DOWNLOAD AUSTRALIA // Sydney: Opens The Gates Of Hell, Unleashing World Class Fury!

The successful trial of last year’s first ever Australian Download Festival in Melbourne was proof that a critical mass was hungry for a festival that represents the scope and ambition of its European counterpart.

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This year it amplified to include a Sydney instalment, original headliner Ozzy Ozbourne may have pulled out due to health issues but the pedigree of international world class headline acts was second to none, including Slayer who announced they would doing a farewell world tour and would extend their Download set to an hour and half celebrate the brutality and mayhem they have served up for nearly four decades.

Sydneysiders got a chance to have their slice of the pie at Parramatta Park, a ground which is now home for heavy music outings including Good Things Festival. Five Stages of headbanging music gave punters a chance to watch a diverse range of acts that included metal, punk, prog and classic rock. For all the iconic international headliners, the line up included some of our finest Australian heavy bands giving them their time in the sun and due respect. Airbourne came on board late to the party but were guaranteed to put more fuel on the fire and local Sydney band RedHook won the Triple J unearthed competition to play a festival that many up and coming bands would dream of playing. Hysteria went to catch all the madness of a day that marks a new chapter for music festivals in Australia.

New Years Day

Avalanche Stage: 12:30 – 1:00
It was an early start for New Years Day but you’d never know it from their energy. Playing their first Australian set ever, the five piece had horns flying up everywhere, proclaiming their set to be a sacrifice to the metal gods. With the earlier rain crowds fading away, the Los Angeles rockers made it known that they were here to bring the heat—and boy did they deliver. // Chanel Issa

New Years Day // By Elizabeth Sharpe

New Years Day // By Elizabeth Sharpe

Polaris

Red Stage: 1:00 – 1:30
Playing to a HUGE hometown crowd, the metalcore lords tore through a set of both newer and older material—and they had the pit spinning through it all, natch really. Polaris have been taking the world by storm lately, and with sets as heavy as this it’s really not hard to see why. If you didn’t make time for the Sydneysiders yesterday, you missed out big time! // Chanel Issa

Polaris // By Elizabeth Sharpe

War On Woman

Avalanche Stage: 1:30 – 2:00
The Baltimore hardcore punk outfit came right on stage with an agenda and boy did they make their music and message be heard! Perhaps considering International Women’s day, this year’s line up had more female lead bands than last year and War on Women topped the list of hard-core female fronted bands. Shauna Potter had so much energy to offer to early bird festivalgoers. She defiantly told that the crowd “Our president is a rapist! Fuck Trump!” and spoke her thoughts on abortion and women not having control of their own bodies. Through their half hour set the band got faster, harder and more aggressive concluding with a couple of final statements to go vote in our upcoming NSW state election and that feminism is for everybody! Their politics made them punk to the truest common denominator. // Daniel Jaramillo

War On Woman // By Elizabeth Sharpe

High Tension

Dogtooth Stage: 2:00 – 2:30
Ripping the Dogtooth Stage apart, Melbourne’s High Tension came on with dark, distorted and wicked screams. Stylistically they shifted from blackgaze to punk to metal and their performance captivated the audience even as it rained on us. The screams from their front woman Karina Utomo were haunting as the band demonstrated they are a tight unit and proved to those who might not already know it that they fully deserved a spot on the line-up this year. // Daniel Jaramillo

High Tension // By Elizabeth Sharpe

I Prevail

Red Stage: 2:20 – 3:00
I Prevail have been one of most hyped up metalcore acts of the past few years—and there’s a bloody good reason for it. Opening with new track Bow Down, the boys turned the energy all the way up. Only pausing to throw back a shoey, Burkheiser and co. tore through track after track—keeping the horns up and the pit going. With their new album on the way we can only hope there’s an Australian tour on the horizon—come back soon fellas! // Chanel Issa

I Prevail // By Elizabeth Sharpe

Fever 333

Avalanche Stage: 2:30 – 3:05
The new fresh trio led by ex Letlive singer Jason Aaron Butler call their live shows demonstrations and this is exactly what we all got. Butler came on stage wearing a weird black hood that covered his face whilst a loud voice in the background harangued us on the racist crimes the United States has perpetuated. The trio kicked off their set with their latest single Burn It, making the crowd jump, mosh and go totally insane. In the short set they had Butler give us moments of beatboxing improvisation as well running far out into the crowd whilst screaming his lungs out. Guitarist Stephan Harrison also pulled an intervention in the crowd, playing his riffs right in the middle of the circle pit while the crowd ran around him. It was a stellar Sydney debut performance with an important announcement from Butler about how there should be more safety for women in concerts and how macho behaviour is total bullshit. // Daniel Jaramillo

Fever 333 // By Elizabeth Sharpe

Frenzal Rhomb

Dogtooth Stage: 3:05 – 3:40
In the middle of the afternoon local punk rock heroes Frenzel Rhomb took to the stage with a tremendous roar from the crowd. They’ve been giving people a good time since the early 90’s and proceeded to do just that on the day, their comedic showmanship gave their mosh pitters and the audience sitting on the hill a good laugh doing Alice in Chains impersonations and turning Black Sabbath’s classic War Pigs into a thrash punk tune; their presence at the festival reminded us that we should not take the music we love to death so seriously, taking the piss out of it was not a bad idea at all! // Daniel Jaramillo

Frenzal Rhomb // By Elizabeth Sharpe

Code Orange

Avalanche Stage: 3:40 – 4:20
With so many bands clashing Code Orange had to compete with heavy hitters Behemoth playing at the same time but they relished the challenge. This was an intense set; the band’s sonic assault has given them a loyal following and a rising reputation in the metal/punk world. Far from conventional, the band used a mix of electronics and disturbing ambience alongside neck breaking riffs whipping the crowd into the most deranged mosh pit I have ever experienced! It is music that aims to be original, unconventional and incites people to express themselves in very bizarre ways. Their music could be classified avant-garde but there’s enough heaviness to make even the oldest punk in the audience electrified. They were definitely a highlight of the festival for many people. // Daniel Jaramillo

Code Orange // By Elizabeth Sharpe

Anthrax

Black Stage: 4:30 – 5:15
Old School legends Anthrax, and part of the big four in thrash metal, are now veterans in the game and know what it takes to rock a crowd. We are now talking about many thousands of people gathered around the Black Stage witnessing their long time heroes. Like Slayer, Anthrax uses imagery to good effect, the audience where hypnotised by the epic skull background identifying this pirate ship was about to attack with their usual speed and fury. Scott Ian greeted the crowd and said “I’m going to ask a stupid question, are you here for thrash metal?” that drew a roaring reaction from the crowd. Their euphoric older fans gave them the energy they needed, as younger audiences understood the legends on stage were a part of creating the pillars of heavy metal music. // Daniel Jaramillo

Anthrax // By Elizabeth Sharpe

Anthrax // By Elizabeth Sharpe

The Amity Affliction

Red Stage: 5:15 – 6:00
Taking to the stage with a literal bang, The Amity Affliction tore through a very Misery/This Could Be Heartbreak focused set (we hate to break the hearts of every OG fan out there but there were no Youngbloods tunes). Throwing in some screaming from both Joel Birch and Ahren Stringer (remember, they haven’t pulled a full Bring Me The Horizon), the Oceancore Overlords kept the crowd hyped AF. Moments of grand production with Pyro and CO2 and a kick ass closing performance of Pittsburgh were the standouts of the show. All we need now is a full Misery tour run—don’t keep us waiting for much longer boys! // Chanel Issa

The Amity Affliction // By Elizabeth Sharpe

Rise Against

Black Stage: 6:00 – 7:00
When Rise Against took to the Black Stage it seemed like the same sound issues that plagued earlier sets had reared their ugly head again. The Chicago natives battled through though. Delivering some of the choicest cuts from their extensive back catalogue, they had the ground shaking as they sent punters jumping. Showing incredible stage presence, vocalist Tim McIlrath even found the time to jump into the crowd AND deliver some of their finest tunes through a big old megaphone—did you expect anything else from the punk rock icons though? // Chanel Issa

Rise Against // By Elizabeth Sharpe

Thy Art Is Murder

Avalanche Stage: 6:30 – 7:00
No other band on the line up can be called true locals more than Blacktown deathcore outfit Thy Art is Murder. Their live show could be described as technical mayhem and the adrenaline rush the music gives off is exactly what punters got in the flesh. A huge circle was created for people to run around the mixing desk, a site that will live on in the memory and makes Download Festival such a unique experience. Fire flames were also on display but the music did most of the work in entertaining a sea of black clothes. For diehard fans, the band announced to the crowd they would be releasing a new album later this year and would be returning to play more shows in their hometown. // Daniel Jaramillo

Thy Art Is Murder // By Elizabeth Sharpe

Alice In Chains

Red Stage: 7:00 – 8:15
Their legacy is one of a kind, having success during the grunge era and now in the 21st century, Alice in Chains’ catalogue is impressive and their set list proves how many quality songs they’ve written over the years. The crowd sang along to almost every song, even their new songs were recognised by the majority of people in the crowd. The set list included classics such as Them Bones, Man in the Box and finished the performance with their career defining anthems Would and Rooster. Compared to the other acts on the line up, Alice in Chains seemed far mellower but they still had many devotees at the festival wearing their t-shirts and chanting Alice, Alice, Alice! at the top of their lungs. Their musicianship is still intact and they were humbled to play to a big Australian crowd after all these years. // Daniel Jaramillo

Alice In Chains// By Elizabeth Sharpe

Pennywise

Avalanche Stage: 8:00 – 9:00
Sydney’s punk elite were out in full force for Pennywise. Despite kicking around since 1988, the Los Angeles crew were out to prove they haven’t slowed down a bit sending crowdsurfers flying and punters finger pointing to their heart’s content. Making themselves feel right at home the band even belted out AC/DC classic T.N.T. If punchy, high energy tunes (and loads of killer covers) were what you were after at Download, Pennywise delivered in spades. // Chanel Issa

Pennywise // Elizabeth Sharpe

Judas Priest

Black Stage: 8:15 – 9:30
With Ozzy Osbourne dropping out, the other stand out pioneer of heavy metal left standing was none other than Judas Priest. The show antics in leather jackets and driving motorcycles on stage are true vintage heavy metal and match their music seamlessly. A big screen with arresting visuals aided their headbanging tunes. Rob Halford lightsaber in hand still has the high screams in him and is sounding as good as he was in his youth. The band closed their set with Painkiller and came back on stage for a deserved encore playing their smash hit Breaking the Law with police sirens and all. Halford also acknowledged the amazing metal community in Australia and Judas Priest were certainly a big part of the Download Festival being a success this year. // Daniel Jaramillo

Judas Priest // By Elizabeth Sharpe

Sum 41

Dogtooth Stage: 9:00 – 10:00
In the best way possible, this set felt like Pennywise 2.0. Sum 41 treated fans (including three lucky one’s who were pulled into the side of stage from the crowd) to an hour of pure punk goodness. Bringing the finger pointers out in full force again, the Canucks turned Download into a sweatfest—or a mudfest if the shoes of the punters in the pit were anything to go by. Under the watchful eye of an Iron Maidenesque red eyed skeleton flipping the bird, the band delivered a set filled with their greatest hits (y’know all the good shit). And if you were missing Ozzy Osbourne? Well they had you covered with their Black Sabbath tribute. // Chanel Issa

Sum 41 // By Elizabeth Sharpe

Sum 41 // Elizabeth Sharpe

Slayer

Redstage: 9:30 – 10:00
Playing one of their final shows in Australia, Slayer closed out the Red Stage. Bringing metal dads in denim battle vests together with punters dressed as hotdogs (such is their power), the thrash icons took us on a trip down memory lane. Leaving no time for teary farewells, Slayer tore through their back catalogue, completing it all with red lighting, pyro and Holt’s iconic Kill the Kardashians t-shirt. It was a fitting tribute to an almost 40 year career, and it proved that not even retirement can stop them from holding down the throne of metal lords forever. // Chanel Issa

Slayer // By Elizabeth Sharpe

Ghost

Avalanche Stage: 10:00 – 11:00
The last band playing at the Avalanche Stage was the mysterious, polarising outfit Ghost. Thousands of phones were up in the air capturing their opening song Rats and the ghoulish costumes and white staircase made it a very theatrical affair. These were satanic pop songs at their best and the audience watched their performance with pleasure. These were songs according to frontman Tobias Forge that make your ass wobble and they sure did! These were metal jams that you could dance to and witnessing a devilish pope play saxophone on stage was quite a sight! The final song of the night was their new single Dance Macabre with Forge asking the crowd: “Do you want to dance with death?” While this was happening, Slayer were playing their final show in Sydney ever on the Red Stage but the size of this crowd suggests Ghost in their own particular style might just be the future of metal and many people around me seemed to believe that. // Daniel Jaramillo

Ghost // By Elizabeth Sharpe

DOWNLOAD AUSTRALIA // Sydney: Opens The Gates Of Hell, Unleashing World Class Fury!