THE YEAR THAT… METAL BOUNCED BACK
It’s baaaaack…! Society might be opening and closing like screen doors in a hurricane, but live music made a triumphant return in 2021 as clubs, venues and even festivals got back in business. In the UK, it all began on May 26 with the surprise announcement that Download festival would be hosting a pilot event in mid June, with 10,000 lucky fans invited back to Donington Park to mosh in the rain.
It was an emotional reunion, as fans who had tested negative for COVID removed their masks and the overwhelming doom of the pandemic abated. Liverpool nu metal revivalists Death Blooms had the prestigious honour of playing the first full-capacity set without restrictions since the pandemic began, kickstarting a weekend of incredible highs that included career-highlight sets from While She Sleeps and Skindred, and the minting of first-time Download headliners Bullet For My Valentine.
The event helped pave the way for the a reminder of how it felt to sing until your voice gives out, and stand shoulder to shoulder with strangers as you watch the music you love come to life in a way no high-quality audio file or streaming service can ever replicate. In turn, it reminded us that metal isn’t just a music genre – it’s a community.
