Preview: Sonisphere festival
- May 14, 2009
Hold onto your Kerrangs, pack a Metallica T-shirt (make that two) and don that trench; Sonisphere's set to unleash its first attack on Britain. And the American invaders are all set. This August sees the salubrious, serene setting of Hertfordshire's Knebworth House transformed into a bustling nucleus of desecration, destruction and debauchery with the Overlords of Purgatory brandishing axes (of the six-stringed variety), tearing through anything and everything in their path.
Headed up by Hetfield's rehab addicts and Lords of Metal themselves Metallica alongside the melodrama of Nu-metal stalwarts, Linkin Park. Behind the front lines lie enough of a supporting cast to rival Lloyd-Webber's casts, with a rare UK show from hibernation-bound Reznor as he drills his industrially-charged Nine Inch Nails into the hearts and minds of melody, virtuosity and thrilling thrash alike. Surrealist prog-metallers Mastodon bring their sterling beast 'Crack the Skye' all the way over from Atlanta. Oh and no stone is left unturned as the latest in doom and gloom is set to appear in the sheltered surroundings of the Bohemia Stage with math-trashers Rolo Tomassi, Geordie miserablists The Chapman Family and Corey Taylor comes out from behind the gruesome mask and into the blinding lights for a UK debut solo show. Phew.
If that's not all, Sonisphere have followed in the footsteps of the greatest farmer the universe has ever known, Michael Eavis and ditched those dastardly booking fees. For those in finer tune with plastic buttons than guitar strings, there's a whole hoard of ticket/ Guitar Hero bundles. And travel is free from Manchester, Birmingham and London Victoria. Whether these are the UK representatives of all things metal and rusted or just reasonable markers of the scale of the country is anyone's guess. But with the single cost of a tube ride from the land of leather that is Camden Town, there are no excuses this year.
Also playing: Avenged Sevenfold, Machine Head, Taking Back Sunday, Alice In Chains, Bullet For My Valentine, Fear Factory, Thin Lizzy and more...
- For more on Sonisphere festival visit the official Website
- Sonisphere festival takes place on the 1st and 2nd of August.


