Download 2019: Tech That! And Party.

It could be argued that last year saw the first real presence of Tech-Metal crossing the threshold of Castle Donington, with the likes of Tesseract and Plini the first instrumentalist to appear at Download festival, plus not forgetting Sleep Token.

So this year that trend is continuing with some significance and here are my 5 top tech tips for Download 2019.

 

• At 5 – Toska

Formed 2015 by three musicians who set out to write music without boundaries, Toska have been making huge waves in progressive and muso circles since their inception. Together they bring an impressive range of skill, experience and knowledge to create music that’s both intellectually stimulating, but also highly accessible.
Taking influence from a huge span of music including Karnivool, SikTh, Hans Zimmer, Thomas Newmann and Gustav Holst, Toska use vast dynamics and obscure chord voicing to convey a very emotional and cinematic tonality. The band released their debut album Fire By The Silos at the end of 2018.

Download Sunday 16:00 The Dogtooth Stage

 

• At 4 – Intervals

Since 2011, Aaron Marshall / Intervals has been Canada’s premier ambassador of progressive, instrumental guitar music. From 2012’s innovative staple EP In Time through to 2015’s widely-lauded The Shape of Colour, Marshall has consistently been the voice of instrumental, guitar driven rock/metal from the north. The latest offering The Way Forward (2017) represents the natural evolution of Aaron’s sound, effortlessly melding high energy riff driven rock, with lush, ethereal soundscapes, whilst consistently driving home memorable, thought provoking hooks.

Download Saturday – 17:35 The Dogtooth Stage 

 

• At 3 –  The Hu

A band from Mongolia that blends the screaming guitars of heavy metal and traditional Mongolian guttural singing, what’s mre tech than that? OK I know but still….. Their first two videos (“Yuve Yuve Yu” and “Wolf Totem”) immediately went viral garnering the band over 18 million views.  The HU combines Rock Music with traditional Mongolian instrumentation like the Morin Khuur (horsehead fiddle), Tovshuur (Mongolian guitar), Tumur Khuur (jaw harp), guttural throating singing and the bombastic bass and drums of rock.  All four members have earned Bachelor’s or higher degrees in music and have several years of touring experience throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim.

Download Saturday – 16:35 The Dogtooth Stage

 

• At 2 – Animals As Leaders

The instrumental virtuoso trio make their Download debut, following on from their huge ten year anniversary tour of the US. Guitarist Tosin Abasi is considered one of the finest guitarists in world and recently was part of the Generation Axe tour with Steve Vai, Nuno Bettencourt, Yngwie Malmsteen and Zakk Wylde.

Download Saturday – 13:50 Zippo Encore Stage

 

• At 1 – Heart Of A Coward

These leviathans of heaviness are definitely tech! Intrepid British metal quintet HEART OF A COWARD are firmly back and have kicked off a UK tour ahead of theIr appearance at Download 2019. With the brand new single ‘Ritual’ from the new album ‘The Disconnect’, available on June 7th, via Arising Empire. These heavy as hell tech metal monsters are my top tech tip for Download 2019! Don’t miss them.

Download Sunday – 14:00 The Avalanche Stage