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Live Review: Slipknot
Live Review: Slipknot
- Genre : Rock
- Type: Reviews
- Author : Super Admin
- Date : Wed, 05 Aug 2015
We caught the 'Summer's Last Stand Tour' in Mansfield, Mass.
"Take a look around," urged Slipknot singer Corey Taylor. "This is the heavy metal f***ing family."
A wide smile cut through the vocalist's mask as he addressed the packed crowd at The Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA. He went on, "All of the other artists will never be as f***ing close as the heavy metal community is. You know why? Because we grew up in it, we fight for it, and we live it every f***ing night of our lives!"
He's got a very powerful point there. That's why, even in a "streaming age" where, "no one buys records," heavy metal and hard rock remain as healthy as ever. Slipknot's phenomenal Summer's Last Stand Tour serves as shining proof too. The group put together one of the decade's best metal packages. The Iowa outfit, of course, top the marquee, but they're supported by Lamb of God, who just enjoyed a #2 debut for VII: Sturm und Drang [Epic Records], Bullet for My Valentine, on the cusp of releasing their magnum opus to date Venom [RCA Records], and Motionless in White—who continue to amass an incredible cult following.
Somehow, Slipknot continue to progress and pummel more than ever live. First unveiled at last year's KNOTFEST, their gargantuan stage setup resembles the ultimate funhouse in hell with its giant demon head, pyro everywhere, and striking central mirror. They use the setup to their advantage, welcoming everybody into this warped world. However, it's the music that really does all the talking. Two red curtains emblazoned with the band's logo parted after the "XIX" intro from 2014's mind-blowing .5: The Gray Chapter as the group engaged a sensory onslaught with "Sarcastrophe." Jim Root and Mick Thomson played as if their lives depended on it, ripping through chaotic polyrhythmic thrash with speed and precision and once again showing why they're the 21st century's premier guitar pair. Drummer Jay Weinberg powered through with poise and punch, while visionary and percussionist M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan and percussionist Chris Fehn augmented that tribal madness. From behind the stage, bassist Alex Venturella kept the grooves airtight. Sid Wilson couldn't be contained as he and Craig Jones tapped into an eerie electronic alchemy. Taylor sent it home with the scream, "We are kill gods."
He intro-ed "Custer" by humming the opening riff, and the crowd collectively beamed. That track remained a highlight, bridging a gap between the schizophrenic catharsis of the band's debut Slipknot and the refined melody of Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses. The same could be said for the dropkick of "AOV." Everything culminated on the trinity of "(sic)", "People = S***", and "Surfacing," which scorched the earth with an unmatched beautiful brutality.
Just prior to Slipknot, Lamb of God churned out a focused, fiery, and fierce set that proved to be a worthy complement. "Walk With Me In Hell" veered from its eerie needling opening into the scream of "You're never alone," as the audience chanted along. "Now You've Got Something to Die For" towed the line between seesawing speed metal and a jackhammer groove. "Ghost Walking" let out an intricate and infectious blast.
That was approved with an audience roar. However, the cuts from Richmond's finest's latest offering "Still Echoes" and "512" illustrated their evolution brilliantly. "Vigil" offered the most intimate and inimitable moment of the set building from an eerie clean intro into a raw sonic exorcism.
Bullet For My Valentine tore through an equally stacked show. Opening with the unshakable "No Way Out" from Venom, out August 14, and delivering favorites "Waking The Demon," "Tears Don't Fall," and "Scream Aim Fire" with flawless playing.
Ultimately,
"Take a look around," urged Slipknot singer Corey Taylor. "This is the heavy metal f***ing family."
A wide smile cut through the vocalist's mask as he addressed the packed crowd at The Xfinity Center in Mansfield, MA. He went on, "All of the other artists will never be as f***ing close as the heavy metal community is. You know why? Because we grew up in it, we fight for it, and we live it every f***ing night of our lives!"
He's got a very powerful point there. That's why, even in a "streaming age" where, "no one buys records," heavy metal and hard rock remain as healthy as ever. Slipknot's phenomenal Summer's Last Stand Tour serves as shining proof too. The group put together one of the decade's best metal packages. The Iowa outfit, of course, top the marquee, but they're supported by Lamb of God, who just enjoyed a #2 debut for VII: Sturm und Drang [Epic Records], Bullet for My Valentine, on the cusp of releasing their magnum opus to date Venom [RCA Records], and Motionless in White—who continue to amass an incredible cult following.
Somehow, Slipknot continue to progress and pummel more than ever live. First unveiled at last year's KNOTFEST, their gargantuan stage setup resembles the ultimate funhouse in hell with its giant demon head, pyro everywhere, and striking central mirror. They use the setup to their advantage, welcoming everybody into this warped world. However, it's the music that really does all the talking. Two red curtains emblazoned with the band's logo parted after the "XIX" intro from 2014's mind-blowing .5: The Gray Chapter as the group engaged a sensory onslaught with "Sarcastrophe." Jim Root and Mick Thomson played as if their lives depended on it, ripping through chaotic polyrhythmic thrash with speed and precision and once again showing why they're the 21st century's premier guitar pair. Drummer Jay Weinberg powered through with poise and punch, while visionary and percussionist M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan and percussionist Chris Fehn augmented that tribal madness. From behind the stage, bassist Alex Venturella kept the grooves airtight. Sid Wilson couldn't be contained as he and Craig Jones tapped into an eerie electronic alchemy. Taylor sent it home with the scream, "We are kill gods."
He intro-ed "Custer" by humming the opening riff, and the crowd collectively beamed. That track remained a highlight, bridging a gap between the schizophrenic catharsis of the band's debut Slipknot and the refined melody of Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses. The same could be said for the dropkick of "AOV." Everything culminated on the trinity of "(sic)", "People = S***", and "Surfacing," which scorched the earth with an unmatched beautiful brutality.
Just prior to Slipknot, Lamb of God churned out a focused, fiery, and fierce set that proved to be a worthy complement. "Walk With Me In Hell" veered from its eerie needling opening into the scream of "You're never alone," as the audience chanted along. "Now You've Got Something to Die For" towed the line between seesawing speed metal and a jackhammer groove. "Ghost Walking" let out an intricate and infectious blast.
That was approved with an audience roar. However, the cuts from Richmond's finest's latest offering "Still Echoes" and "512" illustrated their evolution brilliantly. "Vigil" offered the most intimate and inimitable moment of the set building from an eerie clean intro into a raw sonic exorcism.
Bullet For My Valentine tore through an equally stacked show. Opening with the unshakable "No Way Out" from Venom, out August 14, and delivering favorites "Waking The Demon," "Tears Don't Fall," and "Scream Aim Fire" with flawless playing.
Ultimately,
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