Imagine it; two thousand sweaty, sardine packed people crouched to their knees, breathing heavy from the 4/20 celebrations earlier in the day, waiting impatiently on Corey’s word to erupt. The beats quicken, the bass growls, the guitar boils. 3…2…1…”Jump” and the insanity begins. For Slipknot‘s next two songs, the floor of the Denver University Magness Arena was a pit of flailing beaten bodies, as any good metal pit should be–just to the 100th power.
Slipknot is one of those bands that have gotten so mainstream that they are often dismissed by many hardcore underground metal fans, regardless of the quality of show this band puts on. The same thing happens in every genre, as our beloved editor mentioned in the newsletter just a couple of weeks back regarding hip-hop. Bottom line is: they threw down hard as hell, were tight and powerful. They would have done the same for 10 people, which is why they’ve gotten to where they are today.
The most entertaining part of the show was the Tommy Lee-esque drum riser that Joey used to lift himself about 30 feet above the stage, flipped forward so the crowd was able to view him from above, but spinning as he ripped his set a new one. The display was impressive, but to be brutally honest, I was a bit disappointed in the drum solo itself. Don’t get me wrong, he pulls off rolls that most drummers dream about. It just never hit a real groove, and to me, that’s what music is all about, metal or otherwise.
One thing that really bugged me was the use of this pre-recorded background vocal track on one of the songs made the performance awkward…although my 4/20 celebratory activities made it difficult to actually remember which one it was. Maybe their bassist did the backup vocals and they had to improvise, since he was out for medical reasons. Whatever the reason, luckily, it didn’t really take away from the show overall.
Both Lamb of God and Shadows Fall put on really taut performance as well. Shadows Fall delivered the old school wailings that they have become known for with an energy that is simply amazing to watch live. We tried to get our readers an interview with the band, but it fell through at the last minute, but maybe next time they are in Denver we can hook that up.
Lamb of God tossed out the newer style hardcore/metal that was just plain brutal. Because these guys are more hardcore than groove metal, I tend to not get into them as much, but I have mad respect for their talent and songwriting skills.
The Subliminal Verses Tour runs worldwide and ends on August 14th in Osaka, Japan so if you missed them, too bad, you’re screwed. But with the radio airplay they are starting to receive, I don’t think they are going anywhere anytime soon, so you should be able to catch them. For full tour info visit www.roadrunnerrecords.com. Shadows Fall info can be found at www.shadowsfallrocks.com. Lamb of Gods piece of cyberspace is www.lamb-of-god.com.
Support Metal!
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