Slipknot returns and brings hell to Fort Wayne

It’s been five years, five long years since Slipknot’s last album, All Hope Is Gone, released and went to no. 1. Fast forward to 2014 and a lot has happened with the Iowa metal band- some good and some devastating. Gone are founding members Joey Jordison (departed in December 2014) and Paul Gray (passed away in 2010).

Coming through the fire and with a new album out- justly titled .5: The Gray Chapter, Slipknot are back and stronger than ever. Having just completed a U.S. Tour with KoRn and King 810, it’s obvious Slipknot are more powerful than before and the Prepare For Hell Tour proved this firsthand.

Midway through the tour, the three bands made a stop at Fort Wayne’s Allen County War Memorial Colliseum and King 810 started things off with a short set that sadly fell short of expectations.

Musically they aren’t the worst band out there. In fact, they have what it takes to become one of the best new bands in metal. They’re on par, sonically, with some of the top metal acts around, but vocally and lyrically they just didn’t do it for me with a lyrical content loaded with murder references.

Following King 810 was KoRn, who are currently getting ready to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their self-titled debut album. 2014 has been a big year for KoRn, following the return of founding guitarist Brian “Head” Welch last year, which accompanied their latest record, The Paradigm Shift, the band is riding high on a massive career resurgence that culminated in a slot on this year’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival.

They played a set of mainly classic KoRn favorites with the only newer track being “Hater,” which is by far the closest thing to classic KoRn the band has recorded in awhile with the exception of The Paradigm Shift.

From the opening seconds of “Here to Stay” to the last scream of “Blind,” the fans were going insane. It was truly like taking a step into 1998 again. The more energy the fans threw at the band, the band threw 10x the amount back at them, which led to more and more organized chaos.

By the time the set change came for Slipknot to take the stage, the crowd was exhausted already, but they refused to stop. If KoRn was a cyclone of destruction, the crowd was in for a tsunami of rage in the form of Slipknot.

As the lights went down, the fans began roaring with anticipation for the return of Slipknot. As the sound of Corey Taylor’s voice in “XIX” came over the speakers, the sound of the crowd was already deafening.

The curtain went up and there they were in all their glory- new masks and all- Slipknot- and they were ready to take whatever remains were left after KoRn and shred them to pieces.

They played a beautifully planned setlist that included tracks from every Slipknot album from 1999 through the present. The stage setup was one of the more elaborate Slipknot has brought out so far and they used every inch of it.

Corey Taylor took a minute during the show to thank the fans for their continued support over the last four years, telling them they’re the blood that keeps Slipknot going and without them, there would be no way the band would be on the road today. He also thanked them for making the tour by far the best tour they’ve ever done, which is saying a lot looking at the tours they’ve been part of.

In the end, this wasn’t just a concert. This was a celebration. Slipknot, as a band has been through more in the last four years than most bands. They’ve let the fans be a part of everything during their career- the highs and lows. They’ve mourned with the fans and now it’s time for them to celebrate with them and that’s exactly what they did on the Prepare For Hell Tour.

-review and photos by Reggie Edwards

[lg_slideshow folder=\”2014/Prepare For Hell Tour /King 810/\”]

[lg_slideshow folder=\”2014/Prepare For Hell Tour /KoRn/\”]

[lg_slideshow folder=\”2014/Prepare For Hell Tour /Slipknot/\”]