With just sixteen days to go, it’s time to dig a little deeper into the packed line up of Download 2023 and see what squirms in the darkness. While this four-day extravaganza boasts some of the biggest names in rock and metal, with the likes of Metallica, Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon, Placebo, Evanescence and Altar Bridge all bringing their firepower to the event, part of the excitement lies in exploring the various stages throughout the day to find the niche, the up-and-coming and the wilfully perverse. Here, we have ten acts we feel you should take a moment to check out if you’re headed to Donnington’s hallowed fields this June.
While rock and metal fans will be no strangers to the work of Maynard James Keenan, frontman of both Tool and A Perfect Circle, Puscifer is a very different proposition. Eschewing the dense groove of Tool in favour of an airy, experimental sound that sits closer to trip hop than anything in the alt-rock firmament, Puscifer is an outlier on the Download line up, but it is perfectly suited to kicking back on the grass in the midday sun (or, at least, we hope it’s the midday sun). The music of Puscifer can be darkly hypnotic (Queen B), or hauntingly beautiful (Momma Sed), but it’s always engaging, and the band is also known for its atypical stage presentation. As such, expect the unexpected and head to the Opus stage on Thursday to see Puscifer in action.
The recent subject of a feature-length documentary, GWAR remain gloriously ridiculous. Yet, for all the theatricality and irreverence of their presentation, beneath the blood, semen and latex, lies a band fiercely passionate about what they do. That passion can be clearly heard in 2022’s excellent The New Dark Ages,and those that dismiss GWAR as a gimmick do so at their peril. Expect fierce riffs, fountains of blood and, if you do decide to get up close and personal at the Dogtooth Stage on Friday, for goodness’ sake, where clothes you don’t mind getting ruined!
It’s been a while since Swedish oddballs Avatar graced Download with their presence but, with new album Dance Devil Dance having hit the racks in February, it is a most welcome return. A band that draws on the theatricality of Kiss, the dark industrial groove of Rammstein and the fiery guitars of In Flames, Avatar are heavy for sure, but with a melodic edge that keeps the music memorable. As for their shows – well, they continue to unleash their unique take on a big top from hell, and entertainment is guaranteed. They play the Opus stage on Sunday and, if previous experience is anything to go by, you can expect it to be packed, so get there early.
Signed to the legendary Epitaph label, Philadelphia-based hardcore act Soul Glo unleashed one of 2022’s most savagely primal albums in Diaspora Problems, their debut long player. A unique proposition, Soul Glo draw on a number of diverse elements, that range from ferocious hardcore, through hip hop to art rock, all of which underpin a set of articulate lyrics that address the issues seething below the surface of society. Storming the Dog Tooth stage on Sunday, Soul Glo may well see one of the weekend’s most intense pits – you have been warned.
Of course, if Soul Glo don’t whip the crowd into submission, then you can surely rely on Municipal Waste to righteously fuck up your neck muscles. Formed in 2001, the band grew up on a steady diet of thrash, and their tongue-in-cheek brutality references the likes of Suicidal Tendencies, Slayer, Anthrax and Nuclear Assault. When they started, they were branded “party thrash”, which captures the mischievous spirit the band exudes, while doing their increasingly excellent music a disservice. Fortunately, the strong reviews granted 2022’s excellent The Electrified Brain serve as a reminder that Municipal Waste may smile while they rough you up but, whatever the presentation, you’re still in for a beating! Municipal Waste bring their beer-fuelled rampage to the Opus stage on Saturday.
Greg Puciato may be best known for shredding synapses with Dillinger Escape Plan, but his solo work is far more brooding, showcasing a wider range of influences than those familiar only with his heavier work may have expected. 2022’s Mirrorcell featured some truly brilliant tracks, not least sophomore single Never Wanted That, which showcased a dynamic not unlike that of the Deftones, and fans can expect an intense experience catching Greg on the Dogtooth stage on Saturday evening.
A remarkable success story, The Hu bring their unique, Mongolian-tinged metal to the Apex stage on Sunday, and it is a performance that you will not want to miss. A genuinely unique act in a world where homogeneity is increasingly rewarded, The Hu evoke the same visceral thrill Sepultura sparked when they emerged from Brazil. Expect remarkable vocals, otherworldly percussion and a range of incidents as the horde descends upon Donnington.
Formed in 2017 by vocalist Jason Aalon Butler, Fever 333 signed to Roadrunner Records for their powerful debut, Strength in Numb333rs. Adept at exploring a variety of sounds, the band fuse hardcore, nu metal, trap and punk into a compelling soundclash, that frequently baits and switches the listener within the same song. While the album’s lead single, Burn It placed Fever 333 in a similar camp to RATM, with its white-hot rage, it is One Of Us that best showcases the band’s ability to shift effortlessly through the gears, building to an epic climax that will leave you dizzy. The band make a welcome return to Download, storming the Apex stage on Saturday.
What more is there to say about death metal legends Carcass? Taking to the Opus stage on Saturday, these gore-obsessed veterans bring their blistering riffs to Donnington, and you can expect no mercy. With a back catalogue boasting a number of bona fide classics, including Symphonies of Sickness and Heartwork, not to mention 2021’s devastating Torn Arteries, Carcass remain a visceral and vital force in metal.
Closing out this list, we have the awesome Behemoth. Hailing from Poland, Behemoth transitioned effortlessly from the icy riffs of their early, black metal albums (the recently reissued Grom being a highlight of this period) to become merciless purveyors of technical death metal. Fronted by Nergal, one of the most genially controversial figures in metal (seriously – follow his Instagram), the band have produced a stunning run of albums, the most recent of which (2022’s Opvs Contra Natvram) is an absolute masterpiece. The band lay waste to the Apex stage on Sunday, and promise an intensely theatrical experience, making the task of those following in their footsteps an unenviable one.
Not enough? Here are five more bands who are also of note:
Bad Religion (Opus Stage: Sunday) – formed in 1980, these punk legends have seen it all, done it all, and influenced a huge number of the bands on the Download line up to boot.
Haken (Dogtooth Stage: Thursday – diverse prog rockers, as adept at ethereal soundscapes as they are towering riffs, their latest album, Fauna continues the band’s eccentric exploration of prog metal and they still sound unlike almost anyone else out there.
Bloodywood (Apex Stage: Sunday) – Indian folk metal band whose unique take on metal is increasingly attracting a global audience. Expect impressive musicianship from this remarkable band but, be warned, they pack an almighty punch.
Perturbator (Dogtooth Stage: Thursday) – Solo artist James Kent is a French synthwave artist who, under the name Perturbator, ruptured eardrums at last year’s Arctangent. A sonic outlier who will utterly demolish the Dogtooth stage.
Hundred Reasons (Opus Stage: Thursday) – Reformed English alt-rockers whose Ideas Above Our Station remains a post-hardcore staple. This is no mere retread of past glories, however, and recent album Glorious Sunset shows that the band have lost none of their bite.
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