Target Center in Minneapolis, MN
April 9, 2022
Photos by Brett Zisler
Review by Nick
It has been 7 years since SLIPKNOT has last been to the Twin Cities area at Northern Invasion for the festival's first year. Crowd anticipation was at a fever pitch on Saturday night for the long awaited returned of the masked 9 from Iowa.
The 9 wasted no time coming out full throttle with "Disasterpiece" from Iowa. No easing in to things, this was full on going for the throat .. the only way that Slipknot knows how. Following up with a crowd favorites with “Wait and Bleed”, “Sulfur” and “Before I Forget” before giving the crowd a breather just for a moment. Corey teasing the new album that’s forthcoming before going in to a ripping “The Chapeltown Rag” from that upcoming album.
The set design was the same that Slipknot has been using since the beginning of the We Are Not Your Kind touring cycle. First of all, it’s massive. Second, they didn’t get tour everywhere before the quarantine so might as well keep using it and show it off some more. A setup of this size couldn’t have been cheap to make so might as well keep using it and get some more miles off of it with the multiple levels and walkways for all the members of the 9 to cause chaos on. It did make me miss having all 9 on the same level running in to each other like back in Somerset on Ozzfest ’99. Clown and Tortilla Man made use of every single inch of space that layout encompassed. Sid was running around to as many areas as he could before having to run back to his turntables. Corey, Mick and Jim handled the front of the stage like warriors on the front line.
Strange to think that this was the first time Minnesota had heard “Unsainted”, “Solway Firth” and “All Out Life” live seeing how those have been out since 2019, all 3 standout tracks in the set. Let’s give it up for the dad that has his kid on his shoulders in the pit during “The Heretic Anthem”! If this was that kid’s first show, he’s never gonna forget that. There was a handful of people in the pit who created a barricade so that he wouldn’t get hurt and pit moshed around them. One of the coolest things I’ve seen at a show in a long time. They did make it pretty close to the front and Corey gave him a shout out from stage during the encore.
**SPOILER ALERT**
Vman was standing just above Jay’s drumset during “The Devil in I” and I remember thinking “He’s awfully close to the fire shooting off at the back of the stage”. Vman was wielding a bass that had it’s own flame thrower attached! Fire was coming from different angles on 3 different levels. Now that’s a Slipknot show! If I can’t feel the heat coming from the stage, I would think I was at the wrong show. This was a crowd full of Slipknot show veterans. As they knew all the cues before they were happening even impressing Corey as they knew when to sit down during “Spit It Out” he didn’t even have to ask.
The only negative to the song selection on this run is having “Snuff” and “Vermillion” back to back brings the show down a little BUT it gives Slipknot a breather before they unleash the end of the set. I would’ve liked to hear more from We Are Not Your Kind as it would’ve been great to have “Nero Forte” in there. Slipknot are still putting on a 2 hour show and that in itself is worth applauding.
This was the best I’ve seen Slipknot in a long time, they were recharged and ready to bring the same amount of carnage as they did back in ’99. Every single member of the 9 were the MVP’s of the show bringing equal amounts of intensity to every possible corner of the arena. If you get a chance to catch the second leg of the Knotfest Roadshow in May and June with Cypress Hill and Ho99o9, do not miss out. This is Slipknot in it’s finest brutality.
SEE MORE OF BRETT'S PICTURES FROM SLIPKNOT HERE!
No comments:
Post a Comment