No bones about it, nothing on Earth compares to the aura of walking into a Rock concert. Since sometime in the 1960s, holding that ticket in your hand as you walk into a venue and gaze at a stage that awaits the presence of the band you have been dying to see live is as much powerful and surreal as it is inspiring. Take into account a rainy evening at an outdoor theater, mix in several thousand Heavy Metal fans, four big time acts, and you have the setting of Wednesday, August 28th, 2019 at The Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater.
On such a night as this, the All-American fathers of Nu Metal, Slipknot trucked their 2019 Knotfest Roadshow into this famed Long Island amphitheater for an evening of Metal, fire, and rain. Along for the ride, the Knotfest Roadshow featured three support acts whose musical prowess differ beautifully from one another. On main support, Danish Hard Rock band Volbeat would be preceded by Technical Death Metal band Gojira, and Extreme Metal act Behemoth for one well-rounded bill. An interesting attraction for hardcore fans, the Knotfest Roadshow has included a traveling museum showcasing Slipknot’s history at each tour stop. Sadly, earlier in the day it was announced the museum would not be open at Jones Beach due to what was only described as technical difficulties.
Not just any old summer tour, Slipknot are on the Knotfest Roadshow in support of their well received super new album, We Are Not Your Kind, which dropped on August 9th. Adding mystery, Slipknot have hired a new percussionist who only goes by the name ‘Tortilla Man.’ You’ll never guess his secret identity, fans are having a blast trying to guess the name of the mystery man but Slipknot are having their own fun neither confirming nor denying any of the rumors.
With a backdrop of upside down crosses, Polish Extreme Metal band Behemoth took the stage first. Appearing on stage in black hooded masks, surrounded by a sea of smoke, Behemoth members Nergal (vocals/guitar), Inferno (Drums), Orion (bass), and touring member Seth (guitar) brought darkness in the daylight, riling up fans in the pit via “Wolves ov Siberia.” To a cavalry of cheers, Behemoth removed their masks exposing traditional black and white face paint.
A demonizing set, Behemoth spanned their twenty-five year run with tracks like “Daimonos,” “Ora Pro Nobis Lucifer,” “Bartzabel,” and “Conquer All.” The last of three cuts from their October 2018 LP I Loved You at Your Darkest, Behemoth delivered “Sabbath Mater” before ending the set via “Chant for Eschaton 2000” after vividly warming up the place.
One of the most talked about bands to make it in America in recent years, Gojira – Joe Duplanitier (vocals/guitar), Mario Duplantier (drums), Christian Andreu (lead guitar), and Jean-Michel Labadie (bass) – hit the stage next for one of the most anticipated sets of the tour. From France, Gojira has been around since 1996 and released their first LP, Terra Incognita, in 2001. Up-and-coming, at least in the U.S., Gojira began to gain traction with the American fan base around 2016 upon releasing their sixth album, Magma, which was nominated for a Grammy later that year.
Now in August of 2019, Jones Beach was filled with tons of Gojira fans who love the band for their sick sound which blends Death, Groove, and Progressive Metal. Not missing a step, Gojira performed an incredible set that featured cuts like “Backbone,” “Stranded,” “Flying Whales,” “The Cell,” and “Silvera.” Needless to say, more people need to know Gojira.
As night fell, Volbeat hit the stage in support of their brand new album, Rewind, Replay, Rebound, having just been released on August 2nd. Welcomed by enthusiastic cheers, Volbeat members Singer/Guitarist Michael Poulsen, Lead Guitarist Rob Caggiano, Bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen, and Drummer John Larsen arrived for their set.
As fans danced in the aisles, Volbeat performed an energetic array of songs beginning with “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown,” “Lola Montez,” and “Sad Man’s Tongue” which was highlighted by a verse of the Johnny Cash gem “Ring of Fire.” On the heavier side, Volbeat brought “Slaytan” which was opened with a tease of Slayer’s “Raining Blood.” In addition, Volbeat offered songs like “Dead but Rising,” “Pelvis on Fire,” and closed via “Still Counting.”
As the hour drew near, a curtain painted with the ominous name Slipknot draped the Jones Beach stage. Throughout the day, the island was hit by a flood of rain storms that only turned to drizzle during the show. No doubt about it, dreary weather could not and would not stop Metal fans from packing the Jones Beach Theater and turning it into a house of insanity. In fact, the mournful weather only enhanced the atmosphere. To their credit, few bands like Slipknot draw such a stirring and impassioned fan base to a concert the way Slipknot fans show up and take no prisoners.
To the tune of AC/DC’s “For Those About to Rock (We Salute You),” the theater went dark and smoke filled the stage which sent the place into a sing along that was pure magic. A big reveal, the terrifying intro track “515” which opens Slipknot’s memorable sophomore album Iowa took over as the curtain was whisked away while Vocalist Corey Taylor screamed bloody hell for “People=Shit.” Here comes the pain, if there was a roof over the Jones Beach Theater, “(sic)” would have tore it off as the first of many fan favorites. Setting the scene, Slipknot’s stage set consisted of a wall of light boards and multiple levels that seated drums, turntables, and towered custom percussion on opposite ends, giving a stunning visual.
Welcoming their maggots, Taylor gazed in awe at the sea of fans in attendance through his simple yet gruesome new mask. All systems go, Slipknot jolted into the lead single off We Are Not Your Kind, “Unsainted.” The breaking point, Slipknot and the crowd merged into one storm of emotion for conquering performances of “Before I Forget,” “Solway Forth,” “The Heretic Anthem,” “Psychosocial,” and “The Devil in I.” As the night went on, Taylor spoke amazingly of Slipknot’s gratitude to the fans. More than two decades of success, the Slipknot train keeps going strong in 2019 as We Are Not Your Kind debuted at No. 1 in the U.S. and UK – proving Metal is alive and well.
Making History, Taylor announced Slipknot would play “Wait and Bleed” for the first time in a long time at Jones Beach. Soon after, Taylor declared that no one should tell you to change who you are and if they do, challenge them to “All Out Life” with much “Duality” on the side. Wanting more, Slipknot forked over “Spit It Out” before putting the final nail in the coffin via the resistive “Surfacing” and sent the crowd to bed extremely happy.
As stated earlier, Slipknot have been in the game for years and this is one band who is not going to lose a step anytime soon. On the road until September 8th, Slipknot and friends are bringing one incredible show across North America featuring a notable variety of Rock and Metal music. Fans be warned, you do not want to miss this tour!
Photo credit: Stephanie Asighieri Photography
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