Planning what bands you intend to catch at a festival is common knowledge for anyone who does not want to waste any time guessing who might be worth watching. We at Soundscape have graciously compiled a collection of nine unique artists set to attend Download Festival 2017, in the hope it will help make your decision making that little bit easier.
Holding Absence
Is it really that surprising that a band born in the land of dragons have left a successfully scorched trail behind them with triumphant headline tours and their brand of ethereal rock finding new additions to their ever-growing fan-base every day? Ex-Falling with Style vocalist Lucas Woodland’s variation of delicate vocals and gut-wrenching high notes meld well with the ghostly guitar riffs that haunt the thick rhythm section, making the group a strong possibility for one of many Download highlights.
Aerosmith
Now it is highly unlikely that “the bad boys from Boston” will be missed by many on the final day of the festival but considering this will be their last performance in the United Kingdom EVER, it will be your very last chance to shut up and dance. Included in their Aero-Vederci Baby! tour dates, it would be foolish to turn away the opportunity to catch the iconic rock anthems that Aerosmith have generated over their near fifty year career one last time.
Blood Youth
Unanimously loved last year and brought back for more, the Harrogate four-piece have been stage stomping their way through the competition since their start with the vicious nature of their debut album Beyond Repair, receiving some serious attention. Big hardcore bar chords, melodically laced rhythm sections and excellent chorus hooks all jammed together with ground beating breakdowns maintain the continuous head bobbing and complete mosh pit carnage ever-present.
The Cadillac Three
There is a palpable bond shared by these three southern musicians that is unmistakably warming to witness on stage. As they soar through a back-catalogue of southern rock that kicks heels up and proves difficult to stand still to (but not in the typical manner expected for this festival), the connection between their patriotic loyalty and their lyrical content overload the listener with a true sense of righteousness. The Tennessee trio have much to offer their audience including the entertaining occasion of listening to grade A country music, while dancing like no one is watching to their hearts content.
Astroid Boys
Although Download is known as “The UK’s premier rock festival”, the organisers definitely bring more to the event than just your slap dab stereotype artist. One of many exceptions is the Welsh grime cultivators straight out of the CF10. Astroid Boys have made their name infamous for heatedly merging the rap and hardcore cultures into one singular entity, the bass-heavy application of call and respond duel vocalists (layered with the occasional involvement of blunt guitar chugs and skilled soundboard knowledge) keep everyone at the height of their excitement before throwing down massive beats that keep the crowd bouncing.
Like A Storm
Not many would have considered the concept of ‘didgeridoo’ and ‘metal’ working well with one another in the same sentence but the New Zealand entourage took it upon themselves to break boundaries and establish that they are not your typical, boring metal band. For fans of Breaking Benjamin and Alterbridge, the riffs are gritty, the vocals are earthy and the fist-raising atmosphere they hone is relentless in its existence.
Knuckle Puck
Coined by The Mighty Ducks, this Canadian pop punk band have risen above the famous film quotation and become an act recognised across the music community as uplifting, energetic and a punchy addition to the ranks of quintessential artists in your playlist. Their synchronisation and timing being a large factor to take into account, they remain unlike their colleagues in song structure while repeatedly forming strong and intimate relationships with their live performances (despite having a number of epic tracks to show off).
Code Orange
A crash helmet or some form of padding may be necessary for those who are new (and old) to the game and intend on challenging others to mosh pit duels during the four metalcore Americans delightfully aggressive set. Resiliently committed to rise after each new album release, Code Orange’s third LP to date (Forever, released January 2017) has delivered yet another razorblade batch of gravel-scratched tracks, with the emotional and instrumental intensity to render the hardest of men into quivering messes on the floor.
Lost Society
The Finnish nation has been responsible for dishing out some of the chief artists in the alternative music field for some time now including Children of Bodom, Nightwish and HIM (Editor’s note: and my favourite band, Kuolemanlaakso!). Gracing Download with their attendance once again however, the beer chugging thrash advocates known as Lost Society are ready and prepped to represent Finland and transform your gentle day’s easing in into a full blown, alcohol-soaked smorgasbord of guitar-licked debauchery.
There’s still time to get your tickets to Download Festival – pick yours up here: http://downloadfestival.co.uk/tickets
