Stuck On Repeat - What This Year's Download Festival Tells Us About The State Of Metal

By Luke Lewis

Posted on 16/06/09 at 04:16:29 pm

Highlights of this year's Download Festival? Where to begin? Motley Crue brought a dwarf on stage. Fred Durst had his shorts pulled down. Papa Roach's Jacoby Shaddix denounced "Shitney Spears". And Los Campesinos! played a secret a capella gig on the Tuborg stage.

OK, that last one didn't happen. But the rest did. And it was all good, drunken fun, as always – but did anyone else find something unsettlingly… retro about the whole thing? Look at the top-line acts: Limp Bizkit. Marilyn Manson. Korn. Faith No More. With a few exceptions further down the bill – Dragonforce, Enter Shikari et al - this could have been an Ozzfest line-up from 1997.

Mike Patton himself recognised the weird pall of nostalgia hanging over proceedings: "This is like an '80s festival, right?" he asked the crowd at one point, acknowledging the battalion of weather-beaten classic rock acts such as Def Leppard, Journey and Whitesnake who dominated the weekend.

Indeed, the only 'new' band on the scene that anyone seemed vaguely excited about were Steel Panther - a decade-old old spoof act recycling the same 'joke' metal has been telling about itself ever since 'Big Bottom'.

Steel Panther

Something is wrong here. When a scene is so utterly reliant on its past, you know its future is struggling to be born. But this is unlikely to change any time soon – because metal is inherently conservative, granite-minded in its resistance to change.

continued...

The last youth-oriented, forward-looking movement in metal was the emo-tinged confluence of metalcore and '80s thrash that spawned Trivium and Bullet For My Valentine, circa 2004. Both those bands produced brilliant, fresh-sounding debut albums – but were then so desperate to be accepted by the metal 'fraternity', they returned with second records that were embarrassingly, forlock-tuggingly in thrall to the cornerstones of the genre, in particular Metallica's 'Master Of Puppets'.

Is anything genuinely new happening in metal right now? Or is the scene destined to replay its former glories forever, with a narrow elite of super-big-hitters crowding out new artists and stifling innovation? In ten years' time, will the Download line-up be significantly different from last weekend's? Or are rock fans locked into a grim merry-go-round – Maiden one year, Judas Priest the next. Corey Taylor telling the "maggots" to jump the fuck up, one more time.

The miserable truth is that metal has sold its soul to the only two sectors of the entertainment industry that still make serious money. First, the 'heritage' live circuit. Pity all those wide-eyed, twenty-something bands paying vast sums for the privilege of supporting the monsters of rock on heartbreaking summer tours of sweltering US car parks - in the forlorn hope that fans of, say, Slayer, might stop booing them long enough to actually listen to one of their songs.

Second, and far more troubling, there's the deadening influence of the video games industry. Is there anything more tragic than acts as long-running (and wealthy) as Aerosmith hawking their back catalogue to 'Guitar Hero'? For years Metallica wouldn't even licence their songs to iTunes – yet for £40 you can bash out 'Enter Sandman' on a toy plastic axe. It's enormously undignified.

I'm more than willing to be proved wrong. Recommend me some bands. I don't want to believe that metal has no future. It's just that - judging by the hazy nostalgia-fest that was Download 2009 - it's hard to avoid the conclusion that this is a genre that's stuck in a moment it can't get out of.

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Patrick [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 16:46

Really? Here I was thinking that metal has an unbelievable amount of sub-sections and variations. So what if the main stage was full of older bands? Is that a bad thing? If you looked at all the other stages you'd see bands like the Architects, We Are The Ocean, A Day To Remember and even (dare I say it) Bring Me The Horizon playing completely different styles of Metal. Billy Talent were on the main stage too, are you telling me they sound the same as bands from the 80's? Sorry but you're basing this argument completely on the main stage and the mainstream bands that played the festival. Metal can go in as many directions as it wants, you need to look down all of them before you start accusing the scene of having no future. However, I agree with you on the Guitar Hero point.

Oscar [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 16:50

Not a huge metal fan, but I agree that it is becoming very stale...however you have to remember that generally metal is about the energy and virtuosity more than particularly groundbreaking music. Not that I particularly approve of that. However there are original and interesting bands around...how about Mastodon's new album? And though 'metal' fans will probably give me stick, the new Avenged Sevenfold stuff is far more imaginative than the endless metallica copycats with the dreadful vocals.

Luke Lewis [Member] //June 16 2009 at 16:52

@Patrick - I agree that the smaller stages boasted a lot of variety. But if you want to gauge the health of a scene, a festival's headline acts are surely key. Compare Download with this year's Reading, where noughties acts like Maximo Park, Vampire Weekend and Bloc Party are right up there with the big-hitters. You couldn't have anything like that at Download. In fact, the 'breakthrough' acts of the past few years have actually slipped down the bill - look at Trivium.

Annonymous [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 16:55

I disagree. Metal was thriving at download. There is more than one stage at download. Architects, A day to remember, bring me the horizon, god forbid, Killswitch Engage, Opeth, In This moment, Suicide silence, Trigger the bloodshed...all these bands were at download

Dave "Panda-eyed" Basement [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 17:02

The truth does hurt, I was there. No new acts seemed to excite or inspire, it all seemed to be recycled growling from those deemed to be new. Ironically, the best band of the weekend for me was The Prodigy.

theo [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 17:51

Opeth much? Meshuggah? Down?

Patrick [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 17:52

But the Headline acts are there to bring the crowds. They're the bands everyone's there to see and in my mind bands like Def Leppard have a much bigger fan base than any bands that have come about in the last decade. And as for Trivium, is headlining the 2nd stage not better than playing mid-afternoon on the main? I think so and I'd rather be in Trivium's position than say Billy Talent or Down on the main stage. And look at 5 finger death punch, only formed in 05 and already on the main stage, DevilDriver were formed in 02, Pendulum, The Blackout, Hollywood Undead, Black Stone Cherry. All formed in the last 10 years. So where's your argument? I'm not the biggest metal fan in the world but I've been saying for weeks I'd have traded in my Leeds Fest ticket for a Download one anytime this year.

Stephano Bentos [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 18:30

I think it's incredible metal bands of that age can still headline a show that size. Def Leppard could not have pulled that of 5 years ago but they're back in favor again in this Guitar Hero era. But there was a ton of new stuff on this weekend. Enter Shikari, Pendulum, Bring Me The Horizon could not be more different to Motley Crue, Whitesnake and ZZ Top. Overall a stunningly diverse weekend. All in one genre.

mike [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 18:33

um...mastodon, between the buried and me, queens of the stoneage (there more metal than some of the bands playing the festivle), chimira, flaw and many more. the underground does still exist.

steph [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 18:59

A japanese band called maximum the hormone have taken metal to a whole new level. Showing the contrasts between mainstream pop chorus' and gritty metal riffs. They are incredible

cameron [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 19:20

as much as i agree that the line up was slightly oldskool this year but i dont think u can judge all of metal on one festival there are tons of great upcoming bands taht dont get a chance because people see the old greats and relate metal to that as for marilyn manson being old they change with every album they make so they wont be old until they arent in music any more, theyre are brilliant smaller bands such as bmth, red jumpsuit apparatus, and quite a few bigger bands as well such as fightstar, bullet for my vanlentine, 30 seconds to mars and many more. no metal isnt dead! its simply living in a different skin

Dannii [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 19:58

the reason why bloc party, vamp wkend etc can play so high up at Leeds/Reading is cos the lineup is so safe and commerical this year. It's dull. With the exception of Radiohead, who else is there to compete with bands even those as relativly newish as Vamp Wkend?? It shows strength to the metal scene that these bands are still playing and that they've been so influencial. Don't knock it.

Rory [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 20:06

By the same token you could write and article titled: "What this year's Glastonbury tells us about the state of music" if you were to base your reasons solely on who played the main stage. This years Pyramid Stage is the most "heritage" I've ever seen. The problem is that new bands simply don't sell records because their young fans don't buy, they steal from the internet. Concert promoters use record sales as the basis for bookings, so these bands will look small time, even though they may have large followings. It is impossible today to imagine a metal band selling as much as Faith No More, never mind the tens of millions sold by Def Leppard.

mark [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 20:34

mike [Visitor] Queens of the stone age are so far from metal it's ridiculous. There is an underground in metal, it's just a shame that bands such as Def Leopard and Faith No More grace the mainstage at these events. Bring on Caliban, Black Label Society, Hatebreed, Unearth or something else with a little more edge than Def Leopard

bricolagemusic [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 20:42

I think the truth is even harder to take. There are great metal bands working to reinvent to genre and drive it forward. However the metal crowd don't seem to care. It's not that the genre's getting old, it's the fans that need an adrenaline shot. Wolves in the Throne Room, SunnO))), Deathhammer @mike Mastodon are great but many of the metal contingency have turned their back on them. Although i agree with you re: Between the Buried and Me.

Dream Fox [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 21:05

Mastodon, Between the Buried and Me, Opeth, Escape From Atlantis etc.

conna [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 21:14

'Look at the top-line acts: Limp Bizkit. Marilyn Manson. Korn. Faith No More' out of them bands 2 reformed obviously theyre going to be high up to appeal to fans, and Korn and Manson are going to pull in crowds as theyre big names, yes old too. its not generally that the genre is dying out, bands have returned to do what they want to, you could say leeds and reading are doing this with radiohead and kings of leon though, T in the Park with Blur? there are many bands coming back all in all its good for music generally. Yea i agree with lack of new metal but thats because at this time of age, most people are interested in indie music, young people pick up of what they hear on radio and therefore they become popular, i can think the last time i heard a metal band on the radio, there are a few small metal bands out there that arent getting as much media as they should do, maybe NME should contribute more towards these bands, increasing their fan base and making more of a profit :P :D

Shockadow [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 21:16

One Word: MASTODON.

Shockadow [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 21:17

Two More Words: THE SWORD

Jack [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 21:31

yeah, not like those days when metal was innovitive, when it was about good songs rather than pointless shredding and screaming, when good songwriting was more important than a bands image... OH, sorry, i was clearly wasn't think about metal there...

[Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 21:36

Although I agree that the download lineup this year was weak, there is plenty of great new metal around. Mastodon's new album Crack The Skye is probabaly my favourite so far this year, and although the bands aren't new, recent albums by Coalesce, Lamb Of God and God Forbid are all great.

Red Death [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 21:52

I guess that Luke isn't a metal fan, because this must be about the most cliched and tired article I have read in a long time - I thought that NME had grown up and got past this sort of article. Devildriver, Trivium, BFMV, Mastodon etc etc, before even asking how you categorise bands like Pendulum and Enter Shikari. So what if the "big-hitters" come up again and again - perhaps they are popular! That may not be cutting enough for you, but that is reality. Anyway surely better to have some outstanding acts rather than a succession of mediocre, middle of the road "guitar" bands.

Nick [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 21:58

The fact Faith No More are headlined Download and are playing the NME stage at Leeds/Reading speaks volumes. There arent enough metal acts bringing anything fresh to the table, Korn and Marylin Manson playing the festival again is so stale and predictable.

Gimp [Visitor] //June 16 2009 at 22:10

Metal will always have a future. Bands like ISIS, Clutch, Keelhaul, Mastodon and High On Fire are far more innovative than the pap NME friendly bands like Maximo Park and the Horrors!

Sidders [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 00:13

What about bands like Lamb of God and Mastodon? Not new as such but newer than the headliners mentioned and both very good at what they do. Also, System Of A Down are pretty big hitters in terms of recent metal, and all three acts mentioned are just scratching the surface...

chris [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 00:36

mastodon. end off.

Veed [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 01:09

Great article, well written. I think regarding metal, it will always be the same because bands are always trying to invent new genres. There are always pioneers in a genre and for some reason these artists have a godly status. While newer ones .. well they imitate and unfortunley are forgotten.

Sean [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 01:48

MASTODON!!!

Danny [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 02:11

What exactly is wrong with bands such as Aerosmith and Metallica allowing their songs on GH? The game gets young kids into these bands and most importantly, it's a bit of fun! Isn't that what metal and music in general is supposed to be about?

Gord L [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 04:25

There were plenty of bands worth seeing, but the main stage was more based towards the money makers I think. But it is also interesting to look at all these metal bands, and think of the fact that Def Leppard is supposed to receive a country music award this week. The timing just seems a bit off to me.

eviljim667 [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 07:43

When the mainstream becomes dull just take a look to the underground. So far this year there have already been stunning albums by the likes of Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Kylesa, Isis, Tombs, and Wolves In The Throne Room to name but a few. Admittedly most of these would never get seen at a festival such as Download but there is plenty of good metal at a lower level. Torche are also a joy to behold

warphead [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 07:51

Slayer! Slayer! Slayer! LOL. Isis and Sunn O)) make interesting underground metal and I am sure there are plenty more. The new Mastodon album is a classic too. Just these bands don't sell shed loads of albums.

Paul [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 08:47

One word. Mastodon

Monkoii [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 08:52

Download has gone a little too corporate, but it does not reflect the state of metal. Hell no. Try Bloodstock or one of the European festivals (Wacken, Graspop, etc.) for more diversity. Although the NME slating metal for lack of creativity could be the largest dose of irony since..

joe [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 09:10

I agree that Guitar Hero Is a shame on the music industry but I also believe that it give's a new way to understand and apreceate the music I found my self discovering bands I never liked before I played the game. I do feel that there has not been much in the evolution of metal. exluding a few heavy hitters unless you delve in to more underground But I am seeing this in other jaunras as well. I am hope that this is just the lull before the storm of something that will blow us a way

Glen [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 09:13

Mastodon. That's all you need right there.

angie [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 09:53

personally, i was there for Dir en Grey, Slipknot and Suicide Silence... i'd suggest listening to Dir en Grey if you wan't something different!

Patrick [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 11:07

Shh, Download is not a metal fest, its a corporate get together, metal is an underground movement, there are so many UK Thrash bands at the moment which are going unnoticed and wont be seen at a £200 fest, sounds to me like no one at NME is aware of anyhing beyond their noses!

jason [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 11:26

What dyou expect? Metal is the least diverse genre... Plus the majority of metal fans dont want change anyway.

Scotty [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 11:35

that was a joke of an article.

[Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 11:37

You clearly didn't check out Dir en grey at Download. Check out the album 'Uroboros' - fantastically inventive stuff.

Joshua [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 12:32

As long as there are innovative metal bands like Mastodon around then the scene will always be one of the most exciting out there. Now shut the fuck up and stop putting nobodies like The Enemy and The Killers on the front cover.

Planto [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 13:01

Baroness, Burst, Gojira, Isis, The Ocean, Opeth, Rosetta, Textures, Tool, and some band called Mastodon.

V [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 13:07

i have to agree with the writer of this article. metal is getting stale. just because there are loads of new sub-genres of metal doesnt mean they are any good. most of the mainstream stuff from the newer bands are a bit bland, they lack the spark that the older bands had. there are one or two songs that are descent but i think i will stick with listening to the older metal bands until something better comes along.

Steven [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 13:09

yea i love it when some indie magazine tells me about metal..... go back into your hole NME

Aerond [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 13:22

I totally agree with this article. To the visitor who speaks about Dir en grey... well, they´re not that inventive, neither new. Visual Kei has been around for more than two decades (it never made it to Europe, but that´s another topic), and Dir en grey themselves been playing for 12 years. But let´s be realistic, Japanese bands will never appeal in a mainstream way to European audiences. They sure have their underground niche, but the point of the article is that the headliners are always the SAME, and it´s true.

Eyes Of The South [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 13:29

Down anyone? Put them on the bill at Reading or any of these other more popular festivals and they would overshadow any band. Fact.

BigG [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 13:33

Why does everyone keep mentioning Mastodon? They suck...bunch of hairy virgins in a band...Metal hasnt been any good since the 90's, its dead get over it! Download is the worst festival of them all...Lowlands is a festival of kings..get on it! Rant over.

Jesus [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 13:45

I went to download for the saturday and saw some great new metal/hardcore bands. Japanese Voyeurs, The Computers and Loverman definitely deserve a mention. However I have to agree that newer, so called "mainstream metal" bands like Bullet and Trivium are crap. Slipknot were amazing by the way!

Journojulz [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 14:39

Lighten up! Metal lasts because is what it was Sabbath kicked off: Loud, scary, playfully anti-social fun. We are talking of a genre that is still going after DECADES. What's next - criticising Ska because it still relies on accentuated strokes on the even beats? :D This is a genre you can get old with. That is why we still love it.

Tom [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 14:41

F*ck off NME, stick to your f*cking shitty and talentless indie bollocks.

Luke Lewis [Member] //June 17 2009 at 14:45

Come on Tom, what was the point in that? This was a mature and interesting discussion before you weighed in.

Rockgeek [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 15:05

Laughable at best... ... a festival is not about showcasing new music. It's about showcasing the best music on offer at that time. You missed Trivium, Down, Killswitch, Prodigy, Opeth to name but a few. I guess you prefer the bland shit that crops up at Reading or V don't you? At least Metal has a past that's worthy it listening to unlike the deluge of crap that comes from the pages of NME most of the time NME is the worst thing ever... worse than Big Brother.

Joe [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 15:06

I agree that there was something remarkably "old-school" about Download this year - not that I mind I went and it was an absolutely awesome weekend :D... but to say that metal doesn't have a future is a little short-sighted. The issue is more that metal isn't reaching as large an audience as before, with bands like Lamb Of God and Mastodon making awesome albums but not necessarily racking up big enough sales to give them the higher ranks on festival stages. By all means, metal isn't as popular as it had been a few years back (especially at the turn of the millenium with nu-metal dominating the alternative airwaves)... but to say metal isn't going anywhere shows a real lack of insight personally.

RAGE [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 15:10

You know nothing about metal. There's still a big market for the old stuff, and that's why they headline. Maximo park, Vampire weekend etc playing Reading is the reason why nobody is happy with the lineup at reading this year, it's piss poor.

James [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 15:12

It seems to me the people slating Metal and Download are too excited after finishing their GCSEs are want to gather attention anonymously from t'net Metal is very strong ... Download was excellent. Just because it's not got Libertines or Oasis playing it doesn't make it shit. Reading relies on old school headliners... in fact, doesn't every festival? Look at Reading's lineup... what percentage will be fondly remembered in a few years down the line? A pretty damn low number... at leats metal survives throughout the years unlike bland generic radio friendly shit that NME seems to rape. Down, Opeth, Killswitch, Trivium, Mastodon to name but a few...

Dave [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 15:15

Download isn't actually a metal festival dickwad in the same way your cack Reading/Leeds orgy is not a rock festival

Luke Lewis [Member] //June 17 2009 at 15:21

@James - why do some metal fans always insist on turning everything into an us vs them slanging match? I'm not championing The Libertines or Oasis - because those bands don't represent 'indie' any more than Korn and Slipknot represent all metal. All I'm saying is, metal looks a little tired right now. There aren't many fresh faces coming through. A lot of the names mentioned up above - Gojira, Opeth, Mastodon, Lamb Of God, Dir En Grey - have been around for donkey's years.

Luke Lewis [Member] //June 17 2009 at 15:25

"Download isn't actually a metal festival." What is it then, a cheese-rolling festival?

joe [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 16:24

i agree with patrick's first comment. true you're absolutely right about the wheeling out of the old cronies for the main stage, but clearly haven't invested enough interest into the underground metal sub-genres to make a valid complaint. there's plently of new things going on, as highlighted on the smaller stages, but at the end of the day music in some way will always pay "homages" (forgive me if ive spelt that wrong) to where it came from, i.e. influences. but hey, i spose the arctic monkeys are breaking way more ground. ive never heard a repetition of 4 chords for an entire album before, i may have to sit down to take it in.

thechubbman [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 16:25

download is an alternative festival which is why bands like faith no more play, are faith no more metal...dont think so there are plenty of new bands to get excited about, mastodon, opeth, trivium (news albums not great but they were brilliant at download), lamb of god, devildriver and lets just wait and see if the foals are still about in 25 years time becuase somthing tells me they will die out with the rest of the nme wank

James2222159 [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 16:35

I havnt listened to metal for years and years i completely agree with the NME though. Metal sounds really dated these days it hasnt been any good since the 90s.

David [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 17:16

Luke... it's not a metal festival. Prodigy, Faith No More, Hollywood Undead, ZZ Top... need I go on?!? It's a rock festival with a good metal structure. No need to try and pull out the witty retorts. Depends what you mean by "ages" but all your bum chums that parade the NME magazine have been around for ages... maybe not in the limelight but they've been around. Metal does not look tired... maybe to someone working for NME it does but not for anyone that doesn't need to be told by a magazine, what to wear, listen to and behave like

Luke Lewis [Member] //June 17 2009 at 17:17

That's a fair point David, but... bum chums?

Stig [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 17:31

Opeth, Gojira, Mastodon, Lamb of God, Meshuggah, Between the Buried and Me. Metal? yes. Stagnant? No Go fuck yourselves NME

JDY [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 17:32

http://www.myspace.com/deadmansroot 11/07 at the dublin castle

Stu [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 17:35

http://www.nme.com/rate/greatestdrummer/83 sums out just how insanely dumb your readership is.

Captain Sensible [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 17:45

People, they only do articles like this so people come on NME site... otherwise there would be no reason to visit!!! Don't do it... I realise the swete irony in this message Luke... yeah, bum chums... you know, the bands you bum so hard to ensure you get magazine to sell... Oasis, Arctic Monkeys, Morrissey and all the new bands that won't be around for another year.

Luke Lewis [Member] //June 17 2009 at 17:46

Oh right, bum chums, I get it now.

Cookupper [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 19:59

And perhaps, just perhaps it's got something to do with the audience. I wouldn't say the old geezers of this years download were really reflective of the genre. Its more a 'well it worked last time' thing. And lo and behold it did. See, the article is this agonised 'is metal becoming stagnant' fluff. And the answer is, erm no.. Your looking at the lowest common denominator hair metal cack that was bad even when it was new - You keep paying for it and they'll keep supplying it. Seriously motley crue,fred durst, papa roach and you still went, for that? Bravo...

Bob Evans [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 20:50

NME you are WANKERS. A lot of the bands on at Download have been going for years and dont recieve any coverage from your shit mag... why do you think they have been going so long with so little coverage? Because people like/support them/like their records, hence the popularity of Download. If the NME doesnt like it and think's the festival is stale then here is a simple answer...dont fuckin cover it...save it for publications that appreciate it for what it is (ie Kerrang, Metal Hammer, Classic rock etc) NME you are shite, have been for a number of years now ( I used to buy the NME religously). Go back to sucking Pete Dohertys heroin addled dick, you small minded knobheads.

king ken [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 21:20

There was a weak lineup at download i mean def leopard headlining is that a joke! But if u look at reading t in the park they are all pretty bland bloc party, maximo park, placebo how many times can these bands get booked year in year out and the ticket prices keep going up, i remember going to leeds in 2006 that was the worst year f ferdinand, muse, pearl jam just boring, last year metallica ratm was pretty stellar but the bands underneath them again plain boring typical nme crap there has to be a happy medium. My fav year was 2005 foos, pixies, qotsa, coral list goes on. As for this year arctic monkeys what the fuck utter shite i rest my case

Amy [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 22:00

Avenged Sevenfold - I don't care what anybody says about them, they are amazing and are the most talented and fresh band out there at the moment.

Ali [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 22:44

I'm not hugely into metal but Sunn O))), Baroness, Opeth, Have A Nice Life and In Mourning are amoung my favourite bands right now. I think Download should be ignored. Def Leppard, Limp Bizkit? Ha.

ethan [Visitor] //June 17 2009 at 23:26

mastodon, gojira ... theyre alright

Kibsy [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 00:34

be happy people - i have tried to post a long polemic on the changes to festivals and how it's just not dangerous or an ordeal any more.. the line up is irrelavant, the state of the genre represented is irrelevant,,, attendance is more about how it defines you as a person and the truth is it's just not genuinely dangerous like it used to be - you aren't part of anything truely subversive or counter culture - you are going to something very mainstream where the organisation of tens of thousands or of people is well understood and catered for

Joody [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 00:46

Lordy Lord, Metal Fans are so angry. Angry angry grrr grrr Angry. Slagging off 'indie' is nearly as gutless as a jazz musicisan punching a blues musician or a soccer player slagging off American Football, or an ignorant German dictator getting a bit tetchy with the Judaism. We automatically hate what we don't understand but rather than leave it alone why do we insist on getting so mad about it. We all like different things, we all eat certain foods, or read opposing novels. Its what makes the world go round, so varied and so interesting...its bloody why anyone ever has a discussion at all. Why are you even on NME.com if you all hate it so much. So much hate. One of my Bum Chums once said 'its so easy to laugh, its so easy to hate, but it takes guts to be gentle and kind.' He may be a dick now but at one time he talked sense. As for download, i've never been, too much hair.

dont worry about it [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 02:47

check out the band children on kemado records

[Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 02:48

I think that the last band that actually created anything original and unique as of late has been Skindred. People should really support those guys because their mixture of raggae and metal sounds is pretty awesome...

Coj [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 05:18

This was a reasonably insightful article, and posed a valid standpoint on the debate, however, I don't necessarily agree with it. People have been saying the same thing about Rap/Hip-Hop for years; that it's an ailing genre and needs revitalised, but these judgements are made on the mainstream acts that represent the genre. And, like I'm sure is the case with metal, there are many acts in Rap/Hip-Hop that provide an alternative scene to the popular artists in the genre; take Pharoahe Monch, Blackalicious, Move.meant and The Roots as examples, all of whom, although they may not be headlining festivals and signing major label deals, produce some great music and enjoy a sizeable following. Moreover, whilst many music scenes, like Indie Rock, thrive on new music and up-and-coming bands, this is not necessarily the 'correct' method of musical fandom, nor does it represent the way a genre 'should' operate; that is to say perhaps (some) fans of the metal genre enjoy a sense of nostalgia in their music, particularly when it comes to festivals. However I think it is necessary to ask these questions of a genre so that it does not become too dependent on formulaic music. P.S. It cracks me up when people reading (and commenting on) NME articles, have a go at the magazine, it's ridiculous!

Mark [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 08:04

If you don't like it then don't go. Simple. I went and had a great weekend whether I watched something new or something old. The idea that something 'old' is not as valid as something new is pathetic. Def leppard have as much of a right to play as Opeth or whoever. It's all good - live and let live for God's sake.

murray [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 09:02

mastodon are worth listning too but i have been saying everything in this article for years

Warner [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 10:25

As a general rule, I find metal fans don't want to listen to anything that they don't consider to be metal (as Bizzle found out). I work in a record shop, and day in day out, I see kids who come in and loiter in the metal section; completely uninterested in any other genre. Till the fans are prepared to listen to new things, the promoters will keep booking acts who should have given up in 1999 and the new acts will all carry on trying to sound like Metallica...

Ross [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 10:31

Download didn't have the best line-up this year but I think metal still has life in it yet. As long as bands like Mastodon & Lamb Of God are still churning out great albums it'll never get boring. Also bands that owe a lot to metal like Gallows & Cancer Bats are going strong as well.

Josh [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 11:11

This is dumb, metal is getting better, not worse. Obviously the mainstream stuff is garbage, it always has been. The best bands are the ones that mix it up with other genres like shoegaze or post-punk, or the really extreme experimental ones. Check out: Alcest, Boris, The Axis of Perdition, Have a Nice Life, Katatonia, Amesoeurs, Gallhammer, Pig Destroyer, Agalloch, Ulver, Coldworld, Jesu, Kayo Dot. Yeah, and Trivium and BFMVs’ first albums were just as derivative as everything else they’ve done.

[Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 12:30

"system Of A Down are pretty big hitters in terms of recent metal" errm................................ I saw them in 1998 so there not that recent are they?

Billy Tilly [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 12:32

Er....Slipknot headlined Download, you can't get much more contemporary and successful than that. Download can adapt each year, even Reading and Leeds had Rage and Metallica last year, both of those are older bands than korn, limp bizkit, slipknot and mazza. Yes, there was a bit of a nostaliga trip going on at Download but there was bags of fresh talent at the festival. I agree that there aren't many current bands that are big enough to headline at the moment but Trivium headlined the second stage and Bullet and Avenged Sevenfold (even Lostprophets) are doing pretty well for themselves right now. Download (within its sector) always has a varied bill of artists and that is why it will continue to expand and grow. It has a strong cult fan following, unlike many of the other mainstream festivals whose 'fans' only go to them to see the current trend of throw away indie dross that happens all too often.

Rawkus Blazer [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 12:39

I primarily listen to rock and metal but I like all kinds of music as long as it has a soul. Pendulum and Prodigy played download this year, I'd argue that is quite a change of musical genres and they went down a storm. You can't say all metal fans are closed minded (Warner) or get 'angry' (joody) when someone slags them off.

caucasion psychosis [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 12:46

Im not a huge metalhead, i only like a handfull of metal bands myself, im more of a rock, alternative kinda guy but i think i speak for everyone when i say this decade has been terrible for music, and im only 20. everything is far too overplayed, kerrang, scuzz etc repeat at least 25 times a day, and its not even worth listening to anyway you just have to look deeper and harder for good music, only this time its not indie record stores, its the internet and myspace pages

Beavis [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 12:46

Mastodon Karma to Burn Isis Pelican None of which massively new though... as ever the mainstream is self-referential and repetitive. What's the difference between this and The Horrors sounding just like Joy Division?

Caleb [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 14:35

Ok... you're argument is that metal has no variety? Well, what about indie music, where's the variety there? And yet it seems like every new band that comes along is lauded by this publication as "Geniuses", and yet 5 years later these bands are nowhere to be seen. The reason why there were so many classic bands at Download this year is pretty obvious to me. It's that there is still an audience for these bands, they have longevity... something many flash-in-the-pan indie bands do not have. I mean, can you REALLY see the 'Arctic Monkeys' or 'Maximo Park' lasting as long, and packing as many people into arenas as 'Metallica'? Seriously? As for a lack of variety, did you see 'Sylosis' in the Tuborg tent on friday afternoon? One of the top 3 performers of the festival for my money. 'Dream Theater' too played an amazing set, only 5 songs, but still on stage for 50 or so minutes, and they've been going for about 30 years now, albeit living in the shadows of monster bands like 'Metallica' and 'Slayer' et al. You also had 'Hollywood Undead', followed by 'The Blackout' on the main stage on friday, how can you possibly say there's no diversity in the music? The fact of the matter is people will always look down at metal because of the image and the clientèle, but the fact of the matter these are FAR more accomplished musicians than you will ever see at many other festivals. Anyone who saw 'Dream Theater' on the Sunday would testify to this. Yes, some of it is like a 'Carry on...' film, tongue in cheek and cheesy in some aspects, but that's just half the fun, look at the success 'Kiss' have had. Basically what I'm trying to say is this is what metal is about, the reason why you had 'Motley Crue', 'Def Leppard', 'ZZ Top', 'Whitesnake', 'Faith No More' and other bands all on the same bill is simple, people still want to see these bands, there are a whole new generation of fans who didn't get to see them the first time 'round. Yes, the main stages were about the big bands, but that's why people pay £160 to go to these festivals, to see the bands they've always wanted to, but perhaps never could.

Monkoii [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 14:39

well, if NMe wanted to piss off metal fans.. they succeeded. bets they don't follow it up just in case it becomes painfully obvious to their readership that the crud they usually push is over-hyped tosh?

Jimmy P [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 15:45

isis, converge, charger, neurosis, melvins, pelican, capricorns, jesu, boris, cult of luna.... the list goes on, but try some of those for some dignified, 'thinking man's metal'....

Rick [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 16:01

Neil Young, Bruce Springstein, The Specials, Jarvis Cocker, Blur and others all playing Glastonbury. I hope to see an article asking what this years Glasto line-up tells us about the state of music in general today. For the record, this years D/L was my 3rd in a row, and this years line-up was by far the best I've seen. The big hitters like Crue, who 20 years on, are still churning out top quality music. Killswitch Engage, who are probably the biggest of the current 'new school' of metal. I barely saw any bands on the main stage, but there was a plethora of amazing new metal bands there to be seen on the other stages. Suicide Silence, Trigger The Bloodshed, Architects, A Day To Remember, Parkway Drive etc etc. These bands may not be heavy hitters the size of your FNM's/Manson's/Limp Bizkits just yet, but they have huge underground followings and it's only a matter of time before they break through and are capable of selling out large venues.

Scoot [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 16:16

Aside from the fact that I may have posted an unfinished post.... In shorter form this time 1.) The promoters are always going to pick older bands as they have accumulated a bigger fanbase and will play less frequently so they can pull more punters, they're a safe bet (see Radiohead, Rage Against The Machine, Bruce Springsteen in addition to the Download headliners). 2.) There were plenty of interesting new bands out there if you wanted to see them - Turbowolf, MC Rut, Pulled Apart By Horses, 5 Finger Death Punch, We Are The Ocean. 3.) The lack of new bands that have exploded onto the scenes and so are big enough to go late on the main stage (like an arctic monkeys or strokes have done at otehr festivals in the past) doesn't show that metal is stuck in a timewarp, but I do think that its due a change and its coming because... 4.) The bands being name checked as legends by the kids coming up in the bands and scenes are not the bands that inspired the posthardcore/thrash thing a few years ago. The number of times I have heard people speak with respect of Limp Bizkit in the last couple of days outnumbers all of the kind words said about Durst and co. since the turn of the millenium. Hed (Pe) are cool again, there's nostalgia for Taproot. The set of credible influences has shifted and I think we can expect some interesting new things very soon... As for exciting new bands - Mastodon get my vote, with The Blackout getting points for sheer fun.

Kibsy [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 17:38

it's only rock and roll but i like it....

Cat [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 18:41

Oh yes, because all us metal fans are going to take advice of NME?

Mike [Visitor] //June 18 2009 at 19:40

Seriously what bellend wrote this stupid fucking article? Metal has hundreds of genres and sub genres and is always moving into different varieties. Let me guess some trendy indie faggot wrote this? And everyone can see how wank indie is with its generic chords, simple drum beats, and whiny accented lead singers. Fuck off NME you don't deserve to review music as you obviously have no idea.

Luke Lewis [Member] //June 19 2009 at 09:50

Faggot? Bum chum? You guys are really giving metal fans a good name here.

Wat [Visitor] //June 19 2009 at 11:50

Hahaha what the fuck does NME know about metal? They're so far up KOL ass they can see what they're seeing, if with a brown tint. Go back to your 'indie' (which isn't even that anyway)

Luke Lewis [Member] //June 19 2009 at 11:52

Brown tint? What is it with you guys and unpleasant anal references?

Nichola [Visitor] //June 19 2009 at 12:01

Clearly the person who wrote this article knows nothing about it, there are loads of genres. The reason why there are no new bands on the mainstage is because it takes ages for a band that's new to build a big enough fanbase, because unlike the shit they show at Reading it isn't radio friendly crap.

Danny North [Visitor] //June 19 2009 at 12:31

Dumb arse comments ahoy! I've been a metal fan since my dad took me to see Iron Maiden @ Birmingham NEC in '88, and I've played in Metal bands for years. So yeah, I love Metal, OK? From a general non metal fan looking at Download's line up, on the surface you'd be forgiven for thinking Luke is right. However, at least Luke ends the article by asking to be proved wrong, and indeed WANTS to be proved wrong. Stop being aggressive brain dead fucks and give him a reason to be wrong. I can do it in one word. RIFF. Show me another genre of music world over that gives us something as beautiful as the Riff and I'll show you I'm really a Unicorn. I think the biggest mistake Luke made is quite simple, he tied the retro line up and mentality exclusively to Download. Nostalgia is mainstream no matter what genre of music your into. Perfect Example - This weeks NME - Luke's comments come in the wake of the Joy Division cover feature this week, not to mention the almost holy reverence for Blur or Richie Manic on a regular basis. But that's the BEAUTY of blogs, and the editorial line of the NME, nine times out of ten, the journo's, staff and erm... Photographers, freely give their opinion and often get lambasted for it, but rather than react like total goon's, why not give a considered opinion. If it wasn't for the backwards retro brains of ATP - I wouldn't have got to see SLEEP. A seriously life changing moment based purely on the power of the Riff. Thank God for Metal, past, future and present.

Matt Demon [Visitor] //June 19 2009 at 16:46

The writer is clearly ignorant to the many subgenres of metal, especially the extreme metal bands that are in the "underground" helping to push forward what metal can provide. Theres a wealth of different bands coming out, trying new things and defining the future of metal right now. Download and the mainstream side of metal isnt the best place to see the innovation present in metal.

Gustav [Visitor] //June 19 2009 at 21:43

The best bands on the planet are in France and Australia. They did not play at this festival and they never will. Ha ha ha. I won't even tell you who they are because I don't want you to write about them. Ha ha ha.

Nikki [Visitor] //June 20 2009 at 16:45

stuck on repeat? Remind me again how many times bands like Kings of Leon, The Killers and Razorlight have played at Leeds/Reading, V and Glastonbury in the last few years...

Clazzy [Visitor] //June 20 2009 at 16:51

I have to disagree. Metal is thriving. There are so many sub-genres of Metal and considerable amounts of underground metal bands, that you're spoilt for choice really. The main difference in metal is that its easier to distiguish between bands that deliver live and those that can't. You have to remember that bands like Trivium and BFMV are still young bands and if you look at how their sounds have evolved over their albums you can see that there is variation and Metal has alot to look forward to in the future. More established "older" bands probably appeared more prominent at Download due to the recession. Established bands already have a big fan base and will draw in the crowds, thus selling more tickets. It is therefore safer to go for these bands compared to the less established ones. I highly recommend that you look up some of Kamelot's live performances. Where else can you see elegant metal played to absolute perfection? Atleast the variety that metal has ensures that there is less samey-ness that cannot be said about all the bands who want to sound like the Artic Monkey's.

Mickey [Visitor] //June 22 2009 at 01:52

If you're going to bash NME for writing this; why are you even reading it? Mastodon is not new. It's not taking metal in a trailblazing direction. High on Fire is one of the best new bands out there today, and Lamb of God produces quality records. Bands that are going to make a name for metal are ones like Dillinger Escape Plan. The "underground" isn't really underground anymore. Look at all the access we have to bands regardless of where they are. Download festival didn't have a flagship band. Slipknot is, and always has been, a novelty. Can we please stop referring to Motley Crue as metal? It's insulting....

Lewis [Visitor] //June 22 2009 at 13:25

Why weren't Exit Ten involved? Great new band, but seem to not get coverage they deserve.

Teddy [Visitor] //June 22 2009 at 21:10

Ahahaha... all these long haired, black-clad idiots slagging the Arctics and stuff... Why are they even on a site that covers bands such as them, Oasis, Libs etc? Fuck off back to Kerrang land you Khol eyed freaks.

Mike Fishcake [Visitor] //June 22 2009 at 22:29

Uh huh... stepping aside from the illiterate keyboard warrior sniping, I dip into the NME site occasionally to have a read at what they've got to say, and you know what? Nothing changes. If you don't go out and look for something new, then obviously you're not going to FIND anything new!

Bertie Boggin [Visitor] //August 24 2009 at 14:15

Oh jesus. The bands playing the most commercial "metal" festival in the world are hardly a cross section of metal as a whole! Try listening to Gojira, I'm sure even you NME fags could get down with that. I saw Wolves In The Throne Room, God Seed (Gorgoroth), Pig Destroyer, Repulsion & Entombed this summer. That what I call a fucking good line up. Also, regardless of the fact that Downloads shit, when you've seen the bands your really into & you're sunburned & pissed up, what you really want to do is sing along to some hilarious eighties rock n roll. Thats why it's ok to have Whitesnake, Def Leppard & Journey. You fucking love it!

Travis [Visitor] //September 8 2009 at 16:59

Sooo, because Download decided to have a classic rock day now the whole genre is stagnant? Thats a bit of a daft statement to be honest. Billy Talent, Five Finger Death Punch, Meshuggah, Opeth, Papa Roach, Fightstar, Enter Shikari and Twin Atlantic were all playing. Not exactly old bands. Last year you had 36 Crazyfists, Lostprophets, Exit Ten and Rise Against. The year before that we had Stone Sour, Funeral For A Friend, Paramore, Saosin, Mastodon, Linkin Park and Turisas. The year before that you had Atreyu, Inme, Engerica, Avenged Sevenfold and more. None of whom are old bands, none of whom are just copying older bands as has been suggested. Of course there's always going to be some old bands playing, they are well established and have a strong dedicated fanbase that will sell tickets! People want to see them as they have proved themselves time and time again to be great live acts. Bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica etc are still relevant after more than 25 years because they're just that damn good! Nut this doesn't mean that new bands don't get a shot or get noticed. Look at FFDP's reception this year! As has been said previously the indie bands that seem to headline R/L/Glasto after 2 albums because they're the "in" band for the moment won't be around that long, because the "next big thing" who actually, sound exactly the same as the last big thing, are being mass marketed and hyped up. Its sad really. And the reason that everyone is getting so angry here is that NME's horribly misinformed opinion is the basis of how those who don't listen to rock & metal view our scene. And to see it being so horribly misrepresented is a shame as so many would actually realise how talented and passionate some of the bands in this scene are if it weren't for NME and mainstream radio shoving the shame dreary indie crap down everyones throats. The last half decent band I can remember NME supporting is Funeral For A Friend, and even they've been dropped like a hot potato in favour of the latest boring indie rubbish. NME's reputation has been going down the pan for a few years now, so frankly those who are seriously into music aren't going to take too much notice of articles like this. Its just a shame to see such a close minded opinion coming from someone who obviously knows nothing about metal

Travis [Visitor] //September 8 2009 at 17:02

[Visitor] //October 8 2009 at 16:44

There are plenty of new bands that played at download this year, the lower stages prove this. Hollywood Undead, Parkway Drive, Architects,You me at six, trigger the bloodshed, We Are The Ocean, Five finger deathpunch,bmth,black stone cherry, The Blackout and Billy talent are examples of some of the newer rock/metal bands at download this year. There are plenty of other recent bands keeping the scene alive and innovating, they just weren't booked on this lineup, as said, download's lineup doesn't dictate the popularity of metal each year or necessarily book the big innovators of the genre, it just books the biggest names that are available. Bands such as Skindred, Mastodon, Devil Sold His Soul, Lamb Of God, Exit Ten, Sylosis, Gojira, Gallows, Ghost of a thousand, Born of Osiris, Deaf Havanna etc

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Stuck On Repeat - What This Year's Download Festival Tells Us About The State Of Metal

By Luke Lewis

Posted on 16/06/09 at 04:16:29 pm

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