Download Festival 2013 Day Two Review: Iron Maiden Take Better Care of their Fans Than Any Other Band

Another year, another summer and another chapter closes at metal's most revered festival. The Mecca of heavy music played host to another 150 bands - some new, some old and all united under the banner of downtuned guitars and multiple bass drums.

Saturday began somewhere in 1980, and stayed there for the majority of the day. UFO kicked off proceedings at the ungodly hour of 11am, and played a retro set full of classics, featuring the excellent "Doctor Doctor" and the cockney musings of lead singer Phil Mogg. (4/5)

Young Guns followed, but seemed dwarfed by the stage, the band's pseudo-rock songs not translating well on-stage, nor to the crowd. They sounded under-mixed, under-manned and under-prepared. Aside from hit "Bones", Young Guns were out of their depth. (2/5)

Despite their change of name, Black Star Riders are still essentially Thin Lizzy with a guilt trip, and despite playing a couple of tunes from their new album, there was an air of inevitability when "Whisky In The Jar" and "The Boys Are Back In Town" finished the set. Still, all good fun. (3/5)

Among all the wailing guitar solos, I fond time to head to the Red Bull tent to catch Astroid Boys on the recommendation of a friend. Despite my original caution at the metal-dubstep hybrid that I had been warned about, the Welsh rappers were super; mixing energy and street cred with metalcore breakdowns. A musical epiphany that was thoroughly fun, Highly recommended. (4/5).

Alice In Chains followed, opening with "Them Bones" and despite Jerry Cantrell's newly short hair, AIC were no less brutal, whizzing through a typically downtuned and dirty set culminating in the fantastic "Man In A Box". There may have been a tribute to Layne Staley on Sean Kinney's kick drum, but thanks William DuVall donning the microphone, his memory hasn't been tarnished. (4/5).

Next up were Motorhead, who were exactly what you expected from Motorhead. Classics like "Damage Case", "The Chase Is Better Than The Catch" and "The One To Sing The Blues" all got aired before the usual Ace Of Spades/Overkill duopoly ended proceedings in typical style. To paraphrase from Lemmy himself, they were Motorhead, and they played Rock N' Roll. (4/5).

Queens Of The Stone Age were the last band to hit the main stage before Iron Maiden entered, and treated Donnington with a no-frills set, opening with stacatto rocker "Feel Good Hit Of The Summer" and turning Download into a party atmosphere with "No One Knows" 5th song in. "Go With The Flow" and "A Song For The Dead" completed a show that went a long way to explaining why QOTSA are so popular. New drummer Jon Theodore filled the giant shoes of Dave Grohl with ease, slotting in subtly alongside Josh Homme's abrasive guitar play. (4/5).

Iron Maiden entered what is widely regarded as their stage, and their opening gambit suggested no different - hiring a Battle Of Britain Spitfire to fly over the onlooking masses to opener "Moonchild". Maiden played a tweaked version of the Maiden England set, with numerous cuts from the Seventh Son of A Seventh Son record, reminding everyone that Maiden knows how to treat it's fans - playing rarities like "Phantom Of The Opera" and "The Prisoner".

That said, as far as a festival set-list went, it would probably have been more advantageous for Maiden if they had stuck to a less fan-specific set-list, especially in the face of so many younger fans. I personally am a huge Iron Maiden fan, and despite appreciating the progressive-musings, I was a bit disappointed that the novelty meant that "Hallowed Be Thy Name" wasn't part of the set-list.

That said, Iron Maiden are Iron Maiden, and small qualms aside they were typically excellent - Bruce Dickinson in a jovial mood as the band reeled off song after song to a (largely) appreciative crowd. They promised a return to England at the end of summer, revealing a date for an O2 show in August. Based on this evidence, they'll be worth a watch. (4/5).

Download Festival 2013 Day One Review: Slipknot Are the New Kings of Metal, Like It Or Not

Another year, another summer and another chapter closes at metal's most revered festival. The Mecca of heavy music played host to another 150 bands - some new, some old and all united under the banner of downtuned guitars and multiple bass drums.

Friday began with Rise To Remain, who despite their enthusiasm and competence will forever be known as "Bruce Dickinson's son's band". The British metallers delivered an appropriately energetic and enjoyable set that appropriately set the trend for a day that was full of screaming guitars and vocalists alike. (4/5)

Asking Alexandria, led by newly sober and stubbly Danny Worsnop brought their Yorkshire metalcore to the main stage later in the day, with the highlight being the brutal "The Final Episode" - Worsnop's ashtray vocals gave the band's sound a more organic feel than the one's heard on the record. With a new album in the pipe line, a noticeable change in style may be on the cards. (4/5)

The winner of "pleasant surprise of the festival" award goes to Papa Roach, narrowly beating the moderately sanitized toilets and edible food to collect the prize. Jacoby Shaddix and his band pulled no punches, playing a set filled with hits including the excellent "Between Angels and Insects" and club favourite "Last Resort". Shaddix's announcement that the band had been going for 20 years was a shock to many, but the experience was telling from a group that clearly knew how to approach a music festival. (5/5)

After Papa Roach came a trip to 1986 to see Europe, who delivered a set that I can only say was 'A few tunes then Final Countdown'. Although 'Final Countdown' was brilliant. (3/5).

Re-visiting the Main Stage were Korn, who opened with classic "Blind" and immediately following into the outrageously manical "Twist" and the huge "Coming Undone". The Godfathers of Nu Metal re-affirmed their status as one of metal's big draws and confirmed that with excellent renditions of their newer stuff too - "Narcissitic Cannibal" not sounding out of place despite it's sonic uniqueness. (4/5)

Bullet For My Valentine followed with another set of precision and power - Matt Tuck's newly shorn locks almost emphasizing the bands comfort with their transition into a "big" band. Songs like "Tears Don't Fall" and "The Last Fight" were comfortable with the huge billing that was implied by their position on the line -up and once again - BFMV fail to disappoint. (5/5)

The stage was set for Slipknot to deliver a couple of hours of the brutality they've become famous for and they did just that - the curtain falling to Iowa hit "Disasterpiece" before launching into a set packed with chart toppers and under-the-radar gems (if a Slipknot song can be called that) like "Get This". There was a moment of genuine emotion when a giant "2" was unfurled to pay homage to fallen bassist Paul Gray but the sadness didn't distract from what was a truly enthralling performance.

The manic response from the entire crowd to the band was telling and was not replicated by any other during the festival. Slipknot, like Metallica in the 90's after 'The Black Album' was released have reached the top of the heavy metal mountain and are leering down at the competition with scorn. The 9 controversially dressed men from a small town in America are now part of this generations most universal metal band - and only after four albums. They may not have the history and the record sales of a Metallica or an Iron Maiden - those will come in time - but ask any 20 year old metal fan to name 5 Slipknot songs and they can. Ask them to replicate the trick with Maiden or Metallica it becomes a bit of a struggle. Like it not, Slipknot are the Kings of metal's 21st Century and Download 2013 was just another crowning moment. (5/5)

Slayer Will Never Be The Same again - and They Should Acknowledge That

First it was Jeff Hanneman, who died on May 2nd with liver failure, and then it was Dave Lombardo, who was fired weeks after Hanneman's death. In less than a month, Slayer lost two of it's founding members. Suddenly, the man who wrote the riff in 'Raining Blood' and the drummer that reinvented the art of metal percussion with 5 seconds near the end of 'Angel Of Death' aren't in the band that those songs are credited to.

Slayer have changed. They are different, and will never be the same again.

Hanneman is an obvious loss, even more tragic when the circumstances are considered. With Lombardo, there is personal differences - Hanneman cannot be apologized to and brought back. No longer will the blonde headbanger be seen standing in his familiar stage-left position, duelling with Kerry King with the consistent brutality that was always underappreciated next to King's more - obvious -  style.

Dave Lombardo is the best metal drummer in the world. That's it. Forget those who drool over Joey Jordison's Tommy Lee impersonations for Slipknot and Mark Portonoy's progressive chops. Those guys are impressive, but no-one so emphatically surmises all that is metal drumming better than Dave Lombardo. Lightning fast, brutally consistent and with exceptional stamina and technique - nothing evokes the relentless power of thrash metal more than DL's 32nd notes on the kick drum, his one handed 16th notes on the hi-hat in a metal world where most drummers avoid it as a technique, his almost scientific attention to percussive detail. His drumming is key to the Slayer sound, their appeal and their cult status.

Hanneman is the same. Slayer aficionados will wax lyrical about Hanneman's contribution to the greatest of the Slayer songs, and a little bit of research will inform of his huge contribution to their, and arguably metal's greatest and purest album - Reign In Blood.

Now, Slayer will move on with Paul Bostaph on drums and one of Pat O'Brien or Gary Holt as guitarist. All three are great musicians, but quite simply not to the extent that Jeff and Dave were.

Even if the songs are replicated perfectly - there is something intangibly brilliant about the chemistry that original members of bands have with each other that can't be quantified by how accurate the notes are. That magic is gone with Slayer forever, assuming that this is Lombardo's last stint with the band. Bands can recapture and continue that aura if one person leaves - AC/DC managed it without Bon Scott, Guns N' Roses did it in the early 90's without Izzy Stradlin - but more than that and the band, however successful, always has a certain karaoke feel to it. Without Hanneman Slayer has no lungs, without Lombardo it has no guts.

If anything they should acknowledge it - are they really Slayer now? With two out of the four gone, metal's most evil band are now a sinister version of the White Stripes. You could make an argument that they should stop being called 'Slayer' - as long as Lombardo is gone too.

They won't - as long as Tom Araya is still screaming and Kerry King and his tattoos are still adorning metal posters everywhere most of Slayer's obvious traits are still intact, but for the rest of us it won't feel right, and never will again.

So, if you get the chance - listen to Reign In Blood, or Christ Illusion or watch the Big Four show in 2010 where the world's most relentless thrash band showed why they were impervious to criticism, nu metal and metal-fearing Christians. Without Hanneman and Lombardo, they just seem much more mortal. Without Hanneman and Lombardo, Slayer will never be the same again.

Return Of The King: 3 Issues Jose' Mourinho Must Address at Chelsea

Mourinho is back.

The 'Special One' finally has returned to the country that turned him from coaching prodigy into bona fide celebrity, confirming one of the worst kept secrets in the history of sport. However, far from the glittering reunion that most English pundits had in mind when the Portugese coach first expressed his wish to come back to the rainy island, a more accurate description would be 'exile from Madrid'. Due to the manner of his Spanish tenure Mourinho has lost some of the spark, some of the mystique that made him such an attractive option for Florentino Perez and his Champions League craving cohort. The chaos that the press-happy coach brought with him from club to club was acceptable as long as the players were happy and the trophies kept coming but when one - or as the case was in Madrid - both dry up, the futility of the inherent tension the former Inter tactician creates becomes more apparent.

However, he should have no problem at Chelsea. A club that in recent history has had more bitter spats and shady politics than several episodes of Game Of Thrones, Mou should quickly find his feet again in a country that not only accepts off-the field madness, but encourages them. Add in the fact he has bunch of players that are used to more staff inconsistencies than most others, and it's a match made in tabloid heaven.

That said, there are a few issues that Jose' is going to have to address if he is to turn the Stamford Bridge outfit into the stingy, relentless, winning machines that they were when he left in 2007.

1) Sort out the defence

Far from the backline that leaked just 15 goals on it's way to a Premier League title - the Londoners shipped 39 in domestic competition thanks to a rolling back line that was often fraught with errors. David Luiz, while fantastic with the ball at his feet tends to have the positional sense of a a drunken moth, and the John Terry/Gary Cahill/Bratislav Ivanovic combination doesn't quite have the same bulletproof sheen that 2004 era Terry-Carvalho had. Jose' knows more than most that a winning team is built from the back, and he'd do well to address that immediately upon his arrival in London.

2) Finally (for real this time) phase out the veterans

If Jose' Mourinho is going to have the "happy and successful time" at Chelsea he must do what no manager has done yet; finally move on from the old heads. John Terry, Frank Lampard and to a lesser extent, Ashley Cole - are almost part of the furniture at Stamford Bridge and between them have conspired to make several manager's lives difficult in attempting to rebuild and move on from them. Mourinho must summon all of his personal skills to slowly edge away from the players he once used as a title winning foundation nearly ten years go. If he can't - Chelsea will continue to suffer from a stagnant flux that comes with relying on players whose legs can't do what their egos demand of them. If anyone can do it, it's Mourinho.

3) Fernando Torres

Hanging over Chelsea like a cloud - Fernando Torres is the Spanish Elephant in the room at Stamford Bridge. The £50m man was heralded as the replacement for Didier Drogba - but form, confidence and pressure have combined to ensure that the latter half of Il Nino's Premier League career will be remembered as a montage of frustrating nearly moments. There have been times when Torres has been "back" but in truth, the 'real' Torres is confined to Youtube. Chelsea, it seems, are deciding to bring another striker as their #1 guy and Torres will once again play second fiddle unless Mourinho decides otherwise. Jose' will have to make a decision whether to gamble on the confidence of the once dominating Spaniard or place his trust elsewhere.

The Man Who Sold his Soul to a Red Devil - The End of an Era at Manchester United

So it's finally over.

End of the chewing gum, the rants, the pointing at watches and barely concealed cursing at officials. End of the controversial quotes, the "squeaky bum time" and the red faced, red hot will to win that poured from the touchline like lava to light a fire under his players. The end of an era.

27 years, 38 trophies and several completely different, completely dominant eras, Sir Alex Ferguson leaves behind a legacy that the statue outside Old Trafford only goes so far to explain. Since Ferguson took over in a time of footballing austerity in Manchester, looking longingly at their rivals at Merseyside celebrating title after title with winning team after winning team. When Alex took over, the score was 18-7 in favor of Liverpool.

1993 was the watershed moment, where 7 years of struggles and squad purging finally paid off and Ferguson could look to every member of his team knowing it was his. Then came the Cantona years, where all the vitriol, chaos and romance that football signifies was encapsulated by one upturned shirt collar.

1999 was the probably the most satisfying success of all; where the heroics of Roy Keane in Turin were matched by the magic of the Nou Camp two weeks later, and Peter Schmeichel got his perfect farewell while the best schoolboys in England stood together as the best team in Europe.

The turn of the 21st century came with it's own challenges; Wenger and Mourinho on the field, his health off it. Thoughts of retirement crept in as age began to wear, but the will to win remained, and United continued to roll on toward success after success.

2008 marked the 50th anniversary of the Busby Babes, and appropriately another European title for a team led by another significant #7. Cristiano Ronaldo's era at the forefront of United's greatest side under Ferguson(so says the man himself) is another paragraph in this, one of many tributes to a career that has been integral to history of a club, a community and a country.

Manchester United's successes paved the way for the progress of the Premier League, lost in the dark ages of a European reputation tarnished by tragedy. The continued success and eventual marketability of Manchester United ensured that the club became Manchester United the brand, and by definition - English football, the brand.

The deals with Nike, the memorable players and the continuous victories have become entrenched in a club's reputation so emphatically one struggles to think of a time without a successful, popular Manchester United. United changed football in England for the better, by being victorious. Alongside the thousands - no millions - of fans that will mourn the retirement of Britain's greatest manager, Rupert Murdoch should be weeping into a handkerchief.

27 years, hundreds of different players, dozens of different formations, shapes and surprises  but one constant: success. Football is weakened by the exit of a man who could choose his destiny in a sporting culture that often doesn't give it's a clients a choice.

When Ferguson took over the score was 18-7. He leaves with it at 18-20.

Sir Alex Ferguson. Bloody hell.

Top 5 Over Extended Film Franchises

"You're still here? Hey, I was going to say that!"

After of the release of the 5^th(!!!) Die Hard movie, where a near 60 year old Bruce Willis attempts to convince cinema goers that he is still capable of jumping out of windows and destroying crime syndicates despite the crows feet by his eyes, I have put together a list of the 5 most over-extended, overdone and we-wish-it-was-already-over film franchises. Ready? Here we go..

5) Die Hard

Saved by the fact the first two films were actually great, Die Hard began as Bruce Willis’s greatest success as an actor as he a played straight talking, cigarette smoking gunslinger that chased down terrorists and other easy-to-dislike bad guys. Then Die Hard 3 came out, then 4, and now we have 5. Bruce never dies. But we sort of wish he did.

4) Resident Evil

Virus spreads, Zombies run, it’s always behind you and Milla Jovovic always survives. Resident Evil started brilliantly – the first film grossed over $102m in the box office but the next four films soon became stagnant and boring. The story remained the same while the setting around it changed from abandoned lab to abandoned city to lab, to city. Even the sight of Jovovic’s nipples piercing through a poorly worn tank top became dull. Eventually.

3) Saw

The tediousness of the so called “torture porn” series where the justice obsessed “Jigsaw” abducts, ties up and gruesomely kills some morally bereft Americans is matched only by the gut wrenching nature of the poorly lit and over-CGI’d deaths that occupy 60% of the film. The fact that they killed off the killers character in the third instalment of the series has not stopped the producers creating a further three films, with a seventh in 3D, taking the disappointment to an entirely new medium. ‘I want to play a game..’ Again?!

2) Rocky

Montage, punching, montage, awful dialogue, montage, snapshot, Sly Stallone’s incessant mumblings and face like porridge. At first it was ok, when Mr T got involved it became like a circus act. Still speaking about the prospect of a Rocky VII like he’s not 66 and a visage that is slowly overtaking his mother’s for shock value, Rocky is the boxing film that we wished would’ve stayed down at the count.

1) Police Academy

Starting in 1984, featuring 7 films to date and the prospect of an 8^th, frighteningly embarrassing last grab at the cheap humour and age old slapstick jokes that made the prospect of the original sequel in 1985 seem like a pointless task, Police Academy is the ultimate in over-extended film franchises. Frankly, it’s amazing how it took them a year to put out the same film 7 times. Just do one each day and put us all out of our misery.

Life After Suarez? Philippe Coutinho Could Be the Answer for Liverpool and the “Project”

Small, fresh faced and agile, Philippe Coutinho received the ball near the touchline. The Brazilian shuffled in between two defenders, cut onto his right boot before releasing a 20 yard through ball that split the unaware Aston Villa defence for the onrushing Jordan Henderson to gratefully finish.

It was a moment of true quality, nearly followed by another as his South American counterpart Luis Suarez unleashed a similarly delightful pass for his new teammate minutes later, who was inches away from putting his own name on the score-sheet. It would’ve been his third goal in just six appearances since joining the Merseyside giants in January. 

After being left out of Inter’s plans since re-joining the Nerazzurri in summer, Coutinho has settled in wonderfully at Liverpool and could be the answer to the questions that would surface should the other South American star at Anfield choose to leave.

Although the comparisons between Brendan Rodger’s 22 -goal talisman and his Brazilian understudy are fairly moot at this point given the contract that brought Coutinho to England probably still has wet ink, there are definite similarities in the optimism both players have brought to a club that has been bereft of a long term plan for some years. Like Suarez has performed in a manner that has befitted the mythical “7” that emblazons the Uruguayan’s back, Coutinho is the first fresh faced, exciting player to don the number 10 shirt since a certain Michael Owen tortured defences at the turn of the century. The fact that the former Real Madrid poacher is due to retire in summer provides context to that statement. It’s been a long time.

Signed by Inter at the request of none other than Rafa Benitez, Coutinho was hailed as “the future” of the Italian giants by President Massimo Moratti at the attacker’s presentation, words that ring loud and uncomfortably in the ears of disillusioned Nerazzurri fans. Philippe was meant to be the generation after Mourinho’s treble winners yet like most decisions Rafael Benitez has made in his career ; they all seem to benefit Liverpool eventually.

A pawn in the chaos that followed The Special One’s exit from Italy, Coutinho was shipped out to Espanyol, where the benefit of consistent starts and the more forgiving climate of Spain allowed the Brazilian to develop, but upon his return to the peninsula, the 20 year old found himself once again far down the pecking order.

The move to Liverpool and being part of a team that values him as a key member has allowed the youngster to blossom, and with time take up the mantle of talisman – should its current owner choose to ply his trade elsewhere.

The rumours of Luis Suarez’s exit, while just that at the moment, are worth considering nonetheless.

At the age of 26, Suarez is in the form of his life and has between 4-5 years left at the very peak of his game, which just so happens to be the average length of a contract that accompanies a transfer.

Although the Uruguayan has committed himself to the “project” that Brendan Rodgers has got underway at Melwood and enjoys life in the North of England, professional ambition will always plays a large, if not definitive, part. Like all professional athletes, Suarez wants to win. League titles, cups, personal awards and most that holy grail of club football; the Champions League. If Luis thinks that there is more chance of that at Bayern Munich, Juventus or Real Madrid then unless emotion clouds the forward’s logic, he may well end up there this summer, or the next one. It’s not a given, but ambition supersedes loyalty 9 times out 10. Just ask Robin Van Persie.

Players at 26 don’t want to be part of a “project” unless it involves Jose’ Mourinho, Alex Ferguson or £250,000 a week. Unless success is almost guaranteed and guaranteed quickly by that ‘project’(Mourinho, Ferguson) or the right financial lubricant is in place – players will make judgements on moves based on how immediate victories can be. They want to be the final piece to a pre-established puzzle, not building blocks to a foundation that may or may not even get off the ground. Suarez is in a project, and sooner or later he’s going to want success. History remembers winning players; only fans remember loyal ones.

However, 20 year olds are interested in projects. They make sense in projects. Hell, their careers at this point can be viewed as projects – predictions of growth made from a combination of Youtube videos and FIFA games. Coutinho is aware that his best years are a couple of years away yet, and it therefore makes perfect sense to join a team that will peak at the same time he does.(However, in today’s game – that could mean Rodgers only has three years before his protégé begins knocking on his door asking for silverware or a raise.)

Either way – with Suarez or without him – Coutinho arguably has more value to the youth centred approach at Liverpool than his teammate, despite his older counterpart being almost the sole match winner at the Kop. Coutinho has ten years before Liverpool have to think about a replacement (assuming he stays that long, of course) while Suarez has four or five, all of which would be centred around a will he leave/won’t he leave scenario if Liverpool don’t deliver glory, a situation that has hung like a cloud over the respective clubs of Robin Van Persie, Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo in recent years(it’s also worth pointing out that in those three examples, they all left).

Coutinho is part of the project, part of a long term plan. Along with Raheem Sterling, Daniel Sturridge, Joe Allen and others – Liverpool are not a side built to win today. They are a side being  built to win tomorrow. If Luis Suarez isn’t prepared to wait, then Liverpool are not the club for him to be at.

A player of undeniable class and this writer’s pick for player of the season, Suarez’s exit would be a huge hole to fill for Liverpool, and a loss for English football as a whole. However, with Coutinho and the £25m+ Liverpool would inevitably receive to relinquish his services, the hole is smaller than it would be, and the success of the “project” - should he leave - would remain just as likely.