Today’s festival announcements have Beez all hot under the collar. Let us know who you’d like to see most inside!

Sonisphere, Download and Bloodstock! Are we being spoiled this year or what? OK, so we’ve already seen Metallica, Linkin Park, Lamb Of God and Mastodon announced for Sonisphere and Slipknot will be announced for Download later this evening (see Sonisphere line-up and our blog on why Slipknot deserve their headline slot) but there’s plenty more fish left in the sea.

1. Rammstein

They’ve never done a festival in the UK, have they? Rammstein and their sonic stage show is perfect festival fodder. They blow shit up, there’s a massive array of killer tunes and Till Lindermann sets his coat on fire and then sodomises his keyboard player. Hey, it’s entertaining after ten pints, OK?

2. Faith No More

Check out last week’s Download blog. All the reasons you need (as if the arsenal of songs in their back catalogue wasn’t enough) are in there.

3. Machine Head

Their performance at Castle Donington in 2007 was amongst the greatest moments of the Download era and we just want to see it again. It warms the heart to see the one metal band that get (almost) unanimous plaudits, getting the mammoth praise they deserve. If America won’t give them the credit they deserve, we will. In spades.

4. Avenged Sevenfold

In 2008, Avenged Sevenfold went from being possible stars to bona fide superstars. Their last UK tour took the paint off the walls of every venue it visited and it’s always intriguing to see if a band are really ready to step-up to the plate and nothing separates the men from the boys like a festival. Are Avenged able to bother the Metallica’s and ‘Maiden’s of this world? There’s only one way to find out.

5. The Answer

They’ve spent the end of last year on tour with AC/DC, they’ve got a seriously, SERIOUSLY killer new album in ‘Everyday Demons’ and Cormac Neeson has a voice that could fill any field you like. The hype machine may well already be in full effect but it is beyond justified.

6. Manowar

We’ve spent the last few years (well, at least 13) saying ’surely they’ll play this year!’ but in 2009, it seems more likely than ever. The only way that we can do the Gods Of War justice is by having them out-do the record breaking 5 hour and 1 minute set the band played in Bulgaria last year. Make it happen, you know it makes sense.

If the rumour of a classic rock-themed Sunday at Download turns out being true, that’ll give me a trouser tent as well.

Til next time…

Check out other ranting by the Metal Hammer staff in our Blog section.