Death metal band/part-time comedians Raised By Owls have served up a scathing slice of social commentary in the wake of Download festival’s latest line-up announcement. The duo have released a skit of themselves sending up disgruntled metalheads across the land in a scenario that will feel particularly familiar to anyone who’s ever browsed the comment section on a festival’s social media account.
Raised By Owls’ sketch focuses on the pair as they discuss a newly announced line-up – of a totally made up festival, of course – as with one half of the duo goes into detail about why it’s the festival’s “worst ever”, listing various reasons for why it’s gone so downhill in recent years, including how “commercial” the festival has become. “A festival wanting to make money off their lineup?” his unimpressed friend replies. “What a shocker.”
The real body blow comes when our black metal T-shirt-clad friend utters the line: “There’s only three bands I’m actually bothered about on the lineup anyway. There’s not really enough blackened slamming jazz infused death metal on the lineup for my liking.”
As the scene draws to a close, his fellow metalhead concludes: “Bit of a wanker, aren’t you?”
Throughout the pandemic Raised By Owls have taken to recording comedy skits and have fired shots at bands such as Ghost and Slipknot.
Yesterday, Download festival announced 70 new additions to their 2022 line-up. Next year the hollow grounds of Donnington will play host to the likes of Kiss, Iron Maiden and Biffy Clyro. Playing alongside will be Megadeth, Korn, Deftones, Steel Panther and The Ghost Inside, just to name a few.
Watch the video below:
