“The temperature, I could swear, toward the end of the show reached – Fahrenheit 524! It ain’t as hot as the ‘F-9/11’ but it is way past the degree of book burning. [F-451 is the temperature when paper ignites – physics lesson over.] But, getting onstage took Slipknot a whole song’s playback and an industrial intro whilst ovations commenced the moment the backdrop logo was switched on! Arriving individually in their newly refashioned look, all black attire, the Des Moines nonet appear more menacing than usual. [A SWAT of brutality?] The de-masked vacation over, Clown is back to his climbing the percussions, ‘mike-wanking’ and head banging that would put many a lesser man into a neck brace. The ‘Nose’ gets upturned, DJ is as mad as a hatter, guitarists at ready for ‘Iowa Guitar-saw Massacre’í¢äå_ Masks have gotten more apocalyptic, as to express the members’ maturing as much as the state of the world’s mind. New insignia is on the ‘uniforms” sleeves and backs, that is also displayed on the drum kit and a couple of stage panels [hiding amps], encircled in nonagons. Stylistic exhibition of the album ‘Vol.3: (The Subliminal Verses]’ is re-tuned to the habitual bombardment of senses. The ‘maggots’ are well up for it and readily lapping it up: they not only sing the favourites but are also word-perfect on the current single, ‘Duality’. Most of the new songs, ‘The Blister Exists’, ‘Pulse of The Maggots’ and the humongous ‘Three Nil’, are cheered on but there are few exceptions – such as ‘The Nameless’ – where its intricate arrangement finds fans a tad baffled. It is the only a moment when band and its hardcore support appear not to mental the same metal plateau. It also becomes even more apparent live, the fact that Rick Ruben incorporated different individual influences to broaden the band’s metallurgist vocabulary. Thus, ‘Circle’ [and ‘Prelude 3.0’ to an extent], sound like a heavier version of Alice In Chains, one of singer Corey Taylor’s fave outfits. This thrice of relative respite is only an interlude to more moshing, power, volume, chaos, melody, action! Returning to this club – the place of their London debut in 1999 – on the day of the third album’s release, Slipknot brought their arena sound to an intimate level. It practically re- proved that this lot is not a ‘comedy-rock’ act [a cross between Kiss and Spinal Tap?] but a veritable metal engine that can destroy at will. All the speculation [among the ‘Numbers’ as well] of ‘Vol.3’ being the band’s final album should cease now because we’d loose true metal giants! And we all know how few there are leftí¢äå_ Slipknot detonated another sonic barrage last night! Rilla-thrilla-killa, thought the dehydrated critic, queuing for another after-show party beer. [No drink-driving, we hope – Ed. Chief. Nope – tubing reporter.] The good news is that this brilliant show was taped for a future DVD release, so no despair required. SashaS” Taken from www.deo2.com Click HERE for photos…