Slipknot Reign In Toronto

Ricoh Coliseum

Toronto, ON

on May 1 2009

Pete Richards (CHARTattack)

05/04/2009 3:42pm

The vibe outside of Toronto's Ricoh Coliseum on Friday night would've been more Heavy Metal Parking Lot-ish if it wasn't for the drizzly weather, though made-up and masked fans could be seen tossing beer cans while screaming at and scaring the daylights out of innocent passersby before the show. And Slipknot's cult-like following came out in large numbers to cause chaos inside the coliseum as well.

Vancouver's 3 Inches Of Blood started things early with their brand of old school metal. Looking around, it was evident that many people in attendance were completely unfamiliar with the band despite them being around for nearly a decade. Still, those familiar with 3IOB got to see the band as tight as ever while rapidly running through tracks like "Night Marauders" and "Deadly Sinners."

Trivium were next with their brand of screamed-then-sung metalcore. I personally can't stand bands like this, but they seemed to go over well. They had all the stone-faced and stiff-backed metal posturing down as they headbanged their way through "A Gunshot To The Head Of Trepidation," "Like Light To The Flies" and "Throes Of Perdition." If nothing else, they seem to take themselves a tad too seriously.

The energy throughout the building ramped up as people started chanting the headliners' name before they took the stage. And they had good reason to chant. From the second Slipknot hit the stage, they reaffirmed their reputation as being one of the best live acts in modern metal. The band busted into "(sic)" to start things off.

It became immediately apparent that Clown wasn't in attendance, with a sole mannequin head wearing his nose in replacement. Vocalist Corey Taylor later explained his absence was due to a family incident that forced him to leave the tour and head back home to Des Moines, Iowa. Though his energetic stage presence was missed, Taylor did his best to fill Clown's void for fans before ripping into "Before I Forget."

Signature tracks such as "Eyeless," "People = Shit" and "Wait And Bleed" had the crowd singing in unison. It was the sort of display that — even if you're not a fan  — was one hell of an undeniable show with amazing energy, seizure-inducing displays of lighting and a devastating wall of sound that shook the Ricoh Coliseum to its core.

Astounding musicianship and a catalogue of ball-busting songs aside, the band's immediately identifiable imagery and ability to show true appreciation for their legions of fans have made Slipknot less of a band and more of a cultural force. It has allowed them to survive and thrive long after almost all of their nu-metal contemporaries from the '90s have disappeared.

There were metallers well into their fifties and children as young as 10 accompanied by their rocker parents in the audience, and it proved that heavy metal is as popular and generation-crossing as ever. It's doubtful any Slipknot fan left feeling that their heroes didn't give them their money's worth.

Find photos from the show here.