Just when you thought that this year’s download festival couldn’t get any more exiting, either more bands have announced their plans to rock up Donnington park in super hot sexy style…
Returning to Download for the third time, Swedish heavy & progressive metallers Opeth released their ninth full length studio album ‘Watershed’ last year, which entered the Top 40 charts in the UK, Finland, Germany, Sweden, Holland, Canada and also the US Billboard Chart – their highest charting album to date.W With singer and guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt at the driving wheel, Opeth have a significant fanbase in the UK and many will be looking forward to their return.
Having played a blistering, ear bleeding show at London’s LA2 last year, the experimental metal band Meshuggah return to Download having last played in 2005. Renowned for their complex song structures and downtuned groovy riffs, they are not for the faint hearted! Labelled as one of the most important hard and heavy bands ever by Rolling Stone, they have even been nominated for a couple of Grammy Awards in Sweden.
Duff McKaganis no stranger to Download or Donington, having played the site once with former band Guns ‘N’ Roses and also twice with Velvet Revolver. 2009 marks the debut Download performance of his new incarnation Loaded, who release their second album ‘Sick’ this April. Serving 13 years in Guns ‘N’ Roses, Duff has more recently been the bassist with rock supergroup Velvet Revolver, although his activity with LOADED has been ongoing since their debut album in 2001.
Experimental alt-rockers from Japan Dir En Grey make their Download debut, following a slot on the successful Kerrang! Relentless Energy Drink Tour earlier this year along with Mindless Self Indulgence and Bring Me The Horizon. Almost undefinable, they’ve already toured Europe, Asia and North America and in 2006 their video ‘Saku’ was voted the Number One video on MTV2’s ‘Headbanger’s Ball’.
Following their performance as part of the renowned Defenders of the Faith tour in the UK with Lamb of God and Dimmu Borgir, LA’s Five Finger Death Punch will make their Download debut this year. They have already been on tour with the likes of Korn and Disturbed and their critically acclaimed album ‘The Way Of The Fist’ broke into the Billboard Top 200 upon release in 2007.
Pop punkers from Weybridge You Me At Six will play Download for the first time, on the back of a successful debut album ‘Take Off Your Colours’, which went in the UK charts at number 25 on release last year. Newly signed to punk label Epitaph and confirmed for the US Vans Warped Tour this year, 2009 is already looking up for this 5 piece!
Roadrunner Records’ newest signings Steadlur take influences from 80s bands like Skid Row and 90s alt-rockers Weezer and will release their debut single and album this year, fusing a healthy party attitude with the swagger and rock ‘n’ roll associated with bands such as Guns ‘N’ Roses.
English thrash parody act Lawnmower Deth make their Donington debut, after reuniting for a one off gig with Bullet for my Valentine last year. Forming in 1987 in Nottinghamshire as Scrawm, they changed their name a year later and are famous for blending thrash metal and a sense of humour. Although they have had several album releases, their only single was a cover of Kim Wilde’s ‘Kids in America’.
If someone wants to take me… I’d love that.
FemaleFirst - Ruth Harrison
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