The 20th anniversary of Download, the biggest event in British rock, was a colossal success. The festival extended to an extra day and boasted an impressive lineup that sold out for the first time ever, with Metallica’s legions receiving a special treat. Despite the chaos caused by 100,000 people descending onto rural Leicestershire, festival-goers were rewarded with something worthwhile. Metallica, the biggest metal band ever, headlined the main stage on Thursday and Saturday, delivering a quintessential career recap.
Coheed and Cambria, the Saturday third-stage headliners, were Metallica’s closest competitors for “band of the weekend.” The New Yorkers delivered a unique rendition of prog, pop, emo, and metal sounds that blended seamlessly, while Disturbed’s jock-metal formula was criticized by many. Bring Me the Horizon, first-time main-stage headliners on Friday, was confused about their identity, but their pyrotechnics and video extravaganzas saved the day and entertained the northerners.
Meanwhile, Alexisonfire, AA Williams, Carcass, and Behemoth played dynamic post-hardcore, emotional goth-like crooning, snarling vocals, and slicing guitar leads, respectively. Metalcore upstarts Pupil Slicer and Graphic Nature ignited mosh pits on the fourth stage’s jam-packed tent, while Bloodywood, a New Delhi trio, added righteous nu-metal with Indian folk to a rapt main-stage crowd.
As Download came to an eclectic close, Ghost, whose occult glam fused the best of Abba and Candlemass, segued into final headliners Slipknot. Despite being down keyboardist Craig Jones, The Nine delivered a full-power set of largely turn-of-the-millennium hits. Overall, Download 2023 was packed with star-studded performances that celebrated British rock, making it a weekend to remember.
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