This intensity never waivers, with Sam Jones on keys/synth and Heck/Haggard Cat guitarist Matt Reynolds adding additional layers of sonic complexity and balanced aggression to an already accomplished and hard-hitting sequence of big riffs and note-bending melodies. McKeown introduces ‘Stay Down’ from 2021’s ‘Sleepless’ by telling the crowd “This one’s for the ageing hardcore kids – we’re right here with you,” and it’s doubtful there’s a soul in this venue that doesn’t believe him.

Palm Reader tread the line perfectly between the reckless abandon of hardcore fury and slower, Deftones-esque moments of atmospheric doom showcased brilliantly in ‘Inertia’ and closer ‘A Bird and Its Feathers’. This band have toiled for over a decade to hone and develop their sound into what it is today, and whilst McKeown’s chat to the crowd remains humble, the music speaks for itself, loudly and with an air of refinement that demonstrates the band’s ever-growing skill and dedication.

Tonight is the last date of the 20th Anniversary tour celebrating 2003 album ‘The Artist in the Ambulance’, and huge cheers erupt from the crowd as Thrice explode into opening track ‘Cold Cash and Colder Hearts’. Backlit by tubes of neon dotted around the stage, vocalist Dustin Kensrue utters only the words “We’re Thrice and this is The Artist in the Ambulance,” before steaming ahead into ‘Under a Killing Moon’. Judging by the age of the crowd assembled in London’s sold-out Forum, most in attendance have followed Thrice since the album’s release, and at times you can feel the angst seeping from every ageing pore in the venue. Fists are thrust into the air and by the time we reach fan favourite ‘Silhouette’, collective voices are pelting the lyrics back at the band from every level, faces contorted with impassioned emotion.

There’s always a risk with anniversary shows that a band might rely on nostalgia to support the tracks. This is not the case this evening, each emo-drenched post-hardcore track sounding as relevant now as it did during the genre’s heyday in the mid noughties. Musically, Thrice play every beat with pinpoint accuracy, balancing impeccable timing with emotive intensity and anthemic riffs. Brothers Eddie and Riley Breckenridge supply a sturdy backbone on bass and drums for the solid rhythms and deft picking of Kensrue and lead guitarist Teppei Teranishi.

The softer moments of the set are balanced with measured brutality on tracks like ‘Paper Tigers’ and ‘The Abolition of Man’, proving that Thrice can deliver the heavy material now with just as much ardent energy as they did twenty years ago. Thrice have maintained the same lineup since their inception, and they exhibit a synergy that can perhaps only exist after such a lengthy time together. There’s an unspoken cohesion to their performance, they’re tight without sounding predictable, confident without a shred of arrogance, steeped with emotion but always in control.

There’s barely a moment for everyone to catch their breath after the final track of the album, ‘Don’t Tell and We Won’t Ask’ before Kensrue announces “We’re gonna play some more tunes – this is a B side” and launches into ‘Motion isn’t Meaning’ to more rapturous applause and cheers of delight from the crowd. The second half of the set delivers a selection of tracks covering most of Thrice’s back catalogue, from 2002’s ‘Deadbolt’ to 2021’s ‘The Dreamer’ and a fair few in between. The delicate opening bars of penultimate track ‘Of Dust and Nations’ from 2005 release ‘Vheissu’ are met with a roar almost as huge as when the band first took to the stage, the chorus of fan voices once again accompanying Kensrue’s dulcet tones pouring out of the speakers.

It’s testament to Thrice’s enduring popularity that they captivate the audience until everyone in the room has belted out the very last note of ‘The Earth Will Shake’. If the first half of tonight’s show paid homage to the band’s sound at a specific point in time, the rest of the night celebrated their evolution and cemented their place as pioneers of the post-hardcore scene.

ELLIE ODURNY

Everything kicks off with the hazy and soft tones of ‘The Color Of The Sky’, with flickering synths and rich melodies walking hand in hand with one another as they kick-start the journey solemnly. Front man Dustin Kenrue is walking a journey of his own, detailing that direction in his lyrics with lines like, “Setting out across a new frontier / A new horizon with each eager step I take,” where you can really feel the longing in his stunning, gravelly vocals.

Everything that follows details every aspect of Kenrue’s internal search, exploring both the negative and positive sides of what he found. The colossal ‘Scavengers’ is bold and brash, marrying bleak imagery with colossal guitar and bass tones that both rattle your ribcage. ‘Summer Set Fire To Rain’ is just as loud but feels a little more upbeat, the drums punching at a steady tempo whilst the music erupts around them like fireworks. A similar display is woven into ‘The Dreamer’ too only a lot more colours, floating through an almost psychedelic landscape with vibrant chords and dream-like tones.

The softer side of this album is where it shines the brightest, and it’s because the sincerity is laid completely bare. The devastating musings of ‘Still Life’ touch on the difficulties often tied to letting go, every guitar string plucked with pain as Kenrue utters the words, “The way is closed now, and I can’t go home.” The rich piano sounds buried within ‘Northern Lights’ create a more prog-rock vibe when married with the bright guitar licks and tasteful drum work, serving up a beautifully timed change of pace.

The closing number is arguably the most special that’s on display, bringing the journey to an end in the most impactful and grand way. When listening to ‘Unitive / East’ you can almost picture Kenrue gazing up at the night sky, pitch black and full of twinkling stars, really trying to see beyond them as he wholeheartedly asks, “Is there a me without you?” It’s a really stirring final moment, elegantly closing the curtain on a truly wonderful record.

Lyrically, this is the most candid Thrice have ever been, Kenrue questioning his own beliefs and looking for the answers outside of the band’s boundaries. From examining his own faith to humanity itself, the record is full of doubt, uncertainty, pain, hope, resilience and so much more, and it makes for a really warm and compassionate listen. It somehow manages to both sound desolate and full; not at the same time of course, but to be able to traverse both realms so effortlessly isn’t an easy feat.

That desire to constantly push their boundaries has always created stunning results, but the textures with which they’ve flooded this record have made the listening experience really intense. The way they build suspense only to strip it away, the way they develop soundscapes from an isolated idea into a limitless chasm, the way they toy with instrumentation to convey just as much power the words; it’s like a collection of short stories, and you’ll fall in love with them all. A truly stark and honest record that extends its hand out to anyone listening, and before you know it you’ll find yourself reaching back to grab it.

DAVE STEWART

Brexit hasn’t happened, of course, and as the UK braces for a general election of inflammatory rhetoric, the demonisation of the working class and vacuous statements like “leave means leave” and “the people voted for no-deal”, it seems only appropriate we listen to a “bunch of Swedish guys in skinny jeans talk about politics”. It feels incredibly cathartic to see so many in attendance nodding along to Dennis Lyxzen’s impassioned speech on how capitalism is the great evil in our society. The Refused front man takes a moment in their ferocious support set to ask us “what type of world we want to live in?”, stating that “we live in a world stacked against us”. Lyxzen’s words gain a reception usually reserved for revolutionary rallies as people begin to ponder why, indeed, does the world has so many billionaires. “Capitalism needs to be be destroyed, my friends,” Lyxzen continues, “take down the one per cent”. If there was ever a band to cause a revolution, it would be Refused.

One of the most important bands to ever grace to punk music deliver a masterclass in music to soundtrack an uprising. There are enormous live versions of new tracks ‘REV001’ and the visceral ‘I Wanna Watch The World Burn’, and throwbacks to their seminal 1994 ‘The Shape of Punk To Come’ record with ‘The Deadly Rhythm’ and ‘Worms of the Senses / Faculties of the Skull’. Lyxzen is an encapsulating performer delivering guttural wilhelm screams, throwing out high kicks and gliding across the stage with all the grace of a snake-hipped ballerina. The natural end point is the iconic ‘New Noise’, ending with Refused giving a bow and a final revolutionary salute.

While a performance of this ilk would leave many headline acts trailing in the wake, this is Thrice we’re talking about. Royalty of the post-hardcore genre and a band synonymous with the emo genre of the early noughties, they match the intensity of Refused’s swagger with a melodic, hit-laden set.

They begin, however, with the gentle opening of ‘Only Us’ as Dustin Kensrue’s signature vocals soar over the venue. The ensuing 70 or so minutes is an annotated tour through the band’s extensive back catalogue. There are rapturous receptions for the emo-era classics of ‘Silhouette’ and ‘The Artist in the Ambulance’, which Kensrue summons the growling howls.

Thrice lean on their more recent material with ‘Black Honey’ and ‘Beyond The Pines’ capping a celebration of one of post-hardcore’s more underrated bands. And on a day where our social and economic futures were meant to be put into jeopardy, a celebration of these two bands is something we’d much prefer to be doing on Halloween.

TOM WALSH 

Kensrue intended for ‘Palms’ to represent a sense of openness, a willingness to accept everything and everyone. In a world of closed hands and fists, where bigotry is encouraged and celebrated, the mere concept of being open with fellow human beings can seem a lost fantasy.

‘Palms’ sees Thrice pick up where they left off in 2016’s politically driven ‘To Be Everywhere Is To Be Nowhere’ as it looks at the increasingly diverse nature of the world we live. While there is an underlying raging anger, ‘Palms’ sets a more healing tone, as the band cross the whole spectrum of their sound from the past 20 years.

Thrice are yearning for a better understanding of the world portrayed in the opener ‘Only Us’. Led in by trembling strings, Kensrue’s signature rasping vocal tones carry with them a sense of foreboding as he talks about a ‘them’ against ‘us’ mentality. It is a bold start to a record that holds up a mirror to the cracks we are seeing in our society.

Lead single ‘The Grey’ thrashes into the frenetic post-hardcore sound that had us falling in love with Thrice during ‘The Artist and the Ambulance’ era of the early-2000s. It is a raw, riff-laden track with Kensrue airing his frustrations at the seeming void we are placed into through a perceived rigged social system.

This underlying mood flows through ‘The Dark’ and culminates in the gloriously intense ‘A Branch in the River’. The pair put you in the mind of Kensrue as he lay awake looking at the crevices of his own palm and wondered how a world that could be open and diverse has become a close minded expanse of walls and fences.

Despite the sense of powerlessness at changing a situation which courses through ‘Palms’, there are tender moments providing hope. The delicate ‘Everything Belongs’ is a subtle piano-led track with a lilting string section where Kensrue speaks of a world where we come together and things click into place.

Thrice bring ‘Palms’ to a close with the heartstring-tugging ‘Beyond The Pines’. This carefully composed track speaks of something better, something we can all dream of and is inspired by 13th century poet Rumi’s ‘The Great Wagon’. The line “out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing/there is a field. I’ll meet you there” succinctly portrays the atmosphere of ‘Palms’ – despite the obstacles, we can make it through the darkness.

Through ‘Palms’ Thrice have delivered another powerful record that offers a light of hope in an otherwise dark world, and all from staring at the contours of their hand.

TOM WALSH

Opening proceedings are Brutus, a three piece band featuring a singing drummer who sits whilst performing. Hailing from Belgium, they’ve come a long way from being a Refused tribute act. They’ve managed to nail down the morphing of low-fi ambient sounds to monstrous breakdown sections. In Stefanie Mannaerts, they’ve got a true star in the making. Their set is one shrouded in darkness, with barely any crowd interaction, but they leave a last impression on the room.

Thrice fans are immediately noticeable as a diehard set of people – you can see it in the amount of Thrice merchandise around. There are hardly any casual fans in the Ballroom tonight, and that makes for an incredible atmosphere. Kicking off their ninety minute set with ‘Hurricane’ and ending with a massive ‘The Earth Will Shake’, every single word is shouted back at the band like the crowd are at an end of the world party. At times, they even drown out Dustin Kensrue. ‘Hurricane’ fades out into the familiar grunge riff of ‘Silhouette’ and receives another huge roar from the crowd.

After the electric start, Thrice begin to reel off the best songs in their back catalogue, whilst mixing them in with their latest album cuts, and even new single ‘The Grey’. ‘The Grey’ sounds immediate and full of big ambitions on its live debut and looks set to be a mainstay in their set for years to come.

Having now signed with Epitaph, the band play with such vigour that they could be a band in their infancy. The older material has a bigger crunch on it, notably on ‘Silhouette’ and ‘Stare At The Sun’, whilst ‘Blood on the Sand’ and ‘Black Honey’ sound as colossal as they should. The main set closes with the triple hit of ‘Yellow Belly’ into ‘Firebreather’, before ‘The Long Defeat’ brings the 17-song marathon to an end.

Returning a few minutes after everyone’s been able to catch their breath, they launch into an encore with their signature song. ‘The Artist in the Ambulance’ still sounds fresh and innovative in 2018, and considering it’s been around for 15 years, this is quite a feat. It garners one of the loudest of the loud reactions of the night. ‘Deadbolt’ follows before morphing into ‘The Earth Will Shake’ to bring the night to an close.

The Electric Ballroom has seen a number of legendary shows over the years, but few will have played better than Thrice. The question now is what next? Their mammoth 20-song set proves they should be touring Academy-sized venues regularly. If there is any justice in the world, this show will be the last time they’re in the confines of a club venue. They might be the alternative scene’s best kept secret, but they deserve to be one of the heavy hitters in the rock world. Hopefully, their signing with Epitaph will make this a reality.

The Punktastic team headed up to the Donnington Castle site to check it out.

Images: Penny Bennett, Words: Mark Johnson [MJ] / Chris Lee [CL]

Those willing to get up early on day three and trek over to the third stage are rewarded with a superb wake-up performance courtesy of Dream State. The post hardcore crew put on a fantastic show at Slam Dunk a couple of weeks ago and look completely unfazed by the upgrade to Download’s expansive Avalanche tent. The band’s latest EP ‘Recovery’ is an indicator of what they’re capable of, but they really come alive on the stage, injecting huge amounts of energy to go with their flawless execution. Charlotte Gilpin projects her vocals with power and precision, leading the band through a faultless performance that shows the potential lurking within this quintet. Expect big things from Dream State in the future. [MJ]

Sunday sees one of the most unique sounds to be heard across the whole weekend is Ecca Vandal who’s rip roaring yet beautiful vocals take centre stage to a back drop of various genres from an almost pop vibe all the way through to the sharp riffs of ‘Battle Royal’. It’s a welcome change of pace and a delight to behold as the colourful Vandal takes the Download crowd in her stride and on this viewing it’s easy to see why she’s supported bands such as Incubus and Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes. [CL]

The sun penetrates the clouds and bathes the Download arena in bright light as preparations get under way for Cradle of Filth’s Main Stage performance. As they enter the stage, the hot daytime sun is hardly the setting you’d associate with the extreme metal veterans, but while their face paint and stage costumes might look out of place, there’s no doubting their musical prowess. Drummer Martin Škaroupka plays with phenomenal precision despite the speed of the material, while guitarists Richard Shaw and Marek Šmerda make their technically rich playing seem like child’s play while they whip their hair into whirlwinds and crunch their vertebrae with non-stop head banging. Dani Filth puts his full range on show, using all his years of experience to switch from low growls to ear piercing squeals. It’s great to see so many genres of the alternative world on display at Download and who better to champion extreme metal than Cradle of Filth? [MJ]

With standards so high at the Avalanche Stage over the weekend, Puppy’s somewhat pedestrian set leaves a smile, but nothing too memorable. Whenever the trio break into a meaty riff, heads start to bob and feet begin to move, but these moments don’t come often enough and with the band not doing much to stir the crowd, the reception is more tepid than it could’ve been. The have good songs and they execute them well, so with better management of a festival crowd, they could go down well in future. [MJ]

Manchester duo The Hyena Kill might be playing the smallest stage at this years Download festival but for a two piece they manage to produce one of the biggest sounds heard all weekend. You could even close your eyes and we’re sure you’d imagine there’s at least 4 or 5 people up on that stage. Their brand of complex, groovy riffs and huge drum beats have a way of wandering over a multitude of genres from alt rock to metalcore like a musical story. These guys are well on their way to becoming the new White Stripes, and then some. [CL]

Ice T brings his band Body Count to the UK for only the second time in 12 years. And they absolutely lay waste to the Zippo Encore Stage. Tracks like ‘Talk Shit, Get Shot’ cause a god damn riot in the crowd causing multiple circle pits that at one point merge into the biggest pit we saw all weekend. Ice T’s ferocity up front is matched by the bands tightness behind him. The riffs, the drums, the bass are all perfect and provide one of the most technically brilliant sets of the festival. [CL]

Thrice have the unenviable job of following Body Count and after such a riotous, fist in the air performance before them, their set falls a little flat at first. Standing somewhat motionless and leading with the mid-tempo ‘Hurricane’, Thrice don’t start with a bang, but fortunately they’ve amassed an arsenal of great songs since their inception in 1998 and when they call upon old favourite ‘The Artist in the Ambulance’ it ignites some passion and gets things moving. The band finally warm up enough to let loose with closing track ‘The Earth Will Shake’ which ends the set on a high. Their execution is as tight as ever, but for a festival crowd, it lacks the energy needed to leave a lasting impression. [MJ]

Sunday was full of brilliant acts across all the festival’s stages but we headed back over to the Avalanche stage to catch former Reuben frontman Jamie Lenman make the boldest statement we heard all weekend. “Now I know there’s been a lot of heavy music played this weekend but I genuinely think we’re about to play the heaviest song of the weekend” Lenman proclaims. Luckily for him he delivers with a rendition of ‘Personal’ that obliterates most of the songs heard over the weekend but maybe not all, just! [CL]

Mesuggah bring Viking power to the Zippo Stage; the Swedish, iconic tech metal giants blast the speakers to smithereens with their low tuned, heavy riffs. The pioneers of djent lay down 40 minutes of pure groove, making even idle passers-by stop to nod their heads. As this legendary band expertly and precisely carve their way through a neck crunching set, it’s clear why they’re still held in such high regard. “We haven’t been to Download since 2005, when we were younger and fitter” proclaims vocalist Jens Kidman, however this performance defies any claim that they’re past their best. No other band has managed to sound as heavy on this stage, no matter how many years younger they may be, thanks to their unbelievably low and heavy signature sound and its perfectly audible tone. [MJ]

When Alexisonfire announced their hiatus back in 2011, we feared occasions like this would never happen again. It’s still not clear what the status of the band really is, with no word of any new material being created and shows such as this still being rather sporadic, but no matter: Alexisonfire are here and they mean business. From the moment they leap into opener ‘Young Cardinals’, waves of nostalgia hit hard and we’re reminded of the myriad reasons we love this Canadian quintet. From the impeccable voice of Dallas Green, to the swagger of Wade MacNeil and George Petit, right down to the dance moves of bassist Chris Steele, it’s a pleasure to see the band back on stage together and as they churn out wave after wave of timeless songs, it’s easily one of the highlights of the day. ‘This Could Be Anywhere In The World’ gets arguably the biggest singalong of the weekend, until closing track ‘Accidents’ kicks in and the crowd eagerly takes their last opportunity to participate with the band before they leave. During the performance, the band make no mention of any new material, however this reception will remind them of their fans’ continual, unwavering support. As the band say themselves “we are not the kids we used to be”; maybe not, but they’re still one of the best in the business. [MJ]

The penultimate act on the famous main stage lands in the form of the iconic dark prince of goth Marilyn Manson, drawing in a huge crowd full of anticipation. However this time around he has the unfortunate title of being by far the most disappointing act of the whole weekend. His vocals are off key, his stage presence is next to nothing and between disappearing off stage sporadically, the hits he does play are sung louder by his fans than they are by the man himself. It’s almost painful to watch in places and is at best a million miles from Manson’s best and trust us, that’s hard to write. [CL]

Canadian punk heroes Rise Against return the Zippo Encore stage at Download for the second in 3 years and prove that their message is more relevant now than it ever has been. This band have always used their platform to promote togetherness and this set was no different. In between the perfect riffs and choruses that induce lung bursting sing-a-longs Rise Against make sure that we are all comfortable in being true to ourselves while we all have the best time. And more importantly we are all together both as fans of heavy music but also as human beings. [CL]

Swedish rockers The Hives are the last band to hit any of the festival’s stages before Ozzy brings down the curtain on another year and as usual they don’t disappoint. They may not be the heaviest band on the line up, far from it in fact. But with tracks as catchy as ‘Tick Tick Boom’ and ‘Hate to Say I Told You So’ those that have decided to come down to the Avalanche Stage are treated to an hour of pure fun. As frontman Pelle Almqvist conducts one of the best performances seen all weekend, and proves just why The Hives have been an institution for over 20 years. [CL]

Ozzy Osbourne has a long standing history with Donington Park. Back in the ‘80s at Monsters of Rock he performed several times with Black Sabbath and his solo project and even had his very own Ozzfest at the site in the early 2000s. Though he’s played centre stage at Download with Black Sabbath before, Ozzy has never headlined the festival with his solo project; until now. The set opens with a nostalgic video that tells a brief history of Ozzy’s musical triumphs, which provides a touching reminder of the influence he’s had on British alternative music through the years. As the legend himself makes his way onto the stage, it’s obvious that his movement isn’t what it used to be, but surprisingly his voice is as powerful and clear as it’s ever been. Big hitters ‘Bark at the Moon’ and ‘Mr Crowley’ get the crowd on side early and the choice Black Sabbath cuts of ‘Fairies Wear Boots’, ‘War Pigs’ and ‘Paranoid’ get the singalongs in full swing. Friday saw Sysynster gates throwing down his guitar skills and Saturday had the iconinc Slash, but Zakk Wylde may just have outplayed them all this evening, his flawless tone and execution making the entire set sound superb. Wylde quietly and unceremoniously goes about his business, smashing out riff after riff and alongside Mr Osborne, they make a formidable pairing. You can argue that it’s time for the old guard to stand aside and allow younger acts to take their place, but when they’re still putting in performances like this, and keeping the crowd entertained for hours on end, what’s the rush? [MJ]

You can check out the new song here: