Download Festival 2016 Review: More Like Drownload...

Saturday

Saturday started as Friday, with the sun pretending it wasnt going to sod off and let us all wet absolutely soaked. Creepy Swedes Avatar (what is it with Swedes this year?) opened well on the Lemmy stage, with a far more accomplished set than their gimmick suggests, and then Beartooth followed with an exceptional, rousing set that ended way too soon.

Or it would have if the mighty Atreyu hadnt followed and been similarly great. Theyve matured, theyre louder and theyre wonderful to watch, even with the weather turning to the dark side. Sixx AM were also hugely entertaining, having polished their tight live show in the past years tour. See them if you can.

Next up, Rival Sons celebrated the release of their new album with a typically tight, typically technically excellent show that just about blew the rain away, and Megadeth thrashed it up with a set that made a mockery of the various criticisms of the sound quality this year. Every show is a lesson in musicianship, and while the fun factor can often suffer, bringing out Nikki Sixx for a rousing cover of Anarchy In The UK was an inspired move.

From there, the exceptional Deftones took the penultimate slot, putting on a hugely emotional, technically excellent set that literally brought a tear to the eye. They can be an acquired taste, but on the strength of that performance they deserved the slot.

And Sabbath? Battle worn, but brilliant. Click here for our Black Sabbath headliner review.

Click next for our full Sunday review...