It's a monstrous two-hour podcast today as Merl, El and Steve review this past weekend's history-making Download Pilot Festival. They discuss how the testing and entry conditions worked to get 10,000 people safely back on the sacred grounds of Donington, how it felt to be back in a field with a load of mates again and the experience of seeing a band walk out on a festival stage for the first time in two years. Oh, and there was also plenty more music! The trio review some all-time great sets from While She Sleeps, Creeper, Skindred, Enter Shikari, Bullet For My Valentine, Loathe, Bleed From Within, Employed To Serve and more. One of these bands even got Merl to come out of circle pit retirement, but you'll never guess for which song.

We also reveal the brand new issue of Metal Hammer starring Slipknot and get psyched for Metallica's epic Black Album celebrations.

The Metal Hammer Podcast is sponsored by KILLSTAR - get your exclusive KILLSTAR discount from www.killstar.com/pages/metalpod

et the new issue of Metal Hammer at tinyurl.com/GetHammer