Finally, it's here and the electrifying sense of anticipation spills out well beyond Donington Park to the nearby train stations and car parks around the site. The rock extravaganza of the summer - The Download festival - is about to bring the noize and for two days only, even the sourest cynic would smile at the sumptuous sunshine and the fantastic line-up waiting to be unleashed.
Amen deliver a fittingly spectacular opening statement of intent. With Casey Chaos stalking the stage and attempting to crack his skull open with his microphone, the band's daring, high-energy punk metal concoction can't fail to work. And work it does.
Murderdolls' success may have had people scratching their heads in bemusement for a while, but it all becomes perfectly clear today. The band's popularity may well have more to do with their strong image than the quality of their music, but the glam-goth crew are patently the perfect band for this time of the day. Clearly ecstatic to be at Donington, frontman Wednesday 13 and guitarist Joey Jordison lead the crowd through a musical cross-section that would shatter any semblance of sanity.
While so many industrialists like Gravity Kills, KMFDM and Nine Inch Nails are struggling to get new ideas, Ministry still provide the rush of subversion without changing anything about their sound. From the hypnotic 'Psalm 69' to the piercing 'Just One Fix', they tear into their brutal and yet extended Neanderthal grooves, tieing you up and leaving you begging. This is modern metal at its best.
With 'White Pony', Deftones have established themselves as a world-class band. The welcome return of their sublime blend of complexity and simplicity sends Donington absolutely ballistic, from the moment frontman Chino Moreno opens his mouth. If there is a subtlety to their sound that's easy to miss live, the charisma they possess more than makes up for it. The near hysterical crowd response to 'My Own Summer', 'Head Up' and new single 'Minerva' confirms that heavy music still has the power to genuinely move people.
If Marilyn Manson was once considered the most dangerous rock star on the planet, today he is an entertainer. Somehow, however, the king of industro-pop keeps delivering the goods with a typically eye-catching show with high-kicking Nazi girls and dancers. This is the kind of event that the 'God of F*ck' can't fail to dominate and the baying crowd are duly indoctrinated. However, the return of Iron Maiden to heavy metal's very own field of dreams is the event of the day. Dusting off old songs, they play it very safe, only sticking to Maiden's classics. Whilst their set satisfies most traditional metal fans' cravings, they don't convert anyone in the audience.
The stars of the second day are undoubtedly Metallica, who take the Scuzz stage by surprise - their performance being kept secret for contractual reasons. Classics such as 'Master Of Puppets' and newies from forthcoming album 'St Anger' are played with such intensity and power that the set becomes nothing short of monumental.
Which is more than can be said about Audioslave. The problem with making a great album is that people expect you to follow it up with an equally riveting live show. But tonight, Audioslave don't quite manage to deliver. No climactic close then.
