I remember raging on the day of ticket sales this past summer, trying to get the closest seats possible to the stage. It just wasn’t working out the way I wanted it to because I was further back than I was for Korn. In retrospect, these were probably the best seats I’ve ever gotten for Slipknot. I was level to the stage, and I had a central view for once, which is important for a band like Slipknot, who has an unique set design for the many members of the band.
The first band to open the show was Code Orange. Other than Bray Wyatt’s entrance song for WWE, I wasn’t really familiar with their music. Off first impressions, Code Orange has a very commanding presence on stage. I respect bands that give it their all during performances, no matter where they fall on the bill. I was shocked when I discovered one of their guitarists was a woman. It explains my confusion when I was listening to Bleeding in the Blur weeks before the concert as I tried to familiarize myself with their discography. The clean vocals didn’t sound like they came from the same vocalist screaming back at me through my AirPods. Now, I know why lol. I really enjoyed both Bleeding in the Blur and Underneath live onstage.
Next up was a band I was more acclimated with: Fever 333! I became a fan back in 2020 when I heard songs like Made an America and Wrong Generation in the mist of the racial tension that sparked the BLM movement that year. I was especially excited to hear Bite Back live because it just emanates ferocity and defiance. Their energy on stage is at 1000% just as I anticipated. Every song they performed radiated the same intensity and rage that emits from my headphones every time I listen to them. It was gratifying to see the crowd react positively to their set. You can tell the audience was really feeling it. These guys are wild with some of their antics on stage bordering dangerous LOL. The singer was trying to kill himself by doing a skateboard trick off some touring equipment. On a side note, I was impressed by how effortlessly the drummer could stand up on his throne, and then quickly fly back down to start playing again without missing a beat.
I also appreciate how Fever 333 expresses their “political” beliefs. Their positions are not dumbed down to robotic “fuck Joe Biden” or “fuck Trump” chants. Frontman Jason Butler was able to verbalize his views eloquently in an intelligent matter, unlike Aaron Lewis from Staind. He’s bold enough to say how he feels, and doesn’t care what anyone has to say about it. When Jason started talking in between songs, he first expressed how they were that band that you often think “just shut the fuck up and play your music.” Jason said he acknowledged that, and that he doesn’t care LOL. He has shit he has to say, and I respect that.
Jason talked about a range of topics like race and diversity, gun violence, and respecting women. Particularly, his statement about women really resonated with me.
“Women tonight will be honored, celebrated, and respected the way they should be honored, celebrated, and respected every day for making this world go around and around and around. Rock music for quite some time has objectified, marginalized, and compromised women and their safety. While we are on this stage at the very least, there is no room for women to feel uncomfortable while being in rock ‘n’ roll.”
When I heard him say that, I was like wow, I really fuck with Jason Butler. I don’t think men realize how important it is for us to hear men publicly say that they support us, especially at spaces like metal shows where a woman’s safety isn’t always guaranteed. I’ve honestly never heard a band state this live onstage, and I genuinely appreciate it. We need more men like Jason to speak up, and say it isn’t okay to endanger a women’s well-being. I don’t know why other men feel so inclined to be against us.
After Fever 333 survived their performance, Killswitch Engage took the stage. Killswitch is another band that I wasn’t well acquainted with in terms of their music. Also, after all these years of going to metal shows, I have never crossed paths with Killswitch until now. Jessie Leach, their current vocalist, is phenomenal live. He pretty much sounds exactly like he does on the records he performs on, which made seeing them play My Last Serenade more special. I really enjoyed Unleashed and I Am Broken Too as well. Some of their songs actually sounded better live. I think I appreciate songs like My Curse and The End of Heartache more now after hearing Jessie’s rendition. Honestly, this was a solid lineup of bands that I had never seen before with the exception of Slipknot.
This was my fifth time seeing Slipknot, and I don’t know what else to say other than The Nine are fucking amazing live. I finally got to see them perform Nero Forte, which is off of their latest album, We Are Not Your Kind. Nero Forte has become one of my top three Slipknot songs of all time. This song and Unsainted helped me brave the storm that was ahead of me when I went through my break up in 2020. I mean, can we take a second to acknowledge the lyrics in the bridge of Unsainted for a second?
I was all that you wanted and more
But you didn’t want me
I was more than you thought I could be
So I’m setting you free, I’m setting you free
I’m really happy to have made this experience happen for Danny. Maybe I’ve taken The Knot for granted after all these years of being a seasoned Maggot, but it is really refreshing to see someone view Slipknot live for the very first time. I think Danny was pretty much in awe as Slipknot is a sight to behold. Their set design and graphics were amazing. Vman literally had fire shooting out of his bass guitar during The Devil and I at one point.
It was also interesting to hear his take on Corey Taylor. He’s very much a commanding force on stage, and genuinely cares about the music and his fans, which is very much represented in the way he addresses the audience between songs during their shows. Corey also goes out of his way to always shoutout every band that comes out on tour with them. I know this from years of watching them on stage, but Corey really is an upstanding guy. However, the way he’s portrayed in the media (because we all know Corey will ALWAYS speak his mind lol), people may not be aware of the type of person he truly is. It makes me appreciate Corey more than I already did.
I have to say, in the last 20 years, I have been so proud of how far Slipknot has come. They went from being a band that nobody thought would succeed to being one of the most respected bands in metal today. I’ve always gotten shit for liking Slipknot, which always baffled me. They headline every major metal festival in the world with thousands upon thousands of fans showing up just to watch their set. Many people will tell you to see Slipknot live at least once in your lifetime. The Knot has influenced a whole generation of bands in the current metal scene. They were essentially responsible in making extreme metal more commercial, and introducing it to a broader audience. I’m glad that they are finally getting the respect that they deserve, and have certainly earned after all these years. Whether you like it or not, they really have paved the way for future generations to come in metal.
Also, in light of the tragic events that unfolded at Astroworld in Houston this month, I’m grateful that Slipknot actually cares about the safety of their fans because it is clear that Travis Scott does not. Many clips of artists stopping shows to assess and correct dangerous/harmful situations have been circulating online lately with one of them involving Slipknot. I know Corey will go out of his way to point out anything harmful going on in the crowd, and ensure no one gets hurt at their shows. It’s part of the responsibility of being the frontman. I almost never hear about fatalities happening at metal shows, which is ironic since this genre is always deemed violent by outsiders. Being in both a traumatizing and deadly situation during a concert is the last thing I ever want to be involved in. So, I commend Slipknot for putting on a phenomenal show that was free of any violence and Covid.
Both Korn and Slipknot have released new songs this month, which means they will be back on the road sooner than later, and I can’t fucking wait. Seeing both of these bands live has really taken off some the stress and sadness I’ve felt throughout this year. I don’t know how much longer Slipknot and Korn will be touring, so I intend on seeing as many shows as I possible can!
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