From Chaos To Catharsis: Sleep Token Silence The Doubters As Day Two Of Download Festival XXII Delivers Big Moments And Bigger Emotion

We’re back for Day 2 of Download Festival XXII. Would today live up to the great start we had yesterday? Let’s see…

Dogtooth Stage

Lastelle

With many festival goers still nursing hangovers, the 11am slot is a hard sell. However, I and the others that made our way into the Dogtooth tent nice and early were treated to the perfect wake-up call. The post-hardcore outfit only has twenty minutes to impress, but they do so with their latest single, Bitter Seeds. Announcing a UK tour for this September, we suggest you catch them before they explode.

Zetra

For a duo, Zetra manage to make such a fulfilling sound. The eerie harmonies feel almost dreamlike. They have the appearance of a Black Metal band but are more Type O Negative crossed with the Pet Shop Boys. Their set isn’t nearly long enough and as So finishes it off we are left wanting much more.

Cradle Of Filth

You know what to expect at a Cradle Of Filth show. One of the most iconic frontmen in British metal, Dani Filth, delivers his trademark growls and high-pitched screams to new material (White Hellebore) and favourites like Her Ghost In The Fog. What we didn’t expect to see was romance in the air, as Dani takes the opportunity halfway through the set to propose to long-time girlfriend Sofiya Belousova. Of course, she said yes! Congratulations from everyone here at Rockshot Magazine!

Avalanche Stage

LØLØ

Describing herself as “the least metal artist at the festival”, lolo’s angst-laden bouncy pop melodies are a welcome change of pace. After having her heart broken by an elder emo (not guilty!) most of her tracks like u turn me on (but u give me depression) relate with the largely female crowd.

Smash Into Pieces

One of the hottest bands in Scandinavia turned the heat up in the tent even more with their pyro, and their heavy yet radio-friendly style appeals to many. They are eight albums into their career but last year’s Ghost Code managed to find a new audience, which is no surprise with the massive sounding Heroes Are Calling and Six Feet Under.

Twin Atlantic

Whenever a Scottish band plays live, you can bet your life that many of their countrymen make up a large percentage of the crowd. Scotland shirts and flags dominate the tent as Glasgow’s finest treat us to a set of festival ready anthems. They battle some technical hiccups but everyone is in fine voice for Free and Heart And Soul.

Opus Stage

Sophie Lloyd

I have to feel for Sophie Lloyd a little bit. A massive crowd has gathered here at the Opus Stage, and it’s on the strength of a rumour of a secret act opening up the day. The crowd is so large that they make an announcement that no such set will happen and that Sophie will be the first act performing here today.

Those who did leave will kick themselves, as they miss a great set. Finding fame by posting guitar covers on YouTube, where she has amassed over 1.2 million subscribers, she’s also part of Machine Gun Kelly’s live band.

To accompany her awesome shredding ability, she enlists the help of Marisa Rodriguez (Marina And The Moths) on Won’t You Come, whilst Nathan James (Inglorious) joins her for Let It Hurt, Fall Of Man and Do Or Die. The highlight is a storming instrumental cover of Metallica’s Enter Sandman.

Awolnation

The Los Angeles rockers have big songs like Run and Burn It Down, but it’s their gigantic hit Sail – 890 million Spotify streams and counting – that steals the show.

Eagles Of Death Metal

Jesse Hughes and co treat us to a set of their kick-ass rock and roll sound, with a couple of covers (Duran Duran’s Save A Prayer and David Bowie’s Moonage Daydream) and a healthy amount of crowd interaction.

Sex Pistols featuring Frank Carter

I never thought I would see punk legends The Sex Pistols (Paul Cook, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock) take to the stage at Download Festival! But a headline slot here on the Opus is a riot, and fittingly, full of anarchy. Frank Carter is no stranger to Donington – his band …and The Rattlesnakes have played here many times, including headlining the pilot event post-covid – and his wild-style breathes fresh life into these iconic songs. Bravely heading into the crowd – particularly after famously having his neck chain stolen here doing the same thing last year – he causes havoc by opening a large circle pit. Perhaps, as he acknowledges, not the wisest thing to do when the first showers of rain have hit us. This causes bodies to fall during Pretty Vacant, and it’s restarted twice to ensure the safety of everyone. God Save The Queen and Anarchy In The UK ring out loud and proud that allows a whole new generation of fans to hear these songs played with the justice they deserve.

Apex Stage

Palaye Royale

Singer Remington Leath and co bring their modern day glam-rock to the main stage. Appealing to the younger generation – in particular the girls! – it’s sleazy, theatrical and polished all in equal measures.

Shinedown

With all the talk of promoting new headliners, I got the feeling Shinedown are treating this as an audition for the next band to be promoted. An unreal amount of pyro lights and heats up the stage and they draw one of the biggest crowds of the weekend. From the pounding tracks like Cut The Chord, Monsters and Devil, they are also just as adept and taking it down a notch on the emotional If Only You Knew and A Symptom Of Being Human. Taking the chance to address the audience in between every song, frontman Brent Smith delivers a number of impassioned messages, particularly before Three Six Five. Asking us to remember those we have lost, it reduces a number of people around me to tears. An emotional rollercoaster and one we may see top the main stage next time they are here.

Sleep Token

Whenever a festival lineup drops, online reaction is usually mixed. “Why is this band headlining? Why isn’t it XYZ? Should this band even be at this festival?” are common responses to virtually any announcement. But it’s fair to say Sleep Token has been the most controversial headline booking in Download history.

Let’s dive into the argument. Are Sleep Token metal? Not strictly. But is Download still a metal festival? Also, not strictly. Maybe this is the perfect example of where Download is at in 2025.

Gone are the days of three legacy headliners, which draw a crowd of older generation, double-denim-clad rockers. I say that with the utmost respect – as someone who loves bands such as Iron Maiden, Guns N’ Roses and Metallica. The festival is evolving, its clientele is changing, and new bands must be elevated to headline status for the festival to survive and stay relevant. Considered the biggest risk in its history, the pressure is certainly on the “anonymous” masked London outfit to deliver.

Throughout the day it was obvious how many people were here to see them. People decked head to toe in their merch, temporary and permanent tattoos, and band-inspired masks and outfits are absolutely everywhere. Whilst the demographic leaned towards the younger generation, it wasn’t as heavily in favour of them as I expected. In fact, I didn’t really know what to expect. Having only recently started listening to them in preparation for this weekend, my interest was peaked but I hadn’t quite got *it* yet.

So as I make my way as far towards the front as possible, I do so with great intrigue. An almost unnerving noise of wind whistling is blaring out of the speakers before Look To Windward eventually starts. A hiccup with the curtain covering the elaborate stage setup is fixed just in time as it eventually clears as the heavy drop of the song kicks in. That is the only hiccup of the set as Sleep Token don’t miss a beat.

The stage production is huge. A castle with a waterfall houses the band (Vessel – vocals and II – drums are the only official members. III (bass), IV (guitar) and backing singers known as Espera are live touring members.) pink confetti trickles down and a dazzling array of lights bathe the stage.

Opening with heavier tracks The Offering and Vore feels like a middle finger to the critics that say they’re not metal enough. Emergence is probably the best example of how many genres they push the boundaries of. The enigmatic frontman Vessel opens the song on piano, before coming out on the platform into the crowd to rap the verses whilst the breakdown is as brutal as any band that has topped this stage before them, and ends with a saxophone outro. A wild journey to be taken on during one song.

A large mosh pit opens right in front of me, and I try to keep one eye on that and one eye on the stage. Not just for my own safety, but mirroring the band, it wasn’t your typical pit. People are dancing, throwing shapes – and a phrase I probably shouldn’t be using as I’m pushing forty but – it was a vibe. The pit is always a place for the most hardcore fans but these guys looked at one with the music, completely engrossed in this true spectacle.

The stunning waterfall behind Vessel is the perfect backdrop to Rain, whilst the funkiness of Caramel is one of the more singalong moments of the set. Both tracks express feelings of vulnerability that so many people connect with. Vessel may hide behind a mask, but there’s no hiding his feelings of frustration. Pacing around, he looks and sounds agitated and at times distressed as he spits the verses of Caramel. With references to his real identity being posted online, this is a peak behind the mask, a deeply personal track about his struggles with fame and mental health.

He doesn’t say a word in-between songs yet he captivates the audience in a way I have rarely seen before. It’s hard to take your eyes off him. He certainly has the attention of many of the females in the audience. Perhaps I should start going out wearing a mask!

Their softer side comes out more in the latter half of the set, with The Love You Want, Higher and Damocles. Take Me Back To Eden brings the night to a close. This was a phenomenal performance that has elevated them to new heights. Point proven.

Review of Saturday at Download Festival XXII by Will Maxwell. Photography by Simon Reed. Sleep Token images by Adamross Williams.

Punk, Pop, and Pyro: Day One Of Download Festival XXII Ignites Donington Park