Heavy metal icons and cultural phenomenon, Slipknot, closed out the first leg of their ‘Here Comes The Pain’ 25th anniversary tour with a sold out show at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night.
It was clearly a special night for not only the band, but the fans as well. Maggots of all ages gathered at the arena pretty early, just driving by at 3pm I could see the crowd begin to wrap around the venue – something I hadn’t seen done in the last 10 years or so for any other metal/hard rock act. Everyone was clearly excited for this stacked lineup.
Opening up the show was Swedish melodic death metal band, Orbit Culture. I wasn’t too familiar with them before hand but thoroughly enjoyed their set and will definitely be catching them the next time they come to Toronto. They had a lot of energy as they played songs such as ‘While We Serve’, ‘North Star of Nija’ and ‘Vultures of the North’, which a lot of the crowd seemed to enthusiastically know.
Up next was Knocked Loose, they were just here in June for a headlining sold out show of their own, and it was clear that Toronto missed them already. Their entire set had everyone on their feet, screaming along at the top of their lungs as they performed songs such as ‘Blinding Faith’, ‘Mistakes Like Fractures’ and ‘Suffocate’. I swear, it felt like venue’s floor shook every time vocalist, Bryan Garris, had the crowd scream ‘Suffocate’ during the song. Knocked Loose’s 14-song set seemed to have flown by, and the next thing you knew, it was the moment everyone had been waiting for – Slipknot.
This show was very special in the sense that not only did the band play deep cuts off their self-titled album, but they also managed to make it feel like you were seeing them live in 1999. I became a fan around 2010 and my first Slipknot show was in 2016 so I never had the chance to see songs like ‘Me Inside’, ‘No Life’, ‘Only One’ and ‘Scissors’ live. Seeing those songs brought to life again, with similar masks and outfits to the ones worn during that era was an experience I’ll never forget as a fan. Sure, it wasn’t full of pyro, moving components to the stage or big screens and stage props that they’ve become known for, but now fans who missed this era were given a second chance to experience the magic they had back then. It was really refreshing to see.
If you loved the self-titled album or are a hardcore Slipknot fan, this tour is for you and I highly recommend catching one of these special shows if you can.
Be sure to check out Live Nation Ontario to see all of the other great acts that they will be bringing to Toronto this year.
Connect with Slipknot: Website || Twitter/X || Facebook || Instagram
Connect with Knocked Loose: Website || Twitter / X || Facebook || Instagram
Connect with Orbit Culture: Website || Twitter/X || Facebook || Instagram
