LIVE REVIEW: Slipknot @ The O2, London

As music journalists, we are required to view all live performances through an objective eye. It goes without saying that even if we love a band with all our hearts and minds, we cannot let that bias obstruct our thoughts if we attend one of their performances with the objective of writing an article on it afterwards. Nevertheless, there are those rare occasions where we cannot stop ourselves from being swept up in the emotion of it all, where we put down our notes and enjoy the ride because what we are witnessing is far beyond the capability of words. Sure, this makes it hard for us when it comes to actually writing the review, but we give it a damn good shot anyway. SLIPKNOT is one of those times, because at The O2 Arena in London, nearly 20,000 people watched two huge milestones in the history of heavy music and went away with the memories of a lifetime.

The first is that we watched the ever climbing stock of black metal in the UK hit a new peak. BEHEMOTH may well have become the only band in the history of the genre to ever play on an arena stage over here, but they showed why they had been chosen for such an event. Nobody comes close to them in terms of their size and stature within black metal and the fact that they have brought that harsh, unabashed sound into venues of this magnitude is a huge leap forward for the style. Additionally, they got the bonus of pyrotechnics, with silly amounts of fire shooting out across the room as Nergal and co thunder their way through the likes of Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel, Ov Fire and the Void and a menacing rendition of Bartzabel that captivates the entire room and propels them into the darker side of metal. Given how assured they look, there’s no question that they could go on to do something like Wembley Arena or Alexandra Palace under their own steam, and what a triumph that would be for extreme music; where once it was confined to small club shows in front of a handful of people, now it’s being aired to thousands at a time.

Rating: 8/10

The second is that, unbelievably, this is the very first time that SLIPKNOT have ever headlined the O2. Quite why they decided on smaller venues when touring the likes of All Hope Is Gone and .5.: The Gray Chapter is a complete mystery, particularly the latter when they’d already headlined Download Festival twice by that point in time. Regardless, they’ve finally made it to the biggest space London has to offer and, in true SLIPKNOT fashion, they utterly obliterate everything in their path for two whole hours of unhinged chaos and mayhem. The more recognisable tunes are all present and correct save for Spit It Out, which drops off the setlist for the first time since the Iowa juggernaut even began touring and scuppers any chance of a debut ‘jump the fuck up’ inside the O2. However, the rest of the big-hitters – Psychosocial, Before I Forget, (sic), Duality – are all unleashed with the force of a small hurricane, whipping up a frenzy at every opportunity; at points, the number of pits on the floor are in double figures.

It’s the deeper cuts and new material that make the largest impact. Eeyore, originally a hidden track on the debut album, is thrown out very early on to great reception and New Abortion from the Iowa record is another welcome addition. From latest release We Are Not Your Kind are the already played numbers of Unsainted (now the set opener), Solway Firth and bonus track All Out Life, along with Birth of the Cruel and the monstrous Nero Forte which not only proves again that it’s the best track on the album but also allows the newest member of the band – still unofficially known as Tortilla Man – to showcase his impressive growling vocals that compliment Corey Taylor‘s singing voice perfectly. Taylor himself is on fine fettle, giving a career-best spectacle on the brooding  Vermilion and prowling a stage that he knows he is owning. Asking how many present weren’t even born when the first SLIPKNOT record dropped in 1999 is also a telling sign at just how legendary this band have now become, especially when the resulting cheer is damn loud; they’re continuing to inspire a new generation of metalhead with their music and that’s a touching sight.

There’s almost too much to fit in, but there also has to be mentions for Jay Weinberg, who by now is staking a very strong claim as the best metal drummer in the world right now and utterly pummels his kit into submission, the sound at the O2 for being so crisp and clear that every single member of the band can be picked out with ease and their quite ridiculous stage set up that has clearly been inspired by IRON MAIDEN and RAMMSTEIN: three separate levels, a healthy dose of flames and treadmills installed in the floor that are barely left running without DJ Sid Wilson dancing all over them. Oh, and Clown has continued to utilise his flaming baseball bat, which is still the coolest stage prop around right now. Once Surfacing has succeeded in tearing the roof off like its brothers, grown men can be seen crying at the sheer brilliance of what they’ve witnessed. Judging by this, Knotfest in August will be the hottest ticket of the summer.

Rating: 10/10