Slipknot partied like it’s 1999 with Knocked Loose at Madison Square Garden

Last night, Corey Taylor addressed a crowd that was completely sold out at the most famous arena in the world. “I’ve been waiting to say this all day,” he said. “I am coming to you live from the Madison Square Garden!” says the speaker. Despite the fact that it was not the first time the veteran metal band had performed at the legendary arena, and it is highly likely that it will not be the last time, the excitement of performing at Madison Square Garden never ceases to amaze, and the fact that Slipknot sold out the Garden on August 12, 2024 had a different significance than it might have in the past. During this performance, they were commemorating the 25th anniversary of their self-titled debut album, which was released in 1999. Additionally, as they disclosed on stage during the first show of this tour, they will not be performing any songs that were written after 1999 during this tour. Before the album was released, Slipknot had not yet reached the point where they could be considered an arena band. The idea of performing only those songs in front of such a large audience was something they could have only imagined at the time. They made it abundantly clear on stage that they are not in the least bit confused by any of this.

When they made the announcement about the tour, Clown made a promise that there would be a sense of closeness to this tour, and it turned out to be a more intimate affair than a typical Slipknot tour. As it is still Slipknot, there are still nine people dressed up in masks and costumes, including two DJs and two percussionists who bang on trash cans. However, in comparison to Slipknot’s typical theatrics, the stage setup felt more like a regular rock or metal band because of the lack of masks and costumes. (This was also Slipknot’s first tour with Eloy Casagrande, who had previously played drums for Sepultura, and he had no trouble filling the enormous shoes that he needed to fill.)

A lot of album anniversary tours include encores with hits from other eras, but Slipknot decided to go against that trend. They played almost every song on the self-titled album in addition to bonus tracks from the era, which meant that they did not have any huge hits other than “Wait and Bleed.” On the internet, I’ve come across some people who are unhappy with the setlist, but if you ask me, I think it’s pretty fucking cool. The Slipknot set that you saw here was unlike any other Slipknot set that you will see in the modern era. The band was an absolute force from the beginning to the end of this tour, and it was a real treat to see them perform a number of songs that had not been played since the year 2000. Among the songs that they performed were some that had not been played since 1999. Slipknot is a live band that is on a whole different level, and there was not a single instance in which they were not performing at their absolute best.

One of the most surreal aspects of Slipknot’s celebration of the quarter-century anniversary of their debut album is the fact that these songs continue to sound as if they are both current and urgent. Although the album is essentially a classic rock album, it still manages to sound edgy and rebellious when compared to the standards of today. It was at some point in time that Slipknot became the metal gods that bands like Metallica and Iron Maiden had become before them. Despite the fact that not a single song in this set was written less than 25 years ago, it was clear that Slipknot is still moving forward with their music. The show did not require me to indulge in sentimental feelings of nostalgia. The performance left me eager to find out what Slipknot has in store for us in the future.

Immediately prior to Slipknot’s performance, the audience was given the opportunity to witness Knocked Loose’s opening set. This band is an ideal opener for a show that will feature Slipknot concentrating on the more intense and unfiltered content of their debut album. Knocked Loose is a band that plays death metal-infused metalcore that is not only dark and evil but also seriously catchy. They had no trouble filling the massive arena with the brooding gut-punch that is a Knocked Loose show. Knocked Loose made it appear as though they had no trouble commanding the audience when they were opening for a show of this magnitude, which is not an uncommon occurrence even for great bands. They made sure that even the people in the nosebleeds were participating in the crowd, and they incited some singalongs that made it clear that there were a lot of Knocked Loose fans in the house. They had GA moshing the entire time, and they made sure that everyone was getting in on the crowd participation. They have released a fantastic new album titled “You Won’t Go Before Your Supposed.” It felt as much like a Knocked Loose show when they were playing as it did like a Slipknot show when the headliners took the stage. This year, heavy music has been dominated by Knocked Loose.

The show was opened by Orbit Culture, and they were a perfect fit for the lineup. They caused a few of the early birds to start moshing, headbanging, and yelling devil horns because they were so loud and heavy as fuck. Excellent performance from the very beginning to the very end.

Below you will find a selection of photographs taken by Mathieu Bredeau during the show (more are still to come), as well as the setlists of Slipknot and Knocked Loose, as well as a video of the entire performance from both of their sets.

In addition, Knocked Loose has just recently announced that they will be embarking on a new headlining tour for the autumn of this year, supported by The Garden, Drain, and Militarie Gun.