Pugwash News - Portsmouth's Official Student Newspaper

7/10]

Download celebrated the 30th anniversary of the inaugural Monsters of Rock festival this June, and the big question was, does Donington Park still hold the title for the ultimate home of rock? The answer, a resounding YES! And here are the highlights…

Friday:
36 Crazyfists were on their usual excellent metalcore form, despite below par sound quality, and older tracks had the afternoon moshpit lovers working overtime. Florida clan A Day To Remember’s mix of catchy tunes and crunching breakdowns had the crowd singing, stomping and causing a riot, and back on the mainstage Killswitch Engage showed exactly why they are considered a Download favourite with their cover of fallen metal God Dio’s Holy Diver feeling understandably poignant. When it comes to supergroups, Them Crooked Vultures hold some of the rock world’s most prestigious stars. However, their set was middle of the road, relatively dull and certainly didn’t put the ‘super’ in supergroup.

Despite controversy regarding their appearance and the festival itself, AC/DC blew the majority of the festival punters away, blasting out their biggest hits, sending the crowd wild to Back In Black, You Shook Me All Night Long and many other songs that have made a massive impact on the history of rock music. The stage show was as epic as expected, and overall it was a performance that could easily be remembered as legendary.

Saturday:
The Blackout played an acoustic set at the Jagermeister truck, and despite the band’s admission that it was out of their comfort zone, their songs translated well to the stripped-down session. Over on the main stage Atreyu’s Brandon Saller often showed his talent as a musician by keeping both clean vocals and drumming perfectly tight. Comparisons of Flyleaf singer Lacey Mosley are often made to Evanescence’s Amy Lee, however Flyleaf blew Evanescence’s shaky 2007 performance out of the water today. Mosley could well be one of the best female vocalists in rock, and the overall performance energetic and engaging. Five Finger Death Punch brought the aggressive metal sound they are known for, with an attitude to match. During The Blackout’s main set, singalongs were inevitable and rousing, particularly for the beyond infectiously catchy This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things. Deftones on the main stage were a big draw for the crowd, with their trademark etheral vocal style combined with strong riffs. Their set proved an excellent opportunity to sit and relax while taking in their unique, melodically intricate songs.

Theatricality definitely proved a major part of 30 Seconds To Mars’ act, with constant guitar swapping and the inability to stand still from singer Jared Leto. With Chino Moreno as a special guest for breakthrough hit The Kill, and fans invading the stage during finale Kings and Queens, they ended Saturday’s second stage proceedings with a bang, while over on main stage, Rage Against the Machine proved more than deserving of their mass success with a powerful performance.

Sunday:
August Burns Red showcased their unforgivingly heavy style that has transferred them from a small tent to the second stage in the past two years, and Switchfoot were reminiscent of stadium rockers Nickelback. New ‘supergroup’ The Damned Things is made up of members of Anthrax, Fall Out Boy and Every Time I Die. A strange mix, but one that seemed to work, with heavy riffs and manic drumming being order of the day. Following a solid performance from Dillinger Escape Plan, Steel Panther wowed the crowd with their outrageous antics and an inspired cover of Backstreet Boys track I Want It That Way!) while over in the Pepsi Max tent, Zebrahead played catchy and fun songs, even those who had simply ventured in for shelter from the rain were bopping along.

Closing the day’s proceedings, and the festival itself, were the legendary Aerosmith. Opening with the classic Love In An Elevator, Steven Tyler gyrated around the stage in tight trousers and sequins, with the energy of a 20 year old – and a stunning rendition of Cryin’ that showed Tyler’s voice had certainly not diminished with age. Their encore featured dramatic and theatrical Dream On, and Walk This Way had the whole arena dancing. Thanking us and each other before they left the stage, Aerosmith were easily worth facing the rain and mud for, a spectacular ending to an incredible weekend.

For the full, in depth review visit http://verbaltrash.blogspot.com/