All That Remains were the band to really launch Download Festival 2015. It’s odd to think that they’re opening main stage with the number of hits and albums that the band have released. In saying that they’ve not really released anything of real gravitas since Overcome, save for a couple of tracks from For We Are Many. In saying that, the majority of the six track set list did come from the more critically acclaimed Overcome and 2006’s The Fall of Ideals. The likes of ‘Six’, ‘This Calling’ and ‘Two Weeks’ went down a real treat with those who really knew the band, and those finding them for the first time. Even though All That Remains were the first band up, they already commanded a number of pits opening throughout.
The odd part of the set came when lead vocalist Phil Labonte exclaimed that he didn’t want the set to be broken up with him “running his mouth” and then proceeded to play one of their slower tracks ‘What If I Was Nothing?’, which immediately killed the mood throughout the crowd. Just a few words of advice, if you’re the first band on, and need to wake people up, do not use one of your six tracks to slow them down. Overall though the newer tracks ‘This Probably Won’t End Well’ and ‘No Knock’ went down fairly well for tracks not necessarily well known, and seem to be moving back to what they were known for in Overcome and The Fall of Ideals, fast paced head banging guitar tones, and huge double bass drum beats.
