Words by Sibyl Cooper
Photography by Charles William Lake
It was a privilege to see Slipknot on their final stop of their 25th anniversary tour. Electricity hummed from the London O2 Arena, down into the tunnels of the Jubilee line.
With an immmortalised discography, totem like in heavy metal history, Slipknot need no introduction, but are worthy of one.
Hailing from Des Moines Iowa, the ennead formed in 1995, with founding member, Shaun Clown Crahan, and early members Corey Taylor, Mick Thomson, Sid Wilson, and Jim Root performing today.
They have transformed the landscape of popular music, providing outcasts an alternative listening and visual experience to the pristine commodified acts of 80s and 90s rock & roll.
On this night, Slipknot took us back to 1999, playing tracks and deep cuts from their self-titled debut album, Slipknot (1999), with support from Scottish Metal Band, Bleed from Within. Their classic red jumpsuits returned with updated past iterations of their masks.
As Dream Weaver poured from the O2 speakers, the clock struck the hour. The pit was stirred, this was the sign.
Slipknot entered the stage, the titans were among us. All eyes and ears in the area were magnetised as the band opened with (sic). The sharp guitar stabs and Corey Taylor’s rage fueled vocals unlocked a desire for chaos across the arena.
The maggots in the pit were clay, ready to become a tempest and crash together.
I was whipped up by the storm as the second track, and my personal favourite song, Eyeless, kicked in. The Amen break burst from Sid’s decks with the opening guitar riff from Mick. The seamless blend of metal and D&B sounds was all encompassing, clear inspirations for bands like The Garden. I wanted to rip my seat from the stalls and throw it into the pit.
As an auditory experience, Slipknot were massive, but their visual package and stage production are one of the seven wonders of the heavy metal world.
The stage production was best seen during interludes led by Sid Wilson. With a masterful use of vinyl scratching, tearing apart vocal samples, contorting instrumental and ambient sounds, his turntables became instruments of hypnosis. His look, a chrome-plated, gasmask wearing rat catcher, made him the band’s Pied Piper.
During these ambient moments, the band would leave the stage, with Corey Taylor’s form appearing on the monitor screens to stage right and left, only illuminated by a light above him. He stared out to the audience like a mastermind, ready to divulge his evil plan over hijacked airwaves.
Corey Taylor took to the front of the stage to address the crowd, thanking both old and new fans for their support, “We need you more than you need us.”
The backlash Slipknot have received over their career is unjust. Labeled as demonic music, music that inspires violence, music for freaks, they are truly one of the most misunderstood metal bands.
Their spiky, unnerving visuals intentionally ask audiences to question the commodification of music. Their masks make them anonymous, allow them to tap into antagonistic and theatrical sides of themselves, their shadows, embodiments of former selves and former thought processes. This is a painful ritual for the band, transforming into their altered-egos (not alter-egos), makeup hiding their faces, the masks causing headaches once fastened on.
True sincerity came from Taylor, from underneath his witchdoctor mask. He thanked London for welcoming Slipknot in their early career and closed his speech with, “Slipknot is Home.” The maggots chanted, they had become volcanic.
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After over 25 years of touring for Shaun Clown Crahan, he still puts his entire body into his shows. Tracks like Spit it Out make Clown go guttural on percussion and backing vocals, slamming lead pipes against metal canisters.
The only founding member, he still performs like back in ‘99, his body one with his metal instruments. He rallies the group, conductor and steel heart of the band.
Scissors closed the show, the audience went magmatic. Corey’s vocals “biding my time until the time is right” struck a spear straight through my ribs. He was like a wild animal during this number, he was tender and wounded at moments, and then released dramatic wolf like screamo sections that fired up maggots in the pit.
Corey Taylor is one of the most dynamic metal vocalists out there; shown best in this set during Get This. His vocal range is not something to be understated, even after 27 years of performing with the band. The screams, spoken word, rap-like and sung segments he creates are a treat to hear live and in the studio, as well as his vivid lyric writing. His vocal cords should be donated to science one day. These genes must be synthesised.
Leaving the venue, excited maggots discussed the concert. A sense of awe and gratitude radiated from this community.
I grabbed myself a bottle of wine and sat on a spot by the Thames, the cable cars tiny red spots in the sky. Every single one of us had all witnessed a moment in heavy metal history. We had been back in 1999 for the last hour, and had now returned to 2024. I sat with this thought and listened to the wind in the reeds.
I would highly recommend seeing Slipknot live to anyone, fan or not. Their shows are the ideal place to let out anger, give in to the volcanic part of yourself, and to interact with a compassionate community, ready to share love of their favourite band.
Let loose. Become a maggot. Writhe.
