Here we are. Download XXI is well and truly over. A week has gone by since the festival was in full effect. So, to brighten up your Download blues, here’s ALTESCAPE’s Top 6 favourite Download bands of 2024. 6 bands because not only could I not stick to 5, but also, we are metal heads, people: the number of the beast.
6
What would Download Festival be without choreographed Japanese dance metal? Babymetal brings intoxicating energy with their short but sweet set on Download’s main Apex Stage. Clamored in excentric, bedazzled outfits, and the dance choreography to go with, Babymetal is always ready to put on an almost immaculate performance. Yet, it seems that this time around, the grim British weather got the better of the Kawaii metal group. With technical difficulties induced by brief torrential rain, Babymetal’s set is halted mid flow, hence, limiting their performance to just 5 songs. Upon reappearing after a weather-induced interlude, Babymetal hit their last few songs with almighty energy and beaming smiles. Despite the difficulties in Babymetal’s set, the outfit still, undoubtedly, makes it as Number 6 on ALTESCAPES Download XXI favourites. Our favourite tracks from their set include: ‘METALI!!’, ‘RATATATA’, and of course, ‘KARATE’.
5
‘Queen shit, Yeah that’s queen shit’. Scene Queen our Barbie Queen of Download XII. Commandeering a sea of metal heads under her ‘Whips and Chains’, frontwoman Hannah brightens a herd of black battle jackets with her Barbie-core pink mini-skirt, and baby-pink stomper platforms. With girly-pop dance moves and metalcore riffs, Scene Queen brings party anthems of a Kesha-type nature to starved metal fans, whilst sliding in hard-hitting breakdowns to soften the blow. Fun and tirelessly energetic, Scene Queen’s set rocks the Opus Stage with killer tracks- ‘Pink Panther’, ‘Pink Paper’ and ‘Barbie & Ken’. Ahead of her incredible performance, Hannah spoke out on the withdrawal of bands from the festival’s line-up in an active boycott against Barclays Bank. She spoke with admiration about such bands, and reflected that she wished she had the strength to stand in such defiance. However, in an effort to make up for her lack of protest, Hannah announced that all proceeds from their performance at Download would hence forth go to efforts in Palestine.
4
Heading over to one of the smaller stages this time, we scurry into an already packed-out tent, branded Dogtooth Stage. As much as I love Alpha Wolf, I have to say I wasn’t expecting this little Tasmanian hardcore group to draw as much attention as they did (particularly making it to Number 4 on my list). Grasping the audience with claws and taking a bloody hold throughout their entire set, Alpha Wolf know how to steal the stage, forcing fans to succumb to the mosh. As much as an Alpha Wolf mosh appears brutal in nature, I have to say it might have been the kindest one of the entire weekend. Stumbling and slipping in the mud, there is always a fellow metal head to pick you straight back up again. Swallowed in the circle pit for the whole of their set, I didn’t get much of a chance to glimpse at those I was moshing to on stage, but their sound made more than enough of an impact. Favourite tracks from their set included: new release ‘Sucks 2 Suck’, and ‘Akudama’.
3
Astounding, instrumental genius: Polyphia brings a beaming ray of light to our first day at of Download. Expressive and virtuosic, Polyphia’s unique sound is one to be marvelled. Unlike much of our time spent at Download, for Polyphia’s set we position ourselves comfortably on the sidelines. It was refreshing to step out of the mosh for a brief lapse in time, allowing the waves of euphoric instrumental wash over us. Gliding from track to track with delicate ease, much like Tim Henson’s guitar playing, Polyphia holds the audience in a mesmerised state of awe. Holding themselves with style and grace, the outfit dance through a beautiful setlist full of favourite tracks such as: ‘The Worst’, ‘Euphoria’, and ‘G.O.A.T’. Progressive and experimental, Polyphia refreshingly approaches Download’s Apex Stage with beaming smiles and pure instrumental, progressive metal bliss.
2
A birthday specialty for my boyfriend, with an outcome of being battered and bruised- and yet, utterly, worth every second. With horrifically unfortunate scheduling, it was a race against time to make it from the Apex Stage to the Opus Stage, disappointingly leaving The Offspring’s set in dismal in-completion. Planting ourselves firmly along an equator of expected moshing, nothing could have prepared us for the brutality of a Download Pantera mosh. Through a relentless setlist of unequivocal bangers, the outfit left no air for breath, particularly as the crowd pushed and swarmed forward in a crowd crushing type fashion. Taking on Download as their first show in the UK in over 20 years, I have to say my only critique is the fact that they didn’t play main stage. Clutching the crowd's attention with favourites including ‘A New Level’, ‘Cowboys from Hell’, and, of course, ‘Walk’, Pantera masterfully captivates their audience, conducting the mosh of both dreams and nightmares.
1
‘Limp Bizkit rockin’ the set’. Fred Durst and cohort, brace Download’s main Apex Stage ahead of headliners Avenged Sevenfold on the last day of Download Fest XXI. As an avid Bizkit fan, peeling my eyes open on the Sunday morning, my first thought was: it's Limp Bizkit day baby. Upon entering the arena, the mud is worse than ever, but we’re finally starting to see a faint peep of sunlight illuminating a sea of red caps. Ahead of the set, we place ourselves in pride of place towards the front right-hand side of the stage, prime mosh position. Heading on stage with his clean ‘dad vibes’ attire and fishing hat, Fred Durst may have mellowed out his ‘look’, but within the first 10 seconds of performing, he proves to a crowd of 80,000 that his performance and charisma has not mellowed in the slightest.
‘It’s just one of those days when you don’t wanna wake up, Everything is fucked, Everybody sucks’. Throwing us into immediate moshing turmoil ‘Break Stuff’ blasts out as track number 1, and from that point onwards whether we liked it or not (we liked it) we were swept up by an ever-growing mosh, growing in ferocity and rowdiness with each track change. I couldn’t have been more impressed with the compiled setlist (had Limp Bizkit not interluded with Wonderwall maybe). Stocked with legendary nu-metal bangers, Limp Bizkit hurtled out tracks from ‘Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavoured Water’, and ‘Significant Other’, powered with adrenaline, whilst drinking up an adoring crowd. Whilst the Bizkit still get up to their devilish antics as they get older and greyer, mid performance of ‘Full Nelson’ we see a totally compassionate side to the band as they stop the show upon seeing someone fainting in the crowd. From the days of Woodstock 99, it seems Limp Bizkit have only grown in popularity and professionalism, whilst still holding the control of tens of thousands of people in the palm of their hands.
Returning to ‘Break Stuff’ to tie off their performance, I find myself daringly inclined to crowd surf to the finale of Limp Bizkit’s set. Hoisted up and thrown backwards, I float and fall towards the front of the stage, cowboy boots flailing in the air. As security picks me up at the barrier, I land with a group of crowd surfing comrades all chanting the final lyrics to ‘Break Stuff’.
Without question, the Bizkit lands themselves as ALTESCAPE’s Number 1 at Download XXI.
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