Heavy metal warriors Tailgunner rolled into Download Festival 2026 with all the leather, denim, soaring vocals and twin-guitar ambitions you’d expect from one of Britain’s fastest-rising traditional metal acts. The crowd gathered early, horns were raised, and there was no shortage of excitement around seeing the band bring their high-octane sound to Donington.

But if we’re being completely honest here at The Riff Report… it just didn’t quite feel like the same Tailgunner.

Now don’t get us wrong. The musicians on stage gave everything they had. The riffs were sharp, the vocals were powerful, and there was enough old-school metal energy flying around to keep the headbangers happy. Songs like they were fired straight out of a 1980s metal time machine still got fists pumping and heads banging across the field.

Yet there was an elephant standing in the pit.

Following the departure of two key members, this version of Tailgunner feels like a band still finding its feet again. The chemistry that made the original line-up so exciting seemed harder to find. The stage banter felt different, the movement around the stage wasn’t quite as natural, and at times the performance lacked some of the spark that previously made Tailgunner feel unstoppable.

That’s not a criticism of the new line-up. Far from it. Replacing band members is one of the toughest challenges any group faces. Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and countless others have all had to rebuild at different points in their careers.

The issue is simply that fans become attached to a band’s identity, and when that changes, it takes time for everyone—including the band—to adjust.

The Download crowd still showed plenty of love. There were cheers throughout the set, horns raised high, and more than enough support from the faithful metalheads gathered at the stage. Nobody was writing Tailgunner off. If anything, people seemed willing them on.

What we saw was a talented band going through a period of transition rather than a band in decline.

The foundations are still there.

The songs are still there.

The ambition is still there.

But right now, Tailgunner feel like a band entering a new chapter rather than the one that first grabbed everyone’s attention.

Will they get back to that level? Absolutely. There’s far too much talent in this camp for them not to.

For now though, Download 2026 felt less like a victory lap and more like the first step of a rebuild.

And sometimes, butt, that’s exactly what a band needs before they can soar again.

Riff Report Rating

⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)

Good performance. Plenty of promise. But for longtime fans, something still feels missing as Tailgunner adapt to life after major line-up changes.