METAL HAMMER have begun loading their reviews of the past weekends activities at the Download Festival so we thought we would bring you a summary of what the guys there have been posting.

First off, the site reviews the main stage performances of 36 CRAZYFISTS KILLSWITCH ENGAGE on the Friday, proclaiming 36 Crazyfists a band who “…like Macine Head before them are no-nonsense metal band whose day will come not because of haircuts or pretty boys, but because of undeniable excellence in heavy fucking metal: a world beating live show…and some of the best music in the game.” Killswitch Engage are hailed as “…one of the biggest, best and most loved bands to emerge in the last ten years play to tens of thousands of people who know all the words to their songs and need no goading to dance, cheer or throw their fists in the air.” Read the full review HERE

ATREYU are next up with a review of Saturday’s main stage set and according to Metal Hammer, “…each member seems to have become superhuman versions of themselves…Atreyu have so many massive tunes to choose from that the set never loses pace; nor the attention of the crowd. An absolutely storming show from a band who play all too little in the UK. Come back, I think I love you…!” Their full review can be read HERE

Sunday see’s the Metal Hammer treatment reserved for SLASH, with compliments a-plenty for both the man himself and his front-man of choice Myles Kennedy, declaring the set one of the “…highlights of the weekend. Tracks from the Slash album were perfect with Kennedy who conjured up perfectly the haunting melodies of ‘Ghost’ (sung on the album by Ian Astbury), and Myles’ own collaborations were simply glorious – a clearly massive proportion of the audience au fait with the recent release…As well as Slash future classics, the band gifted Download with covers (are they technically covers if Slash wrote them?) of Guns N’ Roses classics, including the lesser-played ‘Rocket Queen’. Myles is no Axl, and thank fuck. With a smile the size of an actual cat, he stalks the stage, points, grins and wails. Even Axl’s signature ‘Sweet Child O Mine’ doesn’t miss him, the song dripping with guitar work so distinctly Slash.” Click HERE for the full review.

In addition to the reviews already posted, Metal Hammer also documented the moment STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor dedicated the track ‘Bother’ to the recently departed Paul Gray, looking to the sky before dedicating the song simply to ‘my friend’… HERE.