This pilgrimage of the metal hordes from across the world is this year rewarded with a fantastic first announcement.

Firstly we have the daddy, the grand beast of rock, the band that is seemingly synonymous with Donington, namely the one and only AC/DC.

Having one of THE definitive rock bands of the last 40 years headlining the first day is a coup of massive proportions. Anyone who caught a glimpse of their shows in 2009 knows just how amazing a performance we are due in June.

As if that massive coup wasn’t enough, also on that announcement was supergroup Them Crooked Vultures who lets not forget comprise a quarter of Led Zeppelin, a third of Nirvana and Josh Homme! They were truly astonishing live last year, rocking venues up and down the land with their dirty bluesy rock.

Last but by no means least come Stone Temple Pilots. This is amongst their first batch of European shows since reforming in 2008. Always a cult band, this represents a lot of their newer fans a first chance to see them live.

If Scott Weiland pulls out a performance like he is undoubtedly capable of, then this could be a highlight of the entire weekend, regardless of who else is yet to be announced.

This doesn’t even touch on the 6 other great acts announced (which include the mighty Deftones, Megadeth and Motorhead no less), so Download 2010 is in a healthy state already. Roll on the next announcement, and June 2010 with 110,000 metalheads rocking out to hopefully the best lineup in Donington history.

That’s not to say that she is in anyway conventional either, with her voice ranging from the deceptively soulful to full on growl.

So this is a welcome return to the live arena for one of Britain’s best live bands after eight long years away.

Wolverhampton is ready, the atmosphere is electric and Skunk Anansie, and Skin in particular, are back and ready to rip the place to shreds.

Thankfully they don’t disappoint, rushing through anthems from all 3 albums, and all the new songs from the recent greatest hits album.

Weak in particular is astonishing, with 5000 people screaming it at the tops of their voices and Skin climbing onto the balcony giving the seating crowd a view unrivalled anywhere in the venue.

After barely an hour the main set is through, but the energy expended by crowd and band in that time is far in excess of what you’d expect from such a short, but intense, set.

Unbelievably, the band has enough energy left to rip through not one, but two encores.

This is a great show, in a venue renowned for great shows, and Skunk Anansie are well and truly back in the kind of form they were always known for in their prime.

Summer festivals are going to be immense, with any band going to struggle to follow Skunk Anansie on form like this.

Nowadays they’ve evolved into a true modern stadium rock band, all spectacle and show and performance.

Their latest LP, 21st Century Breakdown, is a concept album, showcasing this older, more intelligent Green Day.

As such, the tour is suitably ambitious and epic, comprising a massive 2 ½ to 3 hour show.

It takes an hour before we’re reminded of any older Green Day, with Hitchin’ a Ride bringing about a huge singalong.

But from there on in, it’s hit after hit, through classics Basketcase and She and a nod to Birmingham’s musical heritage with a Sabbath cover.

While the music is great, Billie Joe is phenomenal. He just never stops for the entire performance, a truly great modern frontman.

The big issue is that a lot of his lines and a lot of the onstage activities are Green Day staples, and if you’ve seen them a few times you’ll recognise what’s coming next.

This is but a minor quibble though, and all the kids who are Green Day’s new generation of fans will have had an amazing musical experience. Green Day set the bar astronomically high and this is a fantastic show.

Entitled Chutzpah! this record still showcases their trademark hooks coupled with soaring choruses but a standard retread of what’s gone before this is not.

It seems the addition of former Amen bassist Scott Sorry has broadened their horizons and, coupled with the success of 2007′s self-titled effort, this has allowed them to explore a little away from the norm.

Whilst it still contains a few tracks that fit the stereotypical Wildhearts sound, particularly album opener “The Jackson Whites” and “You Are Proof That Not All Women Are Insane”, others differ adopting a wide range of styles, whilst still being unmistakably The Wildhearts.

It is to their credit that this mix of styles still flows well throughout the album. Who can forget the atrocity on the ears that was “Endless, Nameless” which might have represented a previous attempt to experiment?

Relative sobriety suits The Wildhearts, this record rocks, especially after a couple of listens to allow your ears to adjust.

The upcoming tour is going to be a lot of fun, and you can see anthems of old sitting happily alongside tracks from this great new LP.

So with the spirit of 2005 ringing firmly in their ears, England once again do battle in the final test of the 2009 Ashes series at The Brit Oval.

And so it comes down to this, 5 days, England must win. Australia need only to scrape a draw. A decider at the end of a special summer for test cricket.

After a dismal performance at Headingly, which allowed the Australians back into the series, England must improve in their attempt to win back the Ashes.

England miss Andrew Flintoff when he’s out of the team, as much for psychological reasons as his undoubted physical presence and talent.

The return of their talisman is a major boost in the build up to the decider and he must perform in what is his final test appearance for England.

Don’t doubt the Australians’ desire to win this series outright, rather than just draw it and retain, rather than re-win the Ashes.

Captain Ricky Ponting is already the first Australian captain to lose the Ashes in almost 20 years after 2005’s English triumph, and the first Australian captain to lose at Lords in over 75 years.

So what will happen? Will England have the firepower to take the 20 Australian wickets they crave? Or will Australia’s bowling attack rip apart England’s middle order as they so successfully did at Headingly?

All we know is the next five days of intense competition will enthral cricket fans the world over.

This is Leicester’s very own super-cool small festival, set amongst the gardens of the prestigious De Montfort Hall venue.

Comprising four distinct music areas, a comedy tent and a variety of stalls, this is a perfect introduction to some of the larger festivals, and the perfect escape for the veterans of those same larger festivals.

With acts such as Idlewild, The Lightning Seeds and Frank Turner, this is a small festival with big names.

First of all, it must be said that the site itself is lovely, all lush greenery and flowerbeds, but situated right on the edge of Leicester city centre.

The four stages are also nicely laid out, from the largest Outdoor stage, through the smaller Indoor stage which utilises the hall itself, to the relatively tiny Musician tent.

It should also be pointed out that there is a lot more to do besides the music, with crafts and green issues being high on the agenda.

In addition to all that there is an area new for this year: The Garden. This is situated in the front garden of the hall, and is described as an alcohol free chill out area which is styled in the manner of a giant Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. A great yet surreal addition to festival.

But it is the music that defines a festival, and Summer Sundae is no exception.

Ranging from the anthemic rock of Idlewild, the drum and bass meets rock and roll stylings of The Qemists to the ska-punk madness of Sonic Boom Six, this festival tries to represent a large variety of genres.

With reggae, Britpop and heavier rock acts also on show, they largely achieve their aim

And with warm sunshine for the large part of the weekend, the organisers must feel that this festival was a rousing success. Roll on the party to celebrate the tenth anniversary in 2010.

These range from the super technical prog-metal of Mastodon to the brutal Lamb of God, the industrial pioneers Nine Inch Nails and tonight’s heavyweight headliners Metallica.

More on those later, but first up on the main stages are Buckcherry whose brand of sleazy rock would surely have fitted better on yesterdays lighter lineup, and as such are a bit of a damp squib of a start to the day.

The same can’t be said of British legends Saxon who pull out a great set, showing that there is no match for experience, and frontman Biff Byford is an excellent live performer.

Other major highlights of this second day are the previously mentioned Mastodon and Lamb of God.

The former’s very complex yet melodic metal deserves a longer time slot, and perfect sound, neither of which is available to them here.

However the sheer quality of songs such as Crack the Skye and March of the Fire Ants means this is still an awesome set.

Lamb of God offer something very different to Mastodon, but something no less special. Theirs is a brutal brand of metal, drawing more from the Pantera and Sepultura school of metal than some other bands on this bill which is no bad thing.

Redneck in particular is simply stunning, heavy and yet still melodic, but crushing all who stand in their path.

And so we come to the worst kept secret of the whole summer, that the “Special Guests” are in fact Machine Head, who only a couple of weeks before had thrown their toys out the proverbial pram in protest of being billed below Limp Bizkit and quit the whole festival.

Luckily, metal fans seem to be a forgiving bunch (or would much rather watch Machine Head than Limp Bizkit anyway) and the crowd on the main stage is immense.

This just means that leaving their set early to get a good spot for Slipknot main man Corey Taylor in the Bohemia tent is a great option.

Corey is a festival highlight. Smart and funny and genuinely surprised that so many have turned out to see him, he’s a thoroughly likeable performer.

The inclusion of a couple of Stone Sour songs prompts a mass singalong from the entire crowd, and some frankly ridiculous dancing from Corey and his band.

There’s not a lot to be said about the next act Limp Bizkit that hasn’t been said already after their Download performance of a few weeks before.

The reminiscing aspect has gone with a second viewing, and whilst they have a couple of classic anthems, Fred Durst is still obnoxious as a front man.

The sooner they go away again the better. Machine Head had a point.

Now a band that are sadly going away are Nine Inch Nails. This is potentially there last ever show in Europe, and expectations are high.

Unfortunately, whilst this show is memorable, it is largely for the wrong reasons.

This set is lacking in all but two of their major anthems. No Head Like A Hole, Gave Up, March Of The Pigs or The Hand That Feeds are to be found.

Instead we get a set of largely subdued, introspective songs, ending in Hurt which leaves a large proportion of the crowd somewhat disappointed.

Which leaves it up to Metallica to blow the whole stage to pieces.

Metallica are just the perfect festival closers. Every song is an anthem, be it from their debut Kill ‘em All or their latest Death Magnetic LP.

From the pyrotechnics of One and the classic thrash of Master of Puppets to newer fare such as Cyanide this is just hit after hit, with the pace relenting only for a couple of solo segments from Kirk Hammett.

But it is the inclusion of the fan favourite Dyers Eve that really raised the bar for this set above all the other Metallica shows this year.

Of course the staples such as Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters and Seek and Destroy will always be there, but it is the odd rarity dropped in mid set that makes Metallica stand out.

A tremendous end to a great festival. All the doubts levelled at Sonisphere have been well and truly ended. Roll on 2010!

Metallica returned to the UK bringing their new venture Sonisphere to the grounds of Knebworth House.

This is the culmination of a six week tour across Europe under the Sonisphere name, with a wide variety of support acts tagging along for the ride.

First of all it must be said that Knebworth is just a lovely place to set a festival, regardless of its legendary status as a venue.

Secondly, the lineup assembled for the event matches that legendary status with headliners Linkin Park and Metallica, and quality acts from across the rock and metal spectrum offering able support to these rock heavyweights.

The layout with two stages staggered to provide constant musical entertainment throughout the day is excellent, and the arena is easily accessible from the campsites and car parks.

Finally the Bohemia area provides an escape from the main stages through the day, and after hours bands and entertainment when the headliners have finished.

So what of the most important part of a festival such as this? Those all important bands.

Highlights for the Saturday include an incendiary set from Skindred, the bizarre inclusion of Bjorn Again (and subsequent moshpit inducing rendition of ABBA’s Dancing Queen) and a set by Coheed & Cambria in the relatively tiny Bohemia Tent.

The headliners Linkin Park produced exactly the sort of performance you would expect: crisp, tight and supremely polished though sadly too heavily reliant on their latest album at the expense of more songs from their massively successful debut Hybrid Theory.

Having said that, their final song One Step Closer offers an undoubted festival highlight.

However, joint bands of the day have to be Australian rockers Airbourne and Britain’s very own The Wildhearts.

Airbourne might be accused of being nothing more than a poor AC/DC tribute, but on this showing they have a frontman to rival any other band going, and can outperform virtually anyone else on the bill.

Singer Joel O’Keeffe is a bundle of nervous energy, never stopping moving around his stage or off it including scaling the side of the stage to play one guitar solo in the pouring rain whilst hanging from the top of the speaker stack.

Definitely a must see when they return and if the second album is successful then expect them to be a lot further up the bill at festivals across Europe next time around.

The Wildhearts are on in the Bohemia tent as part of the after hours entertainment.

On the verge of releasing yet another studio album (their 9th), this is a triumphant show, proving that they are truly one of Britain’s greatest rock bands.

The addition of bassist Scott Sorry has just tightened them so much as a unit, and the new songs played are adventurous yet still rock just as much as you expect from a Wildhearts anthem.

Starting their set at about half past midnight, they are a perfect way to be ending an exhausting first day.

Download has come in for some criticism over recent years, with the relative disappointment of 2008’s choice of headliners, and their decision in 2007 to put one of the metal community’s least favourite bands in My Chemical Romance at the top of the bill.

2009 however was a return to form, coming as it did with 2 genuine legends in Faith No More and Def Leppard, and Slipknot who are headlining a UK festival for the first time.

This, combined with a total sell-out for only the second time, led to a huge sense of expectation in the lead up to the festival.

Whilst Donington is the spiritual home of rock and metal, this year also saw the emergence of a rival to Download’s crown in Sonisphere staged at the other great seat of rock in the UK, Knebworth House.

So with 80,000 hairy metalheads descending on Download and with an all new arena area to try out, the pressure was really on the organisers.

Thankfully, a few gripes aside, this weekend of rock and roll mayhem showed the young pretenders to its throne how it’s done, setting the bar high.

Whilst steady rain marred the Wednesday start to the festival, by the time the bulk of the campers arrived on Thursday, blue, clear skies were the order of the day, with much merriment to come in the sunshine over the coming weekend.

For Download is about more than just the killer lineup of bands old and new.  Perhaps more than any other festival in the UK barring Glastonbury, it is about the atmosphere of 80,000 music fans partying together.  The after hours entertainment in the Village area of the site includes fun fair, cinema, clubs, stalls and late night wrestling running until 4-5 in the morning every day.

So we come to the real start of the fun, Friday morning when the punters get their first views of the new arena area, set off to one side of the racetrack now the centre is a building site preparing Donington’s debut as host of the British F1 Grand Prix in 2010.

Initial impressions are that the site is just huge.  The new second stage area is a little tight compared with the actual size of the stage, but the arena in front of the all-important mainstage is looking perfect.  Gently sloping and absolutely massive, it’s a vast improvement on the stone ridden carpark that formed the mainstage arena in 2008.

All this side entertainment however is not the reason we’re here.  We want to rock out to any of the 100+ bands selected to play across four stages this year.

Unfortunately, first up on the Friday is Hollywood Undead.  Trying to be different with masks smacks of desperation.  You do realise Slipknot did that 10 years ago right guys?  Of course the image wouldn’t be an issue if the songs were any good but they are just stock rock riffs married with dull vocals and a lack of anything memorable.

The quality doesn’t take too much of a step up with Welsh punkers The Blackout up next.  They do however have a killer frontman who’s onstage energy is enjoyable even if the songs don’t quite have a killer edge.

Next up are former Nu-Metal favourites Staind, whose dreary rock does little to raise the excitement levels, although the anthem Outside does provide the first big singalong of the festival.

It is therefore up to Canadian rockers Billy Talent and their squeaky voiced frontman Ben Kowalewicz to rouse the crowds from their slumber in the gorgeous sunshine.

Thankfully their spiky punk rock sounds surprisingly heavy, and again Ben is blessed with tremendous onstage energy.  With songs such as Devil In A Midnight Mass, Fallen Leaves and Try Honesty they offer a much needed boost into the heavyweight acts following them.

Next band Killswitch Engage do tend to divide opinion, many worship the ground they walk on, elevating them to a genre defining pedestal alongside rock’s greats.  Others see it as an interesting guitar sound and some decent enough riffs, but nothing magical or inventive.

Their Download show, whilst more interesting than their 2007 appearance, still smacked of the latter.  However, a massive, passionate crowd suggests their numerous fans loved every second and continue to agree with the majority of rock media that here is a band capable of one day topping the bill at a festival such as this.

To end the day then we have two of the biggest Nu-Metal bands of the 90’s in the reformed Limp Bizkit and the legendary Korn, followed by one of the single most influential bands of the last 20 years, the similarly reformed Faith No More.

First up are Limp Bizkit playing their first UK show since getting back together.  As you’d expect, the set is peppered with 90’s metal anthems such as Rollin’, Nookie and Break Stuff.  However, after the initial nostalgia factor has worn off, you realise it is just a fat old man in a red cap rapping badly to stock riffs played by a madman in bodypaint.

For every Rollin’ where there’s 80,000 people dancing, doing all the right moves and generally loving it, there’s just a sense of it not being as fun as you remember.

Korn however show their old mates just how it’s done.  Cramming a set with heavy classics from across their 15 year career, through anthem Freak on a Leash, an incendiary Blind, and the always brutal Hear to Stay, their set is a masterclass in just how to rock Download to its core.  Finishing with a wonderfully dark cover of Pink Floyd classic Another Brick in the Wall, Jonathon Davies and his crew provide the first great set of the festival.

Following that would be difficult for most bands, but the return of Faith No More is no ordinary gig.  Mike Patton is rightly regarded as one of modern rock’s iconic heroes, a performer, madman and touched with a decent stroke of genius.

Resplendent in a three piece red suit, with a backdrop of red theatre style curtains he takes the stage together with his bandmates before launching into their lounge jazz version of Reunited and running through hit after hit over almost two hours.

When you have songs as good as The Real Thing and Epic you are going to be something special regardless.  With this being only their second show since reforming Download witnessed a great moment in its history.  A fantastic way to end the Friday festivities.

Saturday rolled on with some still nursing sore heads from a fantastic day before.  Whereas Friday was all about the 90’s reunions, and a healthy dose of Nu-Metal heroes, Saturday was about variety.

First act to be watched are Hardcore Superstar on the new second stage.  First off the new grassy area whilst still being open air is a vast improvement on last years tarmac covered carpark.

Meanwhile, Hardcore Superstar’s thrashy sleaze is a great way to get the small crowd going on a Saturday morning.  While not doing anything particularly inventive, they do what they do, and they do it well.

Young British band Serpico are another band that do just that.  It’s heavy, the riffs are great and the whole band has great presence which is translated into an enthusiastic reception in a packed 4^th stage tent.  One to watch for the future.

There are a number of truly legendary acts dotted around Saturday’s lineup but standouts include Down on the mainstage and former Soundgarden man Chris Cornell on the second stage.

Down bring their brand of super-heavy, groove ridden metal to the festival for the second time and their performance is one to remember.  The crushing riffs and Phil Anselemo’s distinctive vocals generate huge pits in front of the stage and you feel that the band enjoy this performance just as much as any of their rabid army of followers.

Chris Cornell has had his fair share of criticisms in recent months after his hip-hop flavoured new solo album split his fanbase right down the middle.  The question was, which Cornell would we see?  The old rocker responsible for such anthems as Spoonman, Cochise & Black Hole Sun? Or the new hip-hop loving guy?

Thankfully, although some new songs do make an appearance, the old rockstar himself is present today, transforming even the new songs into rockers and treating us to a classic set from across all his extensive back catalogue.

But today is all about the clash ending the day between UK dance noisemasters The Prodigy and US metal heavyweights Slipknot.  Both bands are in the live form of their lives at the moment, packing arenas all over the UK and utterly destroying all who are lucky enough to attend.

The decision is tough, but having been completely blown away by The Prodigy earlier in the year, The Prodigy are a must.

The Prodigy have got to do something special to reward punters missing what is undoubtedly going to also be a fantastic set on the main stage from Slipknot, and pull it out the bag they do.

This is a set largely comprised of cuts from their latest album, with the odd anthem such as Breathe, Firestarter or Voodoo People thrown in for good measure.

First thing you notice is just how loud it is, how tight the band are, and just how much sheer lunatic energy Keith Flint and Maxim have on stage.

The fact they can play a new track, Comanche, as the last song of their regular set, despite it not being on an album, and people still are dancing and moshing to it every bit as hard as they were for the anthems, shows just how good The Prodigy are as a live band.

It should also not be forgotten that Download is a rock & metal festival, and here is a dance band coming in and stealing the weekend.

Those who were there feel vindicated in their decision to miss Slipknot’s moment of glory – however good Slipknot were, they were not as good as that.

Sunday is going to have to go some way to top that, and the organisers have pulled out a day that comprises classic band after classic band, culminating in headliners Def Leppard.

Dubbed “Classic Rock Sunday”, this has all manner of older and newer acts pushing a more traditional hard rock sound.

These range from openers Stone Gods pushing a harder edged rock sound, through southern flavoured boogie courtesy of Black Stone Cherry to the prog-metal epics of Dream Theater.

All these and more provide a great basis for the truly classic, older acts at the top of the bill.

First of these four are Journey who unfortunately are uninteresting.  Apart from the two songs everyone knows, the set largely comprises dull, uninspiring ballads.  A disappointment.

Next up are ZZ Top.  Now these are no doubt a legendary band, but there brand of blues gets boring very quickly.

Clutch on the second stage are a much better option.  Tight and heavy, they put on a great performance.

With a choice between Buckcherry followed by the now glam Papa Roach on the second stage or Whitesnake on the main, this is a difficult clash for many of the legions of classic rock fans.

The sleazey rock of Buckcherry is not especially original, but frontman Josh Todd has been doing this a long time, and his band is tight.  The only downside is the lack of songs from their two early albums, with the set only including Lit Up from their debut.

Papa Roach have reinvented themselves in recent years.  Previously being massively successful with their brand of Nu-Metal that saw them score a UK top 3 hit with Last Resort, they have turned into a straight out glam rock band with the odd touch of their Nu-Metal past, largely in Jacoby Shaddix’s vocals.

Despite being beset by sound issues at the start of the set, they pull out a set full of both newer songs and their older anthems that is most enjoyable.

That just leaves a final set from today’s headliners Def Leppard.  This is an emotional return for the Sheffield band after 23 years away.  Their show at Monsters of Rock in 1986 was the first after the accident that caused their drummer to lose his arm.

Comprising a set full of singalong anthems, they’re a great way to end a great weekend of full on rocking in the sunshine at Donnington.

Every other festival in the calendar is going to have a very difficult time in taking Download’s crown at the top table of rock and roll events.

Black Clouds & Silver Linings is their latest epic, comprising equal parts heavy as hell and complex with others softer and graceful.

Their ear for melody is still intact, whilst the long, multi-part songs that are a staple of any Dream Theater album still dominate the album which culminates in the 19 minute epic of The Count of Tuscany.

However, their crown as Kings of this particular genre is under threat, largely due to the brilliance of Mastodon’s Crack the Skye masterpiece.

That epic has stolen Dream Theater’s mantle as the definitive prog-metal LP with its glorious, complex melodies, stunning guitar work and down right heaviness.

Black Clouds… is therefore an important point in Dream Theater’s lengthy career, have the young pretenders really challenged their place on the throne at the top of this genre?

This album might be largely similar to other Dream Theater LP’s, but when your back catalogue includes albums as strong as theirs that is not necessarily a bad thing.

Starting with one of the album’s heavier tracks in A Nightmare to Remember it progresses through complex and heavy guitar parts, keyboard flourishes and James LaBrie’s characteristic vocals.

Running to an epic 16 minutes in length, this first track defines Dream Theater in a nutshell, with the lengthy guitar solo parts and extended bridge segment being particularly impressive.

Following such an epic opening track would be difficult for most bands, but Dream Theater have been doing this for nigh on 25 years, and as such the following tracks keep up the excitement levels expected.

Second track A Right of Passage might be lighter than the first, and with a more hummable chorus part, but it rocks hard.

The signature riff will get metalheads everywhere banging their heads, and the solo is complex yet not guilty of flattering the guitarist’s ego.

Take note Dragonforce, complex and fast playing is one thing, doing it whilst not looking like you’re just showing off is another.

The album continues through another 4 tracks, each of epic tone and scale, showcasing Dream Theater’s range of styles, whilst still sounding cohesive as a record.

Wither is almost a power ballad and The Shattered Fortress being another of those multi-part epics with a riff to smash things to that Dream Theater do so well.

Finally we come to the aforementioned monster of an album closer, The Count of Tuscany.

This starts slowly, before building through riff after riff, into an epic, multi-faceted song that could be a mini-album on its own, including orchestral and acoustic parts, and is a perfect ending to this album.

The question however remains.    Is this enough to reclaim their place as the definitive prog-metal band?   Does it beat Mastodon’s masterpiece?

Sadly, this is too similar to previous Dream Theater works to really attain the giddy heights of Crack the Skye as a definitive metal album for the noughties.

That is in no way detracting from the fact that this album is excellent. In short, if you have the money, buy both this and Crack the Skye and you will have two amazing prog-metal albums. If not then choose Mastodon’s career and era defining masterpiece.