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Sonisphere Festival 2010 (Saturday) - Day 2 @ Knebworth, Hertfordshire |
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Sonisphere Festival
Day 2 - Saturday
01.08.2010
@
Knebworth, Hertfordshire
United Kingdom
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Swedish trad metal favourites Enforcer open up Saturday in the Bohemia tent with a generally solid show that is blighted somewhat by a muddy sound mix, but with widdle-tastic numbers like ‘On The Loose’ to throw out, you could find far worse ways to clear up a hangover. Sabaton not only share a country with Enforcer, but a knack for gung ho heroism that borders on the ridiculous (or sublime, depending on your viewpoint). The power metallers are gaining fans at a frightening speed in the UK, and the size of the Saturn stage crowd that turns up to see ‘Primo Victoria’, ‘Ghost Division’, ‘Coat Of Arms’ et al is impressive to say the least. Sabaton themselves also suffer from a dodgy mix, but no one seems to care; this is stupidly cheesy fun.
Soon after, Lacuna Coil remind everyone that’s trekked over to the Apollo stage that no matter how talented Cristina Scabbia may be, it can’t change the fact that Andrea Ferro is one of the worst singers in metal. Seriously, it’s like listening to a gremlin having an asthma attack. Alternatively, hearing Max Cavalera is like listening to a bullfrog on fire, and Soulfly put in another sturdy showing that manages to squeeze in some new material and the inevitable Sepultura covers. Anthrax attract another huge Apollo crowd after last year’s set, and even if the third coming of Joey Belladona left many adopting the face palm position, he still has the panache to pull off classic numbers ‘Madhouse’ and ‘I Am The Law’, and although his voice isn’t fit to recite the alphabet compared to that of Dio’s, a brief cover of ‘Heaven and Hell’ is a touching sentiment all the same.
Fear Factory’s London show earlier this year was a triumphant return for a band who have taken everyone by surprise with this year’s stunning ‘Mechanize’ release, so it’s a shame to find that their spot on the Saturn stage isn’t quite as convincing. The band are tighter than ever and the likes of ‘Martyr’ and ‘Powershifter’ sound immense, but Burton C. Bell often struggles with the clean notes today, and the result is a slightly mixed if well-received affair. There’s just enough time to catch the tail end of Katatonia’s sumptuously melancholic set in the Bohemia tent, before Audrey Horne bring the rock to the Jägermeister stage soon after. This year’s self-titled effort has emerged as one of 2010’s very best hard rock albums, and today is yet another argument in their favour for bigger things to come.
Both Skunk Anansie and Placebo manage to entertain without proving to be truly mindblowing, with the latter adding some slick production touches to a crowd-pleasing Apollo stage set. Skunk Anansie have an impressive backdrop of their own, and Skin remains as enigmatic and hugely likeable a frontwoman as ever, giving landmark tunes ‘Charlie Big Potato’ and ‘Little Baby Swastikkka’ some added oomph. It all makes Mötley Crüe look even more like knackered out fatties, with Vince Neil managing to be completely out of breath about twenty seconds into set opener ‘Kickstart My Heart’. The LA legends were hugely entertaining at Download last year, so it’s a shame to see a loyal crowd having to make up for such poorly-delivered versions of ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ and ‘Shout At The Devil’. It’s all about as sexy and dangerous as a turkey in a beige cardigan.
Luckily, Rammstein are on hand to kick the holy shit of the Apollo stage with what has to be one of the most bombastic headline shows to ever reach these shores. It’s impossible to list everything that’s blown up and set on fire in a few words, but a giant penis cannon complete with foam sperm, a dingy ride over the crowd and seeing the sound desk itself explode in flames are just a few highlights. The inclusion of ‘Amerika’ would have added a final element of ridiculousness to make tonight perfect, but ‘Sonne’ and ‘Links 234’ are anthemic enough to make this a truly memorable show. To say that Maiden have it cut out for them is no small exaggeration. |
Reviewed by Merlin Alderslade
Photography by Justine Sutton & Oran Tarjan
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Festival Reviews 
