Finally, it was the moment we’d all been waiting for all night! As 9:20 hits, The curtains arose as “XIX” flows thru the venue and there they are Slipknot. Slipknot members from numbers 1 through 9 with their masks and jumpsuits, creating an outrageous appearance! The show kicked off with “Sarcastrophe” from their newest album .5: The Gray Chapter. The song’s gloomy opening notes, pounding drums and frenzied guitar opened the show with a gut-pounder, a reminder that Slipknot will outlast any doubters with the lyrics “Kill, Kill everything that kills you”. With rotating, floating tin drums/kegs, to fire bursting out of the stage, to a massive goat head lighting up, to the incredible masks; There was a visual assault, just as powerful as the audible attack on our hearing. Front-man Corey Taylor crouched down, energizing the crowd. Staring at his “maggot” followers which filled the venue to near capacity. The stage at The Susquehanna Bank Center was a mix between a goth-themed circus and prom, only in this case the devil is awarded prom king as frontman Corey Taylor screamed “We’re here in one of our favorite fucking houses, Are you happy to see Slipknot back cause we are so fucking stoked to see each and every one of you mother fuckers.”, and stating “Right now we are going to give you another song off The Grey Chapter… Step Inside & see The Devil In I” before launching into “The Devil in I”, one of eight singles from their new LP. “Undo these chains, my friend / I’ll show you the rage I’ve hidden,” Corey growled as the staircase leading up to the drummer on stage became engulfed in flames and the crowd willingly obeyed the urge to go nuts. The 13th song on the set-list was the crazy “Spit It Out” from 1999. During this song we had a little session in the middle where Corey Taylor calms the crowd down and talks to them about what he wants them do, and that’s to “jump the fuck up!“. You can hear him singing and on cue he screams, “Are you sick of me? Good enough- had enough.. JUMP THE FUCK UP!” The crowd had never been so alive and energetic until now. It was a sight that I won’t soon forget! Winding down the main set was “Custer” and afterwards, the band said their goodbyes. Leaving the stage empty, but of course the crowd doesn’t budge a bit. They all just stand there chanting for them “Slip-Knot”. Then a few minutes later, the lights start to go dim again and here they come rolling out with their encore. Playing three more songs; (sic), People = Shit, and Surfacing, and ending with “Till We Die” as the band said their REAL goodbyes, as the number 2 illuminated in the backdrop and the band threw flowers into the crowd in remembrance of their bassist, Paul Gray who tragically passed away in 2010. The Gray Chapter is dedicated to his memory. The curtains then dropping to end the show in Camden NJ. A GREAT return of a legendary band Slipknot!
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