, cleaner vocal tracks with those songs that attracted fans to the band earlier in their formation, newly returned lead singer Danny Worsnop had a fantastic stage presence. The Yorkshire outfit mixed close to album recording quality with smoky pyrotechnics to the delight of both old and new fans watching them play. The solid setlist, containing tracks such as Under Denver and the heavier Run Free, cements the fact that ASKING ALEXANDRIA are back in business and ready to prove themselves further.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Chloe Leonard
THE FEVER 333 – The Avalanche Stage
There are few more hyped sets this weekend than that of THE FEVER 333’s UK debut. Comprising members of THE CHARIOT, NIGHT VERSES and the mighty LETLIVE, this politically charged project melding hip hop with hardcore always had the potential to put on an incendiary live show, and it’s evident within the opening moments that that’s exactly what they’re going to deliver to the fields of Donington. Rattling through a thunderous Made an America, a rousing Hunting Season and a destructively venomous We’re Coming In, Jason Butler et al attack like a pack of caged wolves smelling blood for the very first time. The whole set is not only incredibly tight but also filled with moments of sheer flamboyant brilliance, with every member of the collective bringing their own unique sense of showmanship to what is a genuine contender for the set of the weekend.
Rating: 10/10
Words: Shaun Brown
BABYMETAL – Zippo Encore Stage
The BABYMETAL juggernaut continues to roll without any signs of slowing down. The overriding storyline is now in its seventh ‘episode’ and for all that people complain bitterly about them through keyboards, they’re not going anywhere. The absence of original member Yuimetal is still conspicuous, but the remaining girls – Su-metal and Moametal plus two new backing members – are still firing on all cylinders and dance their way through Gimme Choco!!, KARATE and brand new track Distortion as if their lives depend on it. The crowd are in the palms of their hands – circles pits are called and happen, then made bigger on request, the cheers are massive and the fun is on a level that isn’t found anywhere else. Quite what happens now is anyone’s guess, but it’ll be fun finding out.
Rating: 8/10
Words: Elliot Leaver
BLACK STONE CHERRY – Main Stage
BLACK STONE CHERRY is always a welcome band to play at Download Festival, their history of the festival proving huge. Off the back of their recent album Family Tree they catered the fans with a bit of everything from their back catalogue, although with their status their newer songs were received just as well as some of their hits. Rain Wizard, Blame It On The Boom Boom, Lonely Train and the rest had fans in yelling their hearts out. The high-energy performance featured covers from the likes of JIMI HENDRIX, and even though the BAD COMPANY Rock ‘N’ Roll Fantasy cover fell short on many of the audiences’ ears, the ones who knew it let loose in a mass of chaos. BLACK STONE CHERRY have an ability of making any song their own, they deserved to finally be up on the Main Stage where they belong.
Rating: 9/10
Words: Jessica Howkins
PARKWAY DRIVE – Zippo Encore Stage
There has been endless debate about the future headliners for Download Festival once the titans of our world fade into memory. Out of all those worthy successors that are deemed worthy to step up to the plate, there is one such band that have been spear-heading the charge in the modern era of heavy music; PARKWAY DRIVE. And their headlining performance on the Zippo Encore Stage was a real statement of intent, one which surely cements their place amongst the elite. Endlessly throughout their set, the Aussie metallers kept the adrenaline high and the breakdowns gargantuan as frontman Winston McCall‘s admirable enthusiasm and solid vocal deliveries kept the crowd hooked to euphoric effect.
New material from last month’s Reverence sounded enormous in the live environment and will certainly sway any previous critics. Opening with a double-whammy of Wishing Wells and Prey may seem like a bold move on paper but it set the tone perfectly and the inclusions of Cemetery Bloom and The Void went down a treat, and the band’s execution of their cherished older material was delivered to the highest standard. Music wise, PARKWAY DRIVE were on fire, but the consistent deployment of literal fire through jaw-dropping pyrotechnics, clever lighting and a revolving drumkit for Ben Gordon allowed plenty of moments that will long be remembered. Simply outstanding, PARKWAY DRIVE gave everything and then some, it will be a performance that will go down in the history books.
Rating: 9/10
Words: James Weaver
GUNS N’ ROSES – Main Stage
Who would have thought a handful of years ago that GUNS N’ ROSES would be back up on stage together? Not many. Here we are though in 2018 and having the iconic band perform at Download. A lot of the audience were torn with the idea of their three and a half hour long set list (although only having played for three), some either loved it or hated it. Kicking in with It’s So Easy and Mr Brownstone it all seemed to be going down a treat with fans, shortly after though the night started to feel extensive and at points people felt disappointed by what should have been one of the most memorable nights for them. There were points in the performance where it felt dry and there was a lack of excitement and these dips would continue right throughout until toward the end of the night. Towards the end the mood had certainly picked up and GUNS N’ ROSES had certainly smashed out hits such as Nightrain, Paradise City and November Rain, but it was a struggle to get there. In a way it was a blessing that they finished half-hour earlier than their allotted time. What should have been a night to remember, felt like a high expectation that had not been hit.
Rating: 7/10
Words: Jessica Howkins
And there we have it! Be sure to check out our review of the Friday and keep posted to Distorted Sound as we bring you our review of the Sunday of Download Festival 2018 very soon!
