And we reach the end of the list! ROCKFLESH's final pick of those bands to seek out this weekend. And let's end with the big one and the reason that I suspect half of us will be at Donington park, Tool. It's been twelve long years since they last appeared on UK soil. I've moved house three times and had four different jobs since then but here we are, about to witness the majestic return of a band that can only be described as the Heavy Metal Radiohead.
Read MoreTrivium are a band in transition. 2019 marks their twentieth year as a unit but it feels that they are only now finally transcending from upcoming young bucks and the next big thing, to being viewed as an established mainstay of the Metal hierarchy. The stadium filling festival headlining status that was long predicted for them has failed to materialise and most probably now will never happen. However instead Trivium have morphed into a highly dependable and pretty decent mid-table proposition that are comfortable in their own skin.
Read MoreWhen I submitted my list of the 30 must see acts at Download 2019 to his satanic majesty who sits atop of ROCKFLESH towers, he raised a fiery eyebrow and bellowed "Whitesnake? Whitesnake? Whitesnake? Really???" And the answer is yes, for one reason and one reason only, this will be the mass outdoor karaoke moment of the entire festival.
Read MoreI still find it hard when Grunge is lumped in with Classic Rock and acts from the early nineties alt rock boom are labeled veterans, as for me they still young upstarts with a new fangled sound that frankly knocked me for six. They may seem now to be fairly standard alternative Rock but at the time, The Smashing Pumpkins were ground breaking as they united lovers of indie and heavy shit like never before.
Read MoreAt Download 2010, I made the mistake of consuming five pints of Hobgoblin in a short space of time and then heading to the pit for Lamb of God. Needless I say, I was quite ill after, but boy did I have a good time. I have a number of other similar anecdotes of other Lamb of God appearances at Download and the vast majority involve the furiosity of their pit, and alcohol.
Read MoreThere are those who point fingers at Download booking policy and say their choices are safe and conservative. I, however would argue that there are a number of interesting and intriguing leftfield additions this year. This is none more illustrated than by the inclusion of Behemoth in a prestigious mid-afternoon main stage slot. This is a self proclaimed Satan worshiping Black Metal monolith released on an unsuspecting hundred thousand people waiting for the inoffensive rock reggae of Skindred.
Read MoreI am a late convert to the church of Clutch. People whose musical tastes I trust have sung their praises for many years but I held out, labelling all the fuss ill-judged and hyper-bole. But with last year “Book of Bad Decisions”, the penny finally dropped and I got what all the fuss is about.
Read MoreDo I really need to explain why you need to at least see some of Slipknot on Saturday night? Everyone knows they are probably one of the most incendiary and pulsating live acts you will come across. It's Slipknot! Right! simply the most degenerative, ugly and God darn confrontational juggernaut to have become a household name.
Read MoreIt wasn't even midday when Power Trip took to the stage at Bloodstock last year and yet they managed to tear the place a proverbial new one. They were the word of mouth hit of the festival with psyched up revellers feverishly asking each other "Did you see Power Trip?".
Read Moreast time Amon Amarth played Download, they were magnificent and stole the whole weekend from under iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Rammstein collective noises. They wandered on to the Main Stage at midday to a crowd suffering from hypothermia and trench foot and gave us a headline show.
Read MoreAlien Weaponry are our next must see recommendation for Download. They may be insanely young but they are probably the hottest band you will find on site. And Christ they are young! If you are harassed by some teen to buy them a pint as their ID has been rejected, its probably a member of Alien Weaponry. But God, is there a buzz about them?
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