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home » festivals » Reading Festival » Reading Festival 2008
Metallica bring a metal lite Reading to a orgasmic heavy climaxReading Festival 2008 reviewThursday 28th August 2008 With Slipknot's injury-related removal from the bill still fresh in the minds of many of the metalheads in attendance on the final day of the festival, the announcement that Orange County mob Avenged Sevenfold have also had to withdraw leaves a bitter taste in many a mouth when things finally get underway. Furthermore, it arguably heaves more pressure on the few remaining heavy acts to perform, and few will have felt it more than the offensively young Black Tide, who take to the Festival Republic stage in front of an impressive crowd. Unfortunately, whilst their musicianship is tight, the vocals from Gabriel Garcia ultimately let the side down, and his decision to sing a good few octaves lower than on record undermines the band's undeniable talent. To be frank, by this stage, if it were anyone other than Metallica scheduled to finish things off, heavy metal's showing at the festival would be seen as a hell of a lot less impressive than previously expected. It isn't just spike-wristed mammoths that will have flocked to the site today though, as the Dance Stage is allowed to strut its stuff for the first time this weekend. Both The Whip and Holy Fuck make for an energetic half hour or so, though the more obscenely-named duo are arguably more impressive, despite their heavy break beat style not generating as much of a fuss as The Whip's indie-tinged electro pomp. Go figure. Soon after on the NME stage, Hadouken! do their best to lay a claim to being the most bop-worthy electronic act on the bill, but even a cover of The Prodigy’s 'Breathe' cannot stop them from being ultimately overshadowed by the likes of Lethal Bizzle. Whether it’s with genuine dedication or tongue-in-cheek appraisal, the London rapper has amassed a great following, and on the evidence of the mania that greets singles such as 'Bizzle Bizzle' and More Fire Crew favourite 'Oi!' he seems destined to follow in the footsteps of Dizzee Rascal towards the main stage very soon. 
The Music interject the electronic pandemonium with a take on Americanised indie rock that does little to impress in its own right, but comes across well live. Robert Harvey makes for a slightly less inspiring Michael Stipe as he dances around the stage like a stoned leaf, but his best efforts cannot detract from the feeling that most of the crowd in front of him are waiting for something else. Sure enough, that something is Pendulum, and the purveyors of arena-filling drum 'n' bass do not disappoint. Fair enough, on their own merit they are hardly the most engaging of individuals, but their tunes are so infectious that they come closer than anyone else to raising the NME tent to its foundations, as genre-smashing stompers such as 'Propane Nightmares', 'Slam' and 'Hold Your Colour' are reeled out to turn the crowd into a heaving swarm of sweaty, elated bodies. 
This chaotic, riot-inducing performance could not be further away from the relaxed, cheeky delivery of Jack Black's Tenacious D, who entertain their impressively large audience with a set that contains a few genuinely rocking numbers ('The Metal' in particular allowing for some horn-throwing), but is largely a mixture of silly banter and musical tomfoolery. It is a unique experience, but today is Metallica's day, and the thrash legends prove exactly why they are the biggest heavy metal band in the world. As a stunning 'Creeping Death' ignites a set which includes pyrotechnics, giant video screens and some of the greatest metal tunes to have ever been written, everything else that has graced the weekend thus far seems irrelevant (bar Rage's return, natch). Indeed, it is not just the classics – and by god, they are classics – that make this set so special, but the inclusion of a couple of new songs that finally show that the Californian quartet still have some creativity left in them. As well as 'Harvester Of Sorrow', 'Master Of Puppets', 'One', 'Enter Sandman' and the awesome 'For Whom The Bells Tolls' amongst others, there is new tune 'Cyanide', which retains much of what has made the band great within one awesome, sprawling, eight minute timeframe. 
Full of infectious grooves, kick-ass solos and thunderous riffing, it makes for an excellent listen, as does 'The Day That Never Comes' which, despite its slower start, soon builds up to an orgasmic heavy climax. By the time 'Seek And Destroy' brings the night – and the festival – to a suitably climactic close, it is safe to say that Metallica's crown is well and truly safe for now, and with their 21st century output seemingly destined to improve, they cannot come back to these shores soon enough. review by Merlin Alderslade photos by Karen Williams |
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