Slipknot review – metal mammoths deliver exhilarating sonic brutality

First Direct Arena, Leeds
Heads bang, moshpits burst into life and riffs eviscerate every corner of the room as the band tear through their debut album 1999 in a visceral sensory haze

Until you’ve tried it, don’t knock the singular joys of watching a grown man in a horned gimp mask whack a steel keg with a baseball bat. Comical stage antics and horror theatricality have always been a part of Slipknot’s nucleus, but their exhilarating concert spectacle is no joke.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary, the nine-piece US metal mammoths are performing songs from their 1999 self-titled debut album. “Welcome back to 19-fucking-99!” frontman Corey Taylor barks, dedicating this opening night to “the Maggots” – a nickname given to the band’s legions of fans.

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