It should have been a breeze, and were it not for nonsensical motorway speed restrictions, we would have been stage front in time for Heart of a Coward.
Instead, we're caught not between a rock and a hard place exactly, but between a service station and shed load of traffic. Brilliant.
By the time we get back on site, New York hardcore sorts, Stray from the Path are at work on the Maverick stage, and we duck in for a taster.
With a 14 year history to their name, they know how to whip up a storm, but pity any hangover sufferers faced with their morning assault.
Over on the Main Stage, Mallory Knox will bow out with Lighthouse, but we're trudging back through the quagmire to the Zippo Encore stage for Ace Frehley.
Parasite is a fetching way to get things up and running, before the former Kiss guitarist sends HRH the Queen a birthday wish. Sure she'd be thrilled.
Blues-rock-edged Toys is a catchy deal, lifted from Ace's current solo album, Space Invader and its a potent little track, but Kiss devotees want Kiss tracks, and Ace comes bearing gifts.
The first talk of guns today comes way before Ice T and Bodycount rock up – Frehley aims his Love Gun, before taking us back to '78 with Snowblind.
Cold Gin and Shock Me go down a storm, but things really start smoking with Deuce.
Seriously they really do smoke – Ace's six-stringer is more heated than usual!
The set list might have been a blinder, but the sound is a bit washy – and Ace's sound in particular is way too low in the mix.
Californian thrashers Testament deliver Practice What You Preach and Into the Pit, but there is no Souls of Black for this expectant listener. Damn.
Native Blood gets an airing, mind, with frontman Chuck Billy dedicating it “for all my native Americans and the indiginious people out there...”
Do Not Resuscitate is last up, and after a quick change over Carcass assume position.
The Liverpudlian extreme metallers boast real workmanship, and know how to ebb and flow that work. This is heavy music, with thought, and few do it as well as these guys.
The Granulating Dark Satanic Mills is a particular treat on the ears.
Addressing his 'Monsters of Rock' audience with a little nod to the original festival held at Castle Donington, frontman Jeff Steer declares “We may not have the biggest crowd today, but we've got the ugliest and best.” Cheers.
Backstage the muso hungry media are stealing time with artists who are out and manoeuvring a sometimes tepid line of questions. We spy Black Star Riders and Andrew W.K while topping up on the caffeine before flying to Jake's Tent.
It's a not-so-little known fact that Dub War are a late addition to the festival.
The Welsh fusionists were always too smart for the masses, and after two albums of bristling brilliance, they opted to put to bed their electrifying metal, ragga and punk saturated sounds.
They originally called time in 1999, and yet those albums – Pain and Wrong Side of Beautiful remain unchallenged in the quality department.
The fact that Skindred frontman Benji Webbe is the man at the vocals means the tent is jammed, and whether old fans or newcomers, everyone is treated to a superb 25 minutes of grandness – Respected, Nar Say a Ting and Strike It are all bounce inducers, while Enemy Maker strips things back a little. It's not a great set, it's a fabulous one, and no disrespect to Skindred, but the demand for a Dub War tour is there...
A squelch along to the Maverick Stage is akin to taking part in The Krypton Factor (for those old enough to remember the challenging small screen show).
Usually we would steer clear of such a precarious dash, but hey Ice-T and Bodycount is in the house.
Except he's not called that no more. These days – because of the 'pussification of men' – he's going by 'Ice Mother F***in T, Bitch.'
Manslaughter is the following track.
Yep, L.A's ace in the pack is back, and we've made it stage front. We've waited a long time for this, and they are the nuts.
We hold them to ransom, and they deliver the goods: KKK Bitch, There Goes The Neighbourhood, Voodoo and Manslaughter are all outed in fiery, relentless style.
“All rise for the British national anthem,” he will insist, before kicking headfirst into Cop Killer.
“Who's the youngest Bodycount fan here today?” Ice asks, and to our left, 11-year old Oliver is outed.
“You've just got yourself a new Uncle...” he says. Cracking.
“Let me give you a bit of advice,” he says, before telling him how to deal with school bullies.
“Look them straight in the eye and say talk sh*t....' and the tent responds in unity 'Get shot!'
There's an icicle in the house too – a chip off the ice block, if you will, Ice's son.
It's billed as Bodycount, and Bodycount it is – a band ferociously locked in, and on the gas.
These boys kick serious ass, and none moreso than lead guitarist Ernie C.
Complaint? We'd have liked more from the current Manslaughter album, but heck, we still get a great fill.
It's a highlight, no doubt about it.
[gallery link="file" ids="11593,11594,11605,11604,11603,11589,11600,11598,11597,11592,11591,11588"]Faith No More have already been on the Main Stage for a while when we check in.
And having effed up the site for everyone, the rain has now eased off, leaving a sea of muddied, slightly sobered rock fans in its wake.
None of this has affected today's second in command though, and FNM are all white.
Nope, that's not a typo, they've all donned white attire, and come bearing flowers too.
Set wise, it's not so much petal to the metal, mind, as alternative to the floor.
We take in Midlife Crisis, Easy, Last Cup of Sorrow and Ashes to Ashes, before they bow out with We Care A Lot.
A great band, still on their game. No surprises.
Muse. 'Should they headline Download?' 'Aren't they too lightweight?' 'They aren't metal enough.'
The conversations have been had, the opinions formed long before Muse reach the Download stage, and amazingly talented Matt Bellamy is about to show any doubters among you that you were way off the mark.
The hard rock credentials of Muse are fully intact, and tonight, with Mercy, Time Is Running Out, Supermassive Black Hole and Newborn in the frame, Muse crush the whingers.
This gig was a challenge met, exceeded and then some.
For the first time in probably quite some time on home territory, Matt, Chris and Dominic aren't playing before a sea full of devotees.
And they can raise a glass in the knowledge that when they left the stage they had more fans than when they began.
Plenty of Download dwellers will have headed back to the campsites with a day of memories, a covering of mud, but most importantly of all, a newfound respect for a trio who came, saw, conquered and sounded absolutely incredible.
The mud fest – and music – continues tomorrow...
