Photos - Katja Ogrin + Daniel Boczarski + PYMCA / Getty Images
Download 2020 is descending quickly upon us, and there are just so many good bands to check out this time around - here are five of our picks for heavy bands that'll get your blood pumping and your head banging on the big day!
Deftones
It's been a hot minute between drinks for Deftones, having last visited our shores back in late 2016, which is why you absolutely cannot miss these guys when they stop by for Download! They boast one of the most definitive and consistent catalogues in heavy music with tons of bangers to draw on from over the years.
The band have been in the studio working on a follow-up record to 2016's Gore, but there's no telling how long you'll have to wait to see them again!
If you can't make it to Download, they're playing a sideshow in Brisbane (with Baroness) and one in Adelaide on March 18 and 23 respectively - grab tix here.
If you need something a little bit more on the extreme side, they share a set time with the next band on our list...
Carcass
Carcass started inflicting their brutal music on the world way back in 1985, and their longevity is a testament to just how hard these guys go live.
This band know how to write a killer death metal riff, so it'll be perfect to grab a beer, set yourself up and bang your head 'til it basically rolls off your neck.
Can't make it to Download this year? All good - they're playing a whopping four sideshows in Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart and Perth the week after!
Carcass also recently dropped their first new song in six years, and it proves that the band are still just as vicious as ever . But don't take our word for it - listen for yourself below:
Venom Prison
Download will mark the very first time Welsh death metal band Venom Prison hit Australia, and we couldn't be more keen. Vocalist and firebrand Larissa Stupar spits unholy plagues from her mouth, having previously being described by Kerrang! as "metal's most important - and uncompromising - voice", and it's very easy to see why.
Venom Prison's uncompromising approach has earned them tour spots with legends like Decapitated, Dying Fetus and Toxic Holocaust, and have also been touted as the opening artist for Parkway Drive's massive European tour later this year.
Their frightening live show will not be one to miss on the day; there's also a sideshow scheduled at The Foundry in Brisbane on Sunday, March 22 if you can't make the festival dates this year.
In Hearts Wake
Probably the second-biggest heavy band to ever come out of Byron Bay (Parkway Drive take that crown), In Hearts Wake will be playing their first motherland shows in a year, which means we are chomping at the bit to jump in the pit when they grace the stage at Download.
For those who have seen these guys before, you know exactly what kind of a treat you're in for. For those who haven't, you can expect a really fun show that manages to be crushing at the same time.
Here's hoping the sun will want to play nice and throw some beautiful summer vibes into the mix!
The HU
The HU have become one of the most talked-about metal acts in recent years, and they're bringing their unique blend of Mongolian folk music, throat singing and pounding drums to Australia for the very first time!
They may not be heavy in the traditional sense, but there's something about the tribal rumblings of these guys that stir something up primal inside.
This promises to be an experience like no other - tickets are also going for their two sideshows in Brisbane and Adelaide in the week leading up to the festival!
Of course, there's also Lacuna Coil, In Flames, Testament, Dregg and Alestorm playing to name a few - you can still grab tickets to Download to catch these bands along with a ton of other huge heavy-hitters in Sydney and Melbourne - get yours underneath:
Buy Tickets for Download Festival Australia 2020
Listen to MANIACS' Download 2020 Playlist now.
