Anyone who has attended Download Festival will know that any amount of rain can turn the venue into a huge mud bath and the torrential downpours yesterday means that there’s a delay in opening the gates as the staff undertake a huge clean up operation. More rain is forecast for today, but it will take more than inclement weather to dampen the spirits of the Download crew, so wellingtons at the ready…let’s get ready to rock!

Despite the entry time being delayed we make it in to watch Celestial Sanctuary and I’m mighty glad we did. Hailing from Cambridge, they have an eardrum-popping, earthshaking sound and they make sure that the pedal is pressed to the floor right from the get-go. Representing the new breed of death metal they’ve been terrorising listeners for five years and it’s no surprise when a violent pit erupts (although it is surprising considering the early hour) and this is probably the most brutal twenty minutes I’ll ever spend in my entire life and they are a score of minutes that’ll be indelibly stamped upon my memory bank.

With influences ranging from Kate Bush to Bring Me The Horizon, Brighton’s Knife Bride are an intriguing proposition and have come a long way in a short time. It was their name that first attracted me to the Dogtooth stage and I’m glad it did because I’m treated to a sharp, surgical sound and one that scythes through the air like a steely blade. With an insanely catchy chorus ‘Sacrifice/Surrender’ is a definite highlight and its bombastic sound beats a path straight to the memory bank. Today’s performance finds Knife Bride carving their name on my chest. And while this is my first encounter with this Brighton bunch, I hope it won’t be my last.

Alt Blk Era are a pair of sisters from Nottingham who blend rap, metal and punk and present them in an intoxicating mix. Specialising in a twin vocal attack, one singer is attired all in white, the other in black and they offer a little choice between heaven and hell. It’s great to hear a band bringing something new to the table and tracks such as ‘Freak Show’ do exactly that. Part metal gig, part theatre of the mind, Alt Blk Era are both sonically and visually arresting and refuse to be ignored. They become far heavier in the live environment and I’m sure they’ve won more than a few fans today. Future mayhem beckons.

Over on the Apex stage The Hunna are really kicking things up, and despite the wet and cold the band are showing solidarity with those packed in front of the stage by displaying a lot of flesh. The Hunna are operating with a lot of raw emotion as if they are angry with the gods for trying to rain on their parade, but this Hertfordshire quartet aren’t going to let a little thing like unseasonable weather stop them, and if the wind is blowing their sound around, why, they’ll just play harder. And they are playing hard, like The Stooges in their prime they are really stomping on it and it’s quite appropriate, considering the conditions, that they open with ‘The Storm’. Operating with a take no prisoners ethos, The Hunna wrestled with Thor…and they won.

Having supported the likes of Malevolence (reviewed here) and Landmvrks (reviewed here), Manchester’s Guilt Trip are very much a band on the up and a packed tent is present to witness their meteoric rise. This is arguably their biggest show thus far and was a bucket list wish for the band, and now that wish has come true they’re making every second count. Bringing it like Hatebreed in their prime, Guilt Trip unleash ‘Fallen At My Feet’ and ‘Severance’ as if they are bullets from an Uzi and they connect with the crowd as such, while a ferocious rendering of ‘Eyes Wide Shut’ threatens to take things off the Richter Scale. With a UK tour planned for later this year and a new album in the works, you feel that their story has only just begun.

In the world of hardcore where musical fads and trends come and go with increasing rapidity, New Jersey band Gel have something special that sets them apart; staying power. With their roots in powerviolence band Sick Shit, Gel took all that was great about that band and added elements of post-punk and D-beat to create a sound that’s truly unique. They are a boisterous force of nature with vocalist Sami Kaiser continually bouncing from stage left to stage right whilst guitarists Anthony Webster and Madison Nave use feedback as a kind of weapon, and one which adds depth and texture. Imagine Black Flag, 1980 (and on amphetamine) and you’ll have an experience approaching Gel.

It’s no secret that Babymetal have some seriously committed fans and many have them have been camped in front of the stage all day in a quest of securing a prime position for today’s gig. However, there have been some dark, angry clouds on the horizon and they’ve been blown ever closer by a gusty wind and as set time approaches they’re almost overhead. As usual ‘BABYMETAL DEATH’ creates an exorbitant amount of tension before the band march on stage, their gold costumes contrasting with the grey clouds, and they launch into ‘Distortion’ and, seemingly on cue, the heavens open and rains down all sorts of chaos. It’s a storm of biblical proportions and forces the band to be called offstage for 20 minutes (for safety reasons, I imagine). When they return it is with band solos, which seems strange considering the lost time, then they hit us with three songs. While the delay wasn’t the band’s fault the result is an oddly unsatisfying affair, so let’s hope the band are invited back next year to give us the full Babymetal experience.

There’s nothing quite like the sound of a death metal band in full flight, and when that band is called Dying Fetus things really don’t get better. As mission statements go, ‘Wrong One To Fuck With’ is the perfect calling card; it’s the most depraved serial killer appearing at the foot of you bed in the dead of night whilst brandishing a large skewer. The crowd require little goading to go nuts and things get pretty hectic, pretty quick. The aptly-titled ‘Unbridled Fury’ is particularly punchy and I’m not sure what drugs the band are on…but whatever it is, I want some! There’s no signs of flagging as we reach closer ‘Grotesque Impalement’ which finds the band amping everything up to the nth degree. Dying Fetus came, played, and left a bloody corpse in their wake.

Along with a host of spiky-topped ne’er-do-wells, The Offspring helped revive interest in punk rock in the 1990’s and since then they’ve barely looked back. Selling eye-watering amounts of records along the way they’ve been in perpetual motion and have explored the music realms of hardcore, pop-punk and alternative rock. Today’s set makes pit stops along their discography and picks cuts from seven of their albums for a truly comprehensive Offspring experience. Behind jet black shades, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland leads the troops into battle with the war cry that is opening blast ‘Come Out And Play’. From here on it is a white knuckle ride that includes two choice covers (including The Ramones’ ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’) and there’s no slacking as we get into the business end of the set which includes the huge sing along ‘Pretty Fly (For A White Guy)’ and set closer ‘The Kids Aren’t Alright’. But of course that’s not the end and the band return for two well earned encores that concludes with a rebel rousing rendition of ‘Self Esteem’. Nice.

Since Pantera first played Donington in 1994 there’s been a whole lot of trauma, most notably the sad loss of brothers “Dimebag” Darrell and Vinny Paul. After losing such key personnel it seemed the band would be confined to history, albeit a special place in history as the band who kept heavy metal alive in the 1980’s. Yet it seems that hell really has froze over and the band are back with touring guitarist Zakk Wylde and drummer Charlie Benante taking over the roles of “Dimebag” and Vinny respectively. Of course, by resurrecting the band there was always the danger that this incarnation of Pantera would be seen as a glorified tribute band and while tribute is paid to “Dimebag” and Vinny throughout, there’s an energy present that places the band right in the here and now and if proof were ever needed then it can be found in the blast of opening shot ‘A New Level’. It is as crunchy as the day it was written and tears through the crowd like a musical steamroller. Such is the desire to see Pantera that the crowd is packed in super tight and you get the feeling that they really could have headlined the main stage. All the usual suspects are here (‘Mouth For War’, ‘5 Minutes Alone’, ‘This Love’) along with a few surprises (‘Floods’) and while I’d never complain about such a stellar song selection it would have been nice to hear their cover of ‘Planet Caravan’ (maybe on next year’s tour). As an encore we’re treated to ‘Fucking Hostile’, and it’s a sing along version version that causes ten thousand sore throats.

After witnessing Pantera over on the Opus stage, it would take something very special to come close to what I saw, and Fear Factory headlining the Dogtooth are the only band who could come close. It seems that a refreshed Download has also galvanised the older, more established bands and Fear Factory (along with Pantera) have really stepped up to the plate. Yet, the band have also been reinvigorated by some major line-up changes that find guitarist Dino Cazares as the sole original member and with Milo Silvestro now holding the mic stand I was interested to see how this band locked together. The answer soon came in the shape of opening track ‘What Will Become?’, and that answer is very well. The band lock in tightly and play with mechanical precision, Milo slots in well, and after Charlie’s fireworks with Pantera we are treated to another drum masterclass, this time courtesy of Peter Webber. Like pistons in a well serviced car he hits those drums with full force and taps out some strange futuristic code. Giving the fans exactly what they want, we are treated to four cuts from Demanufacture (including an explosive ‘New Breed’) along with choice cuts from several albums. Still offering a frightening glimpse of a totalitarian future, Fear Factory remain ever reliable.

Although the inclusion of Busted at this year’s Download raised a few eyebrows, much of the incredulity came from choice of headliners and no more so than with Saturday’s head honchos Fall Out Boy. While they’ve tried on many types of musical clothing (pop-punk, emo, pop rock) none of them can be described as “metal”, it’s certainly true that the musical landscape has changed and people are more open to different styles of music, yet their inclusion, especially as bill toppers was a risk by the Download team, but judging by the diverse crowd who are gathered to witness Fall Out Boy, it seems to have paid off and the cheer that welcomes them is surely all the affirmation the festival organisers needed. Of course, that Fall Out Boy are schooled in stagecraft doesn’t hurt, they know how to work a crowd and what buttons to press and tonight’s set finds them grouping songs from specific albums into subsets and the result is fairly novel, and works really well. To see people’s faces light up when they hear ‘Chicago Is So Two Years Ago’ and then turn into beaming smiles when they get another from the same album (‘Grand Theft Autumn’) is a thing of beauty. There was a lot trash talked on social media regarding Fall Out Boy’s appearance at this year’s Download, but the band proved them all wrong, and in some style.

• Pictures by Philip Piskor.

Fall Out Boy Set List:

1. Disloyal Order Of Water Buffaloes (Intro)
2. Chicago Is So Two Years Ago
3. Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
4. Sugar, We’re Goin’ Down
5. Dance, Dance
6. A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More “Touch Me”.
7. Get Busy Living Or Get Busy Dying (Do Your Part To save The Scene And Stop Going To Shows)
8. This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race
9. Thriller
10. Back On The Doldrums
11. Thnks Fr Th Mmrs
12. Disloyal Order Of Water Buffaloes
13. I Don’t Care
14. The Phoenix
15. My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light ‘Em Up)
16. Uma Thurman
17. The Kids Aren’t Alright
18. Immortals
19. The Last Of The Real Ones
20. What A Catch, Donnie (excerpt)
21. Golden (excerpt)
22. So Much (For) Stardust
23. Love From The Other Side
24. Fake Out
25. X-O
26. Centuries
27. Saturday

Click here for review of Day 1

Click here for review of Day 3