Elite Online Mag Elite 89 | Page 162

Photographer : Matt Eachus

download festival

8-10 june 2017
Fresh from a run in the states promoting their fantastic new album Emperor of Sand , Mastodon filled the main stage with riffs and headbangs a plenty . Considering the legacy of this band , there was a surprising amount of newer material in the setlist , but their set was executed with perfection . The sound at main stage can be incredibly patchy , but in the right spot , Mastodon have never truly sounded better .
Thrash / hardcore punk crossover band Suicidal Tendencies up next on the Zippo Encore stage . With the sheer energy and enthusiasm pouring out from the stage , it ’ s difficult to believe that the band have been around since the early 80 ’ s . Tearing through what seemed like hundreds of songs , Suicidal Tendencies smashed through the crowd ’ s collective hangovers and by the end of their set , the whole of the audience was beaming .
Onto a slightly lighter note now with Baroness . Download Festival was the British crowd ’ s first chance to see the band for a little while , and with addition of new guitarist Gina Gleason , everything was up for grabs . And boy did she deliver . Adding another layer of alto vocals into the sea of complexity that is Baroness , it ’ s the best we ’ ve seen the band as of late . An extremely promising future ahead .
Download Festival loves its dip into nostalgia territory . Good Charlotte have had a lull as of late , with nothing notable coming from the camp in the last decade . However , give the band 45 minutes late on at a festival , and they sure do fill it with absolute bangers . From the off , harking back to The Young and the Hopeless , crowd participation is the best we have seen at the festival all weekend . Good Charlotte not only have the songs to justify such a high position on the lineup , they also pull it off with precision .
Friday was always going to be about System Of A Down . It ’ s rare we get a UK appearance from the metal legends from afar , so tonight the excitement is rife . Right from the opening chords of Soldier Side it is clear why they are headliners . As they smash through classic after classic , the crowd grows in size , in volume and in joy , and suddenly Download is a special place to be tonight . Although there is not fancy pyro or lighting , and there ’ s little interaction from the band to the crowd , they deliver 30 songs including Aerials , Hypnotize , Pictures , Psycho , War ?, and Toxicity . The set is intense and incredible and sugar-coated with many a signature strange noise . System Of A Down are in a league of their own and tonight proves that .
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