Slipknot
Paris Zenith 2001

Many bootlegs of Slipknot, like many other bands, circulate online, but I chose to review this "Live In Paris," because it seems far more significant than the recent official live "9.0 Live," which has as its strong point only the presence of songs from "Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)," the group's latest effort.

This concert was recorded on May 29, 2001 in Paris and it is an expression of one of the rare moments of "form" live for a band like Slipknot, which either because of the high number of group members and the consequent overabundance of sound or for some other damn reason can't express their skill live as they do on the record (see the excellent "Slipknot" and "Vol. 3"), in short, they make a lot of noise and you can't quite hear the beauty of the good songs in their repertoire.

The first track actually features 3 songs, an intro, the opener of the then-new album "People=Shit," played decently here, and "Eeyore," a very intense piece from their eponymous debut where all the members demonstrate their abilities, and the audience is heard singing the anthemic choruses. Another piece from the (in my opinion) unimpressive "Iowa" is the second track "Disasterpiece," an extreme metal track played with the conventions of nu-metal, quite impactful live, but Taylor struggles to repeat the growls of the record, cutting off the ends of words or the phrases themselves (as unfortunately he does with any aggressive song when touring with Slipknot, in contrast to his marvelous performances with Stone Sour). They go back to the debut with "Purity," a bone-crunching and tough song, very well played, perhaps the best played after the usual "Wait & Bleed," followed by the infernal goat with "Gently," a piece that live is a whole different story, with a bass that stands out solidly, at least in the initial part, while when all 9 start, it's total musical slaughter, in short, you can't understand a damn thing (which is why I criticize the mass of sound present on "Iowa").

At number 5 we first find a tech solo (cute) by Sid Wilson, the DJ of the formation, and then the devastating "Eyeless," sung three hundred times better than on "9.0 Live," almost as powerful as on the CD, really tough with people repeating the crazy chorus in a loop. One of the ugliest episodes is "New Abortion," the second voice Chris is not heard at all and Corey is exhausted, however, the others try hard not to lose their way, a positive note in particular to Jordison, as always a top-notch drummer, even with the rowdies he finds himself near. Another highlight of these 11 tracks is "The Heretic Anthem," it explodes with its satanic lyrics (of that satanism on sale in all the markets) and its granite riff, the very fast double bass part performs very well and Taylor is fairly decent. The final quartet of classics is truly exciting, starting with the death-hip pop of "Spit It Out," a scream, continuing with the classic "Wait And Bleed," excellently sung by the American frontman, then there's the inevitable "(sic)," played brilliantly and concluding with the seismic shocks of "Surfacing," where, however, the DJ is barely heard!

In conclusion, as with all bootlegs, the recording is not the best, but I've heard worse, and let's not forget they are Slipknot, a band not always convincing live that at least here makes a decent show amidst ups and downs. Not essential but if you like the 'Knot's music, give it a look!