Following a wonderful Friday at Download 2025 (read our full review and see photos here), Team Rock Sins reassembled on the hallowed Donington turf for an eagerly awaited middle Saturday. The high point of many a Download of years gone by, this years’ mid point of the festival had one of the most eclectic line ups in memory, especially on the Apex Main Stage. Before we find out how Sleep Token got on with their Download headlining debut, there were many more bands to see, so lets get down to it.
On a personal note, I love to see homegrown British acts at Download Festival, be it making a debut, working their up the bill (Bleed From Within) or actually headlining (Sleep Token). London lady Sophie Lloyd (8.5) had her name on the bill for the first time at this years’ event. Opening up The Opus Stage on Saturday, Sophie strolled out and started peeling out the theme tune from Top Gun, before leading her band into Won’t You Come Home, from her debut album Imposter Syndrome. Those wondering how Sophie would work around all the guest vocalists on the album soon had their questions answered as Marisa Rodriguez – who sung the original recording – joins her on stage, before making way for Nathan James of Inglorious fame to step up and cover for Let it Hurt and Fall of Man, smashing both so well that it’s hard to forget they were originally released with Black Stone Cherry (yes the whole band) and Matt Heafy of Trivium respectively.
Unfortunately, all this good feeling is then lost with an absolutely pointless instrumental cover of Enter Sandman, with Sophie covering the vocal melodies on her guitar. Sure, the small child next to me was incredibly excited upon hearing that opening riff and the middle 8 gave Sophie a nice chance for some crowd work, but with that short a set and a whole album of original material PLUS the work she did with Machine Gun Kelly (that seems more popular than anything the guy did before or since) to choose from, why are there any covers being performed? Fortunately, Do or Die (Nathan James’ offering from Imposter Syndrome) closes the set complete with fire eaters and the return of Marisa Rodriguez. When you’re only real dip in your set is a pretty decently performed cover of one of the biggest metal hits on the planet, you’re doing alright. (GL)
Holy Wars (8) are another band making their Download debut and for those of us old enough to remember, Kat Leon is like some sort of second coming of Tarrie B. She prowls the stage, working the audience while flitting between snarling vocals and melodic choruses, as the tent gets fuller and fuller of people walking past and immediately needing to know what’s going on. My Drugs are Digital sounds incredible and Kat dedicates latest single I Feel Everything to anyone who’s struggling.
Collaborator Nick Perez loosens up more with every song and by the end his (actually quite beautiful) white guitar is moving around with every riff as he gets lost in his music. Ending on an unreleased new track, Kat encourages a nice big moshpit before surprising everyone and taking her microphone in it to join in. It was a short sharp set, but anyone who was there walked out very satisfied and will no doubt be all over any future live tour dates in the UK, but please, PLEASE, can we stop doing the Slipknot sit down and jump up thing now? (GL)
Hatebreed (7) once again show that while they are elder statemen of hardcore these days, they remain among the most reliably consistent live heavy bands of any sub-genre on the planet. Opening with the classic I Will Be Heard, Donington gets a Hatebreed setlist from across the era’s. Looking Down The Barrel Of Today is dedicated to Lou from Sick Of It All who is in ill health currently, while the “balls of death” fly around the pits of Download. “We told you we were going balls to the wall” quips a triumphant Jamey Jasta, surveying the carnage caused by Tear It Down and Smash Your Enemies. Finishing on Destroy Everything, this was a great way to spend a Saturday lunchtime. We are now very eager for Hatebreed’s return in October with Killswitch Engage – and some lucky folks will see them with Slayer before that! (JG)
Hatebreed at Download Festival 2025 by Carolina Faruolo
For those who hadnt experienced Poppy (8) in the flesh until now, the main question in mind is “is she as good vocally live as on record”? The answer is a thunderous yes. There’s a huge contrast between the material from last year’s Negative Spaces and previous album I Disagree. Occasionally it can feel a bit jarring like the switch from the opening have you had enough to a positively evil sounding BLOODMONEY, but otherwise the changes in style are managed well – either by Poppy herself or pre-recorded intro bits (think some of BMTH in 2023 for those who were there).
It is obviously personal taste as to what era of Poppy you prefer if you enjoy her at all, but the finish of they’re all around us and new way out (a candidate for track of the day) suggests if she keeps going like this, she may be in the pot for headlining stages before much longer. (JG)
Polaris (9) made a storming return to Donington, and the crowd is so massive it feels like everyone is there to see them. Flames blast as the Aussie five piece hit us with rousing renditions of Nightmare, Landmine and All of this is Fleeting. Circle pits tear up the dust, crowdsurfers fly towards the stage and vocalist Jamie Hails grins ear to ear. Hypermania, The Remedy and Lucid (with the addition of happy birthday to soundman Lance) have the crowd singing along. All too quickly the set closes with Inhumane. Polaris might just have been the band of the weekend. Watch out Parkway Drive, Polaris are coming for you. (LF)
“Right. A pit. Immediately. First fucking song. Enjoy the battering Donington”. When the mighty Dave Hunt commands, you obey. So began Anaal Nathrakh (9) and their assault on the assembled throng inside the Dogtooth Stage. On absolutely blistering form, they genuinely may be the heaviest band ever to play the festival. The likes of Forward!, Age of Starlight and the closing Endarkenment, particularly the latter are heavy music at their most extreme yet most impressive. Literally the only way to find fault with this performance is something that wasn’t Anaal Nathrakh’s fault at all; they weren’t given long enough! Next time, have them come back and headline The Dogtooth – the campaign starts here. Simply phenomenal. JG
It has been 15 years since Canadian quartet Kittie (8) has graced the UK shores with their presence. Tonight also somewhat remarkably is their Download Festival debut. Given a prime spot on the Dogtooth stage on Saturday, they waste no time at all reintroducing themselves or making a mean first impression in some cases. They rattle through some of their biggest heavy hitters mixing newer material like the title track from last years tremendous Fire album with cuts from their classic Spit & Oracle albums.
With a criminally short set time, not a single second is wasted. Tonight they are focused, ferocious and play with a vicious energy that has you wondering how they are approaching the 30 year mark as a band. Kittie were the first ever band I ever saw live and it feels particularly special to see them back again on these shores delighting the faithful and initiating the newcomers alike. Please don’t leave it another 15 years though yeah? (SC)
Not long after Anaal Nathrakh almost levelled the Dogtooth, Sylosis (8.5) gave it a bloody good go too. The shredding from Reading as they are affectionately known may have changed personnel somewhat over the years, but Josh Middleton has never been a better frontman than he is right now, and there won’t be a better drumming performance all weekend than Ali Richardson’s here – unless it’s Ali again with his other band Bleed From Within on Sunday!
Among the many highlights were Debbie Gough from Heriot coming out to guest on the absurdly heavy The Path. Sylosis wound the clock back with old favourite Teras (dedicated to former guitarist Alex Bailey), and had fists flying with Worship Decay. The set closing Deadwood may well have the biggest circle pit of the Dogtooth Stage all weekend. Another wonderful performance where you just wanted it to go on for at least another 20 minutes. (JG)
How do you introduce the Sex Pistols (feat. Frank Carter (9) to give them their full title on this current run of dates)? You can’t really, you just have to sit through a 5 minute torrential downpour before the sun breaks through and they hit the stage with Holidays in the Sun and Seventeen. By the time Frank Carter is in the middle of the crowd trying to get everyone to circle pit to Pretty Vacant it’s clear he was born to front this band and naysayers be damned, because everyone present can see that’s the case.
Following a couple of false starts due to some safety concerns Frank is causing (I mean did he really think he could stand in the middle of a crowd like that and nothing happen?) and drummer Paul Cook breaking a snare, the band are soon back on track ploughing through God Save the Queen, Submission, Satellite and No Fun, bassist Glenn Matlock doesn’t miss a note and Steve Jones’ guitar work is exactly where it should be (even if he is looking a little like Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick these days). The inclusion of EMI was a little treat, but the singalong to closer Anarchy in the UK seems a little too arena rock for these Godfathers of Punk, but regardless of that, theirs is a must see set for anyone going to any festivals the Sex Pistols are at. (GL)
Cradle of Filth (8) are so reliably consistent, you can set your watch/sundial/hourglass (delete as applicable) to them. Tonight marks their 3rd appearance at Download and the first as a headliner, as they are closing out the Dogtooth Stage on this fine summer evening. Opening tonight with a rendition of To Live Deliciously so thunderous, met check have popped their head in the tent for a look.
This is Cradle, doing what they do. Over 30 years in the game, their live reputation is cast iron at this point, and they have so many hits they can pack this set out 3 times and they’d still be leaving bangers on the table. We get Malignant Perfection White Hellebore, also from this years excellent The Screaming of the Valkyries album, as well as She is a Fire from the newer end of the spectrum, while the rest of the set is rounded out by classics like Death Magick for Adepts, Nymphetamine (Fix) and the customry Her Ghost in the Fog. As on form as the band are (and they really really are) Tonight’s set is also punctuated by another shocking moment as Frontman Dani Filth took a moment to propose to longterm girlfriend Sofiya Belousova, creating another iconic Download moment in the process and putting the cherry on an already delicious performance. (SC)
Picture this. Shows on your first UK tour were played in front of the roadies because no one else showed up to see you. Fast forward ten years – you’re playing Download Festival for the first time, and you’re on the Avalanche stage as the headliners. A packed crowd is screaming your lyrics back at you, and scores of crowd-surfers are flying over the barricades. No, Dayseeker (9), this is not a dream state. This is reality.
Opening with a brand-new song is always ballsy, but they did it anyway with ‘Pale Moonlight’. Moody red lighting lit the stage, and the echoes of frontman Rory Rodriguez singing that he’d made a deal with the devil signalled Dayseeker’s bold Donington debut. It’s emotionally charged, raw, and real – all backed by the impeccable musicianship of Gino Sgambelluri (guitars), Ramone Valerio (bass), and Zac Mayfield (drums).
No less than three songs in, circle pits were already swirling like dust cyclones. The crushing, low-tuned seven-string carnage of ‘Crooked Soul’ hit like an avalanche across the tent. Meanwhile, ‘Burial Plot’ and ‘Homesick’ delivered soaring, sing-your-heart-out moments in abundance. There were heavy moments, but there were softer, lighter moments too, in the form of the ethereal ‘Paper Heart’ and an exquisite Dayseeker-stamped version of Evanescence’s ‘My Immortal’.
Dayseeker’s Download debut was special and will no doubt serve as a “bucket list” milestone ticked off as their upward trajectory continues. And after the long, hard slog they’ve had to get here, it’s more than well deserved. Dayseeker didn’t just find the light. They proved the shadows were only ever leading to it. Now they’re not walking that road alone. Half of Donington is coming with them. And this is just the beginning… (CF)
Worship. Consume. Nothing lasts forever… Sleep Token’s (8) cryptic messages have been adorning the big screens around Download all weekend. Beckoning both the faithful and the uninitiated to join in their first ritual as headliners over on the Apex Stage tonight. It would appear that they’ve worked too. Because despite being one of the most controversial headline act since My Chemical Romance stepped into the same shoes back in 2007. Sleep Token have amassed quite the audience. Admittedly, the silent anticipation is broken somewhat when half the curtain obscuring the stage drops of it’s own accord. However, it does nothing to dampen the rapturous applause as the opening synth chimes of Look To Windward ring out around Donnington.
Sleep Token at Download Festival 2025 by Adamross Williams
Malfunctioning curtains aside, Sleep Token have brought quite the set-up with them to bolster their presence too. With Vessel, II, III and IV having free reign over a stage that Iron Maiden would be proud of. Looking like a neon drenched Castle Grayskull stolen right out of a fever dream. Complete with it’s own waterfall and raining cherry blossoms. It’s various ramps and battlements give the group plenty of room to move around as Vessel croons his way through the likes of The Offering and Vore.
The only thing that’s really missing is any form of crowd interaction and while we understand that Vessel shouting ‘scream for me Donington’ would be out of character. You can tell by the time they’ve reached their first interlude that those unfamiliar with Sleep Token are no longer sure if they’re watching a heavy metal concert or Kabuki theatre.
The confused looks seem to disappear when the group kick into more guitar heavy, dare we say accessibile tracks like Alkaline, The Summoning and Granite. Though there are a few glances around the crowd from those that recognise a snippet of Halo 2’s soundtrack woven into Rain. We aren’t sure where that fits into the bands mythology unless Vessel was Master Chief in a former life but, it seems to work nonetheless.
Apart from a few deeper cuts like Thread The Needle. It’s plainly obvious that the biggest pops are reserved for Sleep Tokens most recent hits. With Caramel in particular. As well as the band’s final farewell, Take Me Back To Eden seeing almost every camera phone in the arena raised in worship. Say what you will about Sleep Token’s credentials. For nearly two hours tonight they have held Download Festival’s rapt attention. While sounding every bit as massive as a headliner should and packing all the production tricks of the trade along with them. This has put them well and truly in the big league. (JL)
Truly the kind of day at Donington that had something for everyone. Please stay tuned for the final part of our huge Download Festival 2025 review!
Words by Jamie Giberti (JG), Greg Latham (GL), John Layland (JL), Lisa Fox (LF), Simon Crampton (SC) and Claire Frays (CF).
Photos by credited photographers. Header image by Adamross Williams.
