Download 2005: Saturday Main Stage

United Kingdom | | 11 June 2005

Trivium's album may be mere months old, but you wouldn't credit it; their blend of frantic metal with a hint of grindcore quickly multiplying the slam pit quotient to six. Add a neat line in synchronised headbanging and you've got a set tighter than Justin Hawkin's kecks. A blinding Download debut.

Dwarves are still best known as merely Nick Olivieri's old band. Well, that and "that band with the nude gimp guitarist". While today's guest appearance from the latter won't do much for that reputation, the bottling-loving, cockiest band in the universe acquit themselves admirably with their own adrenalin punk'n'roll mish-mash.

Eclectic Japanese nutters The Mad Capsule Markets prove nu-metal is not dead, just waiting until they unleash their unique guitar and beats fury. Blending sunshine pop, savage metal riffs and happy hardcore it's techno for metallers, rock for trance kids and all things to all men. Only in Japan!

Those cold rain clouds are hovering ominously above the main stage. So thank god for the little piece of California that is A. 'Starbucks'' glorious riffs and Jason Perry's choirboy-on-fifty-a-day vocals are the perfect antidote for the cloudy weather - "Sunshine on a cloudy day"!!

Bowling For Soup aren't particularly good at making music. Of all the bands on the Main Stage they're probably the worst musically, but entertainment is a different matter and at this the excel! Banter from James to Chris is hilarious in pure fratboy style. So they end up a success. Less is sometimes most definitely more.