Vol. 139
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Full Pelt Magazine
Tag: Lake Malice
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Download Festival
Donington Park
12-14 June 2026
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DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL 2026 REVIEW
The last few years has seen Download Festival undertake something of a soft reset with fans dubbing this new era of the Donington Park event Download 2.0. Post-pandemic the festival simply hasn’t looked back and continues to go from strength to strength.
This year the event is sold out. Something which longtime attendees won’t have experienced often. That does mean that the arena is rammed and again those old school rockers find everything takes a little longer. That said, compared to some other festivals, it never feels dangerous or unsafe.
It’s corny but the Download Family makes this the occasion that it is. These past few years have seen high percentages of first-time attendees and with rock back in fashion, the future of heavy music appears to be healthy.
FRIDAY
Those that enter the arena early on Friday have Scene Queen getting the weekend started on the main stage. An act that in the darker days of rock gatekeeping would’ve been bottled off stage, instead is given a great reception as her bimbo-core brand brings colour to the world and typifies this new Download.
Of course, like all festivals, clashes are inevitable and again this year there are four music stages to pick from. In the biggest change to the arena layout in a decade the Avalanche Stage now occupies part of the campervan field, creating a whole new area. This works well as a standalone space and alleviates some of the pressure caused by the hyper-attendance.
For us we stay on the main stage for a nostalgic sing-along with P.O.D as the packed crowd sings back the likes of ‘Boom’, ‘Youth of the Nation’ and ‘Alive’. Then we catch great little sets from James and the Cold Gun in the Dogtooth, Paleface Swiss at the Opus Stage and Lakeview in the Avalanche tent as we catch our bearings again.
Organisers have done well to open up space and make the most of the arena, which continues to fill up as the day goes on. There are the usual food stalls with some returning favourites and festival standards. Queue wise despite the crowds (barring some really popular options), things aren’t too bad.
The festival is now in full-swing and the sheer scale of the crowd becomes clear as we arrive at the main (Apex) stage for Pendulum. With a bigger crowd then some past headliners have got the band deliver a textbook performance that elicits delirious scenes. The highlight being an appearance by Rou Reynolds (Enter Shikari) on their cover of ‘Sorry, You’re Not a Winner’.
The great thing that Download has always done is intermix iconic acts and new bands and we catch the always joyous Lake Malice next who celebrate announcing their debut album with a full-throttle performance.
The buzz around Electric Callboy continues to mount and if we are judging band by crowd participation and volume then again this is a band in the headliner conversation. Time will tell if the novelty ever wears off but seeing a crowd full of metalheads living their best lives to the first of two airings for ‘RATATATA’ is a joy to behold.
We are split three-ways on the clash front next with Cypress Hill, Halestorm and Feeder taking to the bigger stages. We plump for Halestorm on Opus (plus a bonus side of Story of the Year in the Avalanche) and whilst we don’t know what we’ve missed elsewhere; Lzzy and co deliver a stunning audition for future headliners. Again, seeing the smiles on faces as they breakout their cover of Lady Gaga’s ‘Bad Romance’, sums up the festival this year and backs up our decision.
Day one is all about Limp Bizkit though. The band who were meant to headline the first ever Download only to pull out finally take that top spot some twenty-three years later. The main stage is simply a party as the band show that they belong in this slot. After an emergency causes a delay, the band reprise ‘Break Stuff’ and day one is an enormous success.
SATURDAY
There’s an emotional return to Donington Park for The Wildhearts to kick off Saturday with Ginger receiving a hero’s welcome and blowing away any cobwebs from the night before.
One thing that has crept in in recent years is shorter sets. Back in the day thirty minutes was the minimum, but Tropic Gold are able to make the most of their twenty minutes in the Dogtooth tent. This allows us time though to catch South Arcade on the main stage who deliver one of the most engaging sets of the weekend.
We then head to Opus to catch Drowning Pool, however due to a change in schedule are greeted by As Everything Unfolds. Despite the genre and fanbase differential, the band capitalise on the larger stage and do a great job in winning over some confused old rockers!
Two bands that we were incredibly excited for in advance are back-to-back next in the Avalanche tent. Die Spitz and Mouth Culture both deliver punchy sets but it’s Mouth Culture who enter the conversation for set of the weekend. From the moment they arrive with ‘Ratbag’, the band had the audience in the palm of their hands. We’ve said it before, but this band deserve to be massive.
The weather this year was a hot topic in advance with the forecast very difficult to predict. The rains that greeted campers on Wednesday and Thursday however thankfully subsided and the three main days are graced with a deceptive amount of sun (based upon the number of red necks on display).
Many would’ve predicted heavy rain during BABYMETAL due to their previous main stage appearances seeing two of the worst weather events in the history of Download. This year (though winds are high), the rain stays away. This finally gives the band that uninterrupted opportunity to showcase their unique performance and judging by the amount of people singing back ‘Gimme Chocolate!!’, their set is a winner.
We are at the tail end of the day now and this is when people typically begin flagging a bit. What better way to stay alert then a textbook Trivium face-melting set. Stepping up to sub-headliners with ease (despite the wind cutting back their bells and whistles), the band make a clear and undeniable statement that it’s their destiny to headline this event in the future.
Next, we sneak in a cheeky Hot Milk performance in the Avalanche as the band deliver a trademark emotive set to a crowd eager for some energy. That may be because, closing the day is a now standard three-hour slog with Guns N Roses.
No longer the most dangerous band in the world, instead the most dad-rock band in the world. It’s a technically sound performance which includes all of the hits that you’d want to hear and some great deeper cut choices too. Would a shorter more chaotic set be more fun? Maybe. But the third coming of Guns N Roses still provides amazing bang for your buck.
SUNDAY
Opening the main stage on Sunday when the majority of the crowd is hungover and warn out is a treacherous spot. unpeople though are a band that can knock any challenge out of the park and by the end of their set everyone is on board the hype train.
Whilst the food queues have coped well this weekend, the same can’t be said for the bars and merch stands with both at times looking horrendous. Even on Sunday morning the merch stalls are still too much for some to bother, instead we checkout Catch Your Breath and Mammoth on the Opus stage who both go down well as we gather energy for what’s to come.
The story of RØRY is truly remarkable and is inspiring in so many different ways. Clearly her slot on the main stage is a big moment for her and her fans. The performance is captivating and ‘BLOSSOM’ was made for stages like this!
We are then back in the Avalanche tent for The Pretty Wild and TX2 who keep the trend going of not catching a bad performance so far. What is frustrating however is the increasing propensity of groups setting up their own mini areas of chairs and blankets. Chairs have always been controversial at Download and within reason we feel the choice should remain. However full camps being set-up in the centre of tents is potentially dangerous.
The Pretty Reckless are next on the Apex and deliver a slow burning performance that in many ways is sublime however is arguable too slowly paced for the big slot they are in. Fitting only eight tracks into a fifty-minute set feels a little like a wasted opportunity to showcase their fantastic back catalogue to a big crowd. The energy displayed at the top of the hill for a secret set from Skindred drawing even more attention to this fact.
Speaking of headline size crowds, Ice Nine Kills draw a massive crowd to the main stage, however instead we are back in the Avalanche tent for two of our favourites. First up, Dinosaur Pile-Up who may just capture that set of the weekend with an incredibly fun slot and then the ever-majestic Ash who’s own warm reception again shows the mindset of the event is much different to their last appearance in 2008.
It’s then time for the final run-in. Bad Omens make the mother of all Download debuts in the sub-headline slot and deliver a performance that leaves little doubt that when they return they will top the bill.
A Day To Remember then headline Opus and show their versatility again. Wherever you book them, they will deliver one of the most fun sets of the festival. They may feel further away from the top spot then a few years back, but you can’t ever envisage a time when they won’t deliver the goods.
Finally, it’s down to the reunited Linkin Park to closeout the entire weekend. With a monstrous crowd, and all the hype in the world, the band hit the stage with ‘The Emptiness Machine’ and don’t look back.
It’s worth noting that somehow Emily Armstrong is the first female headliner ever at Download. A massive moment, albeit many years too late and not without its own controversies. With so many amazing women in rock, we prey that it won’t be long before we see a truly organic headliner.
After a more ambient mid-set, the final run-in for Linkin Park is insane. ‘What I’ve Done’, ‘Numb’, ‘Heavy Is The Crown’, ‘Bleed It Out’, ‘Papercut’, ‘In The End’ and ‘Faint’ is one hell of a way to close out Download 2026.
With Linkin Park 2.0 and Download 2.0 showing us that with a mixture of nostalgia and new favourites, you can achieve wonderful results, we simply can’t wait to get back to Donington Park in 2027!
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Full Pelt Magazine
Vol. 107
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Slam Dunk Festival
Hatfield Park
Saturday 24th May 2025
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SLAM DUNK SOUTH – FESTIVAL REVIEW
Next year Slam Dunk Festival will celebrate 20 years of existence. A milestone for an event which started out as a small one-dayer in Leeds. Over those years the event has grown exponentially and taken over campuses, spawned into a multi North, South (and for awhile even Midlands) event and now takes place within two large parks in their spiritual homes of Leeds and Hatfield.
It’s the Hertfordshire version that we head to this cloudy May Bank Holiday Weekend for what has become the traditional opening ceremony for another stacked festival season.
Walking into Hatfield Park and again thinking about the growth of the event is unavoidable. For years A Day To Remember have been touted as the perfect headliner for the festival but always seemed out of reach. Their positioning at the top of the bill this year is itself therefore something of a milestone.
As however we consider the impact of this booking and the potential further growth of this beloved gathering, we turn our attention to another dynamic which has been so vital to building the Slam Dunk brand – championing new music.
EARLY AFTERNOON DELIGHTS
Yes, on a line-up dominated by big American acts, some of the most exciting bookings are the young homegrown acts spotlighted earlier on in the day. The first of which that we head for is Lake Malice who make the absolute most of their time on stage. Visually the band come across as stars with backing dancing adding to the big stage feel. It’s musically though that makes the crowd let go of any early morning inhibitions and get the party started.
Next, we head over to one of the two main outdoor stages where we catch the always emotive Dream State who attract a fairly sizeable crowd for the time of day. The lack of actual sunshine today does little to dent fans determination to enjoy themselves and watching the audience let loose, clearly the empowering sing-alongs of Dream State help!
Over the past handful of years Slam Dunk has suffered a few issues with poor layouts, overcrowding, sustenance options and traffic management just some of the problems that they have endured. This year thankfully everything is running pretty smoothly with no major obvious gripes.
One issue that becomes apparent is that the Key Club Stage is running late and messing with people’s schedules. This can be massively frustrating for avid music lovers but for us it enables us to catch Kid Bookie and Greywind who were initially caught up in some of those infamous Slam Dunk clashes.
Kid Bookie, despite some technical challenges, is his usual defiant and captivating self as he blasts out a number of tracks from ‘Songs for the Living // Songs for the Dead’ – one of our favourite albums of 2024. Greywind meanwhile showcase their fantastic recent singles such as ‘I.K.A.M.F.’ and ‘Acid Rain’ both of which sound huge in the tent.
A COMPETITION FOR SET OF THE DAY
Perhaps the new band that we were most excited to see today though was Winona Fighter and they certainly didn’t disappoint! Despite an abridged set due to the running time issues in the small tent, the band are phenomenal, and their blistering set says that they are very much going to be breakout stars in the coming years.
It’s soon enough time for our first dose of nostalgia today and that comes over in the bigger tent with The Ataris who have fans cramming in. A set focusing on their early material does wonders and the sing-along to ‘The Boys of Summer’ is one of the loudest of the day.
Before we spend the evening in the company of the bigger hitters however, we still have time to catch a short run of notable newer acts with Rain City Drive and Free Throw both impressive.
It’s Mouth Culture however that completely own the Key Club Stage and deliver a performance to rival Winona Fighter for the set of the day. Again, if this show is anything to go by then Mouth Culture are going to be gigantic. The likes of ‘Sharkbait’ and ‘No Shame’ get the audience engaged but it’s the finale of ‘Ratbag’ which leaves you wondering how anybody can top them today!
It’s another turn towards the nostalgic now as we head back to Main Stage East where Finch serenade a passionate audience with classics like ‘Letters To You’ and ‘What It Is To Burn’.
AN EVENING OF FESTIVAL FAVOURITES
A quick march over to Main Stage West for the first time today follows and the pop punk goodness that has been the backbone of Slam Dunk Festival is delivered with aplomb by New Found Glory and Neck Deep. These two acts typify the mix of big US acts and homegrown talent that has been the bread and butter of these stages for nearly 20 years.
Each of these two performances are exactly what they need to be and provide an enjoyable evening as the clouds grow and the temperature starts to drop. We are able to catch a short glimpse of Alkaline Trio next who have the big tent singing every word of ‘Stupid Kid’ as we return amongst the hordes leaving Electric Callboy to find a spot for our headline act.
The crowd present for A Day To Remember is likely the largest the festival has ever seen, and the band instantly have them onside as they smash out ‘The Downfall of Us All’ and ‘I’m Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of?’.
The pace never really relents despite the inclusion of a number of new tracks from their latest album, ‘Big Ole Album Vol. 1’. Despite their recent lacklustre outputs, the band can still deliver the goods live and on a day like this their whole set feels like a celebration of the scene which Slam Dunk has helped build.
As the band finish their performance and the fans make their way back home, everyone will undoubtedly look back on a great day out. The rain stayed away, the festival flowed well, and the bands all delivered. Another festival season is underway and whilst there is plenty to look forward to still, attention for Slam Dunk now will turn to delivering a monstrous 20th Anniversary edition in 2026!
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Full Pelt Magazine
Vol. 75
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Full Pelt Magazine
Vol. 53
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Full Pelt Magazine
Vol. 27
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The latest issue of the Full Pelt Magazine is here, and you can download your copy for free below!
Volume 27 features our cover stars 2000trees as unveil their stunning 2024 line-up! We also catch last week’s cover stars Lake Malice live in Norwich and review the new album from Grace Petrie!
Our News Report has all the latest music news including live announcements from Garbage, The Black Keys, BERRIES, Another Sky, Seasick Steve, Himalayas, Editors, Dream Wife, Oakman, InMe, Indoor Pets, Twin Atlantic, Crushed By Waves, Future Static, Brighten the Corners, Y Not Festival, Make A Scene and RADAR Festival!
Plus all the best new releases including Creeper, Seasick Steve, Delilah Bon, Like Moths To Flames, Pillow Queens, FM, Smash Into Pieces, The Pearl Harts, Twin Atlantic, Saxon, Robert Jon & The Wreck, The Commoners, Jinjer, Hockey Dad, Slash, Marisa and the Moths and Dream Wife!
Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist including Young Fatigue, QUEEN LAYA and LOVELOST!
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Lake Malice
Waterfront Studio, Norwich
Saturday 9th March 2024
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LAKE MALICE – NORWICH – LIVE REVIEW
📸 (C) Denis Gorbatov / Full Pelt Music
There isn’t many new bands currently with a similar level of buzz as Lake Malice. Impressive support shows and memorable festival slots have already won them a dedicated fan base and their debut EP won even more plaudits including winning our own ‘EP of the Year’ Award last year!
The band are presently in the midst of their debut headline tour and tonight that finds them at the Waterfront Studio in Norwich and there aren’t many tickets left. Once inside the venue you get a true sense of the anticipation with fans filling the front to save their spot, and soon those fans are greeted by local openers Omega Bad.
OMEGA BAD
Despite some good old fashioned technical difficulties the band leave it all out on the stage and deliver a compelling opening set. With moments of ferocity and finery diligently dispersed, there is plenty to enjoy during their time on stage and it’s very apparent that the crowd agrees.
Thecityisours
The opening third of this tour features TheCityIsOurs in the main support slot and there are clearly a few of their own fans in the audience this evening. The band have been chucking out some outrageously good new tunes recently and again expectation is high.
Sadly those gremlins that toyed with Omega Bad take things to another level and almost completely sabotage TheCityIsOurs. With only one song down, it reaches a point whereby all resign themselves to a missed opportunity. What transpires though is something special with guitarist Mikey Page serenading the fans with toned-down versions of songs which the crowd truly appreciate.
Thankfully the group are able to remove the gremlins in time to quickly deliver a handful of all-out rippers to finish their set and show the packed crowd what they should expect next time around. The band deserve credit for persevering and those in attendance will surely be waiting patiently for their return.
LAKE MALICE
Doors were early tonight and with an early finish due to a club night, time is running short. It doesn’t take long for our headliners to hit the stage and thankfully Lake Malice avoid any of the issues which plagued our opening acts.
If you were to put money on an act to breakout in the heavy world over the next year or so, you’d expect a lot of smart money to be put on Lake Malice. As we’ve touched on they’ve already done the legwork required to establish themselves as a must see act and now that message is being spread far and wide.
Tonight, they explode on to the stage with ‘Black Turbine’ and ‘Bloodbath’ showing their ungodly energy and whipping the audience into a frenzy. That level of intensity doesn’t drop at any point with even the two new tracks in the set going off big time.
That debut EP ‘Post-Genesis’ has shown what the group can achieve but as the evening progresses you can’t help but contemplate that this is only the beginning! Indeed, the future of the band feels huge and that future is going to be built on the foundations of their incredible live shows.
With just that one EP and a handful of standalone singles in their arsenal the set is relatively short, but at this unrelenting pace you’d probably need an oxygen tank to keep up with the band. The finale of ‘Stop the Party’ and ‘Blossom’ ends the evening in fierce and passionate fashion and word of these shows is surely bound to spread.
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Full Pelt Magazine
Vol. 26
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The latest issue of the Full Pelt Magazine is here, and you can download your copy for free below!
Volume 26 features our cover stars Lake Malice as they prepare for their debut headline tour! We also review new albums from Yard Act, Bruce Dickinson, Kaiser Chiefs, Noah and the Loners and Liam Gallagher & John Squire!
Our News Report has all the latest music news including live announcements from Paul Weller, Electric Six, Blood Red Shoes, Black Water County, SOiL, Journey, Blackout Problems, Gen and the Degenerates, Latitude Festival, British Summer Time, Bearded Theory, Tramlines, Cro Cro Land and Attitude Festival!
Plus all the best new releases including Bob Vylan, Twenty One Pilots, Hell Is For Heroes, Oakman, Another Sky, Kid Kapichi, Unpeople, LostAlone, VENUES, One Step Closer, Accept, Chris Shiflett, Kelly Jones, Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties, Black Country Communion, halflives, The Zutons, Troy Redfern, Fangclub, James, The K’s, Ho99o9, PJ Harvey and CLT DRP!
Finally, we round up the latest additions to our ‘Discover’ New Music Playlist including Hunter Oliveri, ANIIMALIA and Gamblers!
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2023 Full Pelt Awards
Have your say!
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The 2023 Full Pelt Awards are here and you can have your say from our shortlists below!
Votes here will be tallied with those on Social Media, plus weighted votes from our Full Pelt staff with the winners all revealed in a special Magazine on New Year’s Day!
Our 2023 Album of the Year will be revealed on our Social Media on Christmas Day! Let us know your favourite album of the year in the comments and be sure to follow us across social media to be the first to see who wins our award!
