SLAYER/SLIPKNOT (UNHOLY ALLIANCE) Hammersmith Odeon Saturday 9th October 2004 reviewed by Prodigal

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See photos of next night!

Well, this was certainly an experience I won't forget in a hurry! Got there nice & early, only to find a queue that was longer than I have ever seen (apart from Maiden concerts of course!). Once in it, it became obvious Slipknot fans easily outnumbered Slayer fans & what an obnoxious bunch of braindead morons they are (no offence to any decent, well behaved 'knot fans out there but I didn't see any of you there!). Several times I nearly had a ruck with people pushing in front of me after I had been waiting an hour. They were body searching everybody - hence the slowness of the queue. It's just as well, 'cos some drugged up idiot tried to get in with his pet hamster!! Anyway, onto the gig itself! Slayer were on first & were on top-form. They are a no-frills stage act - all they are interested in is belting out some of the heaviest & fastest metal on the planet. And they certainly succeeded, as my ears testified! They certainly possess one of the top drummers in Dave Lombardo. Judging by this blistering performance, only Nicko McBrain is superior. I would certainly see them again - perhaps they might support Maiden next year?! Not everyone's cup of tea, I know - but they never seem to disappoint. SETLIST (I think!) : Disciple War At Dawn They Sleep Fight 'Til Death Mandatory Suicide Hallowed Point Dead Skin Mask (scary!) Seasons In The Abyss Chemical Warfare Hell Awaits South Of Heaven Angel Of Death Postmortem Raining Blood (amazing climax) Great set & the moshpit was pretty fierece as usual, so I was glad to be nearer the back than the front!! I was hoping they would play all the Raining Blood album - but I guess they didn't have the time. I'll just have to get the DVD instead. Slipknot then came on & I have to say I have never experienced a live act like this! the 'knot maggots went potty - some of them were no older than 10, with no parents in sight!! I had major doubts about Slipknot being able to translate the sound & fury of their album to the stage. Well they could & I have to say I was very impressed. The sound was tight & VERY loud making my ears hurt even though I was wearing ear-plugs. They even played guitar solos - which was cool. The lead singer could sing - with a good vocal range (MUCH more than he shows on record). The real talent in the band though lies with Joey Jordison on drums - he was amazing all night & ceratainly is in my top 3 metal drummers right now. SETLIST: Prelude 3.0 Blister Exists (SIC) Disasterpiece Three Nil Eyeless Vermilion Pulse Of The Maggots Iowa Heretic Anthem Duality Spit It Out People=Shit Wait & Bleed Surfacing Cool set. Some of the songs were a bit TOO loud with the vocals being a bit unclear - can't blame the band for that though. Slight complaint about the pacing of the set - there were several gaps of 2-3 minutes between songs. Probably because they get knackered after each song - as you know they run around like lunatics on speed on stage (like having 8 Bruce Dickinsons up there!!). Would I see them again? Would have to think about it 'cos a lot of their fans seem more interested in wanting a ruck than seeing the gig. Slayer - 8.9 out of 10 Slipknot - 9 out of 10 Overall a good night out - I was deaf for 3 days, always a good sign! :)

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