Black Peaks at Download is a victory from the moment they walk on stage

We’ve seen Black Peaks be very good, multiple times but today they’re something else entirely. It’s a victory from the moment they walk on stage. From the statement opening of ‘Glass Built Castles’ which, flipping between purging aggression and goosebump-inducing beauty, is still as shocking and ridiculous as the first time it took your breathe away to the sneer of ‘White Eyes’, Black Peaks are larger than life. From the grins plastered across their faces, they know it as well. With Will wailing on an air guitar, mirroring Joe and Andrew, the band are having an absolute blast. And they’re determined to make sure the crowd shares in their joy.

Dropping Black Peaks amongst their peers only emphasises just how wild this band are. Their influences are just to hand (they name check Tool, Sabbath and Deftones during their set) but they’ve cherry-picked the gems of giants and taken them someplace entirely new. It’s unchartered territory flecked with familiarity but every moment feels like home. Hyperactive despite the weight, heavy-hitting but steeped in cinematic atmosphere, the band have always been masterfully indulgent but that hasn’t stopped them inviting everyone in. Download quickly takes them up on the offer. From the choral flourish of ‘Saviour’ to the rampant ‘Set In Stone’, Black Peaks maintain their self-imposed bar with the crowd behind them for every ridiculous step of the way. And it still only feels like the beginning.