The Metal Messiah Download Festival Top Picks:

• Municipal Waste

There’s no party like a Municipal Waste party. If you want a band to get drunk, head bang and mosh to then Municipal Waste are the band for you. Their lightning speed riffs and killer solos will get you wrecking your necks in no time and after witnessing the intense crowd surfing during their set at Bloodstock a few years ago, they are definitely a band worth watching.

Municipal Waste are playing the Dogtooth Stage on Sunday 14th of June.

• Alien Weaponry

This young band keep going from strength to strength with every festival they play. Alien Weaponry’s mix of Thrash metal with the sounds of their native New Zealand heritage breaths new life into the heavy metal scene. Don’t be surprised if this band are festival headliners in the future.

Alien Weaponry are playing Download’s main stage on Saturday 13th of June.

• Power Trip

Power Trip proves that Thrash doesn’t always need to be fast to be heavy as the Texas natives rip out their awesome style of crossover Thrash metal. For fans of Nuclear Assault and Stormtroopers Of Death.

Power Trip are playing Download’s main stage on Saturday 13th of June.

• Anthrax

Anthrax have been thrashing for the last 30 plus years and time has not slowed them down. Even with the array of young guns on this list, Anthrax can still show why they are considered one of the best thrash bands on all time. Get ready to lose your voice while screaming along to classics like “Caught In A Mosh”, “Anti-Social” and “I Am The Law”.

Anthrax are playing Download’s Zippo Stage on Sunday 14th of June.

• Slayer

I can admit that Slayer has been a bit hit and miss over the last few years when it comes to their live festival performances but the reason why I have put Slayer on this list is that this their last UK performance and it’s SLAAAAAAYYYYERRRRR!

One of the Kings of Thrash Metal, Slayer has the lineage that makes them worth checking out and you will soon be banging your heads and jumping into that circle pit as “Angel Of Death” hits the set.

Slayer are headlining Download’s Zippo Stage on Sunday 14th of June.