The road to Download 2017 has begun, with the festival announcing its first batch of bands that will take to the stage at the hallowed turf of Donington Park next year, including all three Main Stage headliners. Aerosmith, Biffy Clyro and System of a Down will top the bill over …

Well, who saw this coming? On Wednesday last week the general consensus was that Orange County behemoths Avenged Sevenfold were releasing their seventh album Voltaic Oceans on 9th December this year, with new single ‘The Stage’ being one of the tracks on it; an Instagram picture by WWE star and Fozzy frontman …

The nights are drawing in, the temperature is dropping and somewhere in an animated world a gothic city is preparing to sing ‘This is Halloween’ all over again. Curiously, this is the first show at the Fleece in a good number of months where the audience are queuing round the …

Sometimes it can’t be helped – bands just have an off day. If someone tells you they’ve never played a bad show in their life then they’re lying on a level akin to politicians. At times the performance is sloppy and disjointed, at others it boils down to outside influences like a …

It might seem like a paradox, but it’s just as likely for a band to evolve their sound over time as it is for them to stick to their guns. Both have their merits – AC/DC are the surefire answer when you think of a group who have never strayed …

In an alternate universe somewhere, Tesseract are one of the biggest rock bands on the planet. The quintet from Milton Keynes have trailblazed through their career with their odd time signatures, mid-range distortion and polyrhythmic riffs, releasing three superb albums along the way. Somewhat stifled by an ever changing frontline, …

Sometimes, all you want in life is a loud, bouncy rock album to relax to on a Sunday afternoon. Well, you’re in luck; British-born RavenEye have provided just that. NOVA, out on Friday 23rd, is the full-length debut from a band that have already directly supported The Darkness, Halestorm and Slash …

Twenty years after they formed, Skillet show no signs of slowing down. The Christian rockers might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but the fact that they are still performing to adoring fans and packed venues across the world speaks volumes about their staying power and legacy. On August 5th, the …

Battered, muddy, tired and weary, but the Download faithful are still up and about for the final day early. And guess what? Despite not being forecast until the evening, the rain starts before the bands. Joy of joys. That said, there’s a little group on the Dogtooth stage called The …

After yesterday, the sight of no rain and straw on the arena floor is much welcomed, and it’s definitely a more optimistic punter that takes their place in front of the Lemmy Stage. It certainly buoys Avatar (8) as well, who are going from strength to strength with every performance …

I spoke to Olavi from Amon Amarth at Download this year about new album Jomsviking, the upcoming tour with Testament and Grand Magus and taking the audience off to Valhalla mid-set…    

I was lucky enough to speak to all four members of The Franklys after their set at Download Festival this year, talking about how they came together, plans for the debut album and why it’s not okay to like ABBA, apparently…  

I spoke to Sally Ann and Chris from Buck & Evans at Download Festival this year discussing their upcoming album, their incredible rise to fame and where their distinct sound actually comes from…    

I spoke to John from Monster Truck at this year’s Download Festival, discussing their set earlier on in the day, supporting Nickelback in the autumn and what their biggest influence is…    

I spoke to Halestorm’s Josh Smith at Download Festival this year about their experiences during the Rock am Ring storms, how they keep on going and who the best fans in the world are…  

I had a chat with Dan Jacobs following Atreyu’s set at Download Festival this year about the comeback, why the three year hiatus was needed and whether it gets old having a drummer on lead vocals….  

I got to speak to Oli and Aaron from RavenEye at Download Festival this year about their set on Friday, current affairs within the band and who has treated them the best on tour…    

I had a chat with Tony Foresta from Municipal Waste about returning to the UK, why their songs are always so short and THAT Donald Trump-inspired t-shirt…    

I spoke to Aryn and John from Scorpion Child at Download Festival this year about new album Acid Roulette, plans for the rest of the year and how their set on the Encore Stage went earlier that day. Presumably in the rain…    

I spoke to Mike Miley from Rival Sons at Download Festival this year about new album Hollow Bones, what they did when Rock Am Ring got cancelled and why they love playing at Donington so much…