Download 2006 - MySpace/ Gibson Stage, Sunday

United Kingdom | by Mat Hocking, Hollie Garraway | 15 June 2006

I-Def-I launch their ravenous metalcore assault onto an unsuspecting audience. Their furious metal stirs bleary eyed festival goers into recognition in a maelstrom of volume and crunching guitars. A blistering live act similar to the vitriolic nature of Sikth, displaying relentless musicianship.

Horror Pop princess Betty Curse at The Snickers Bowl draws quite a crowd of admirers. Like a baby faced Lydia Lunch, with an element of Victoriana, vocalist/ Pin Up Megan Burns delivers delightfully angsty Riot Girl Punk with an evident theatrical background. This is performance based exhibitiionhism like Lux Interior of The Cramps.  A definite star in the making.

Raw,Brighton three piece The Zico Chain put up plenty of bravado on the Gibson stage. Denim clad garage rock, the South Coast pretty boys put their best efforts into getting a mild crowd to move. A tame but enthused set with plenty of feel good hooks and soulful vocals.

Blasting away the searing mid-afternoon humidity with their crushing blend of metal muscle and hardcore grooves, Darkest Hour all but decimate the tiny MySpace stage, leaving us eternally grateful for the 20 minute respite before Welsh ragga-metal troupe Skindred take the reigns. Despite plugging their ferocious rap-rock fusion for a good few years now, judging by their explosive stage presence today it seems only a matter of time before they see their due.

Sandwiched on an evening hardcore bill Finnish troll-rockers Lordi are certainly a sight to behold. Mixing fearsome GWAR-like imagery with an equally fearsome, yet surprisingly catchy metallic bark it’s a set that leaves you all the more bewildered at just how they managed to win this year’s Eurovision contest.

And so, while Guns n' Roses are fighting against piss-bottle missiles on the main stage, it’s up to festival veterans Sick of it All to wrap things up on the 3rd stage. It’s all fist-pumping shout-alongs and mosh-heavy grooves that’s remained cursive to their original ideals whilst new material from their awesome new release ‘Death to Tyrants’ demonstrates a freshness and vitality their peers could only wish for.