Many moons have passed since Slipknot first landed in Colombia in September 2005 and many things have happened since then: two studio albums, several hiatuses, and major structural changes in the band. Back in 2005, the band that came to Colombia did so with no greater expectations besides coming to a country with a bad reputation and they ended up leaving with a first-hand experience on how crazy and passionate fans here can be. There was a promise in the air for Slipknot to return, but it was delayed due to different situations on their part… until this year.
Slipknot’s story previous to their first show in Colombia was one of hard work and success. Founded in 1995, the band’s journey was filled with hard work, aggressiveness, and new horizons until 2005. At that time, three albums were out which were praised by fans and critics. The first of these albums, ‘Slipknot’, formed a proper first impression on what the nine-piece band had to offer which was bold and aggressive at the time. With singles like ‘Wait and Bleed’, and ‘Spit It Out’, Slipknot made a statement, they would not shy away from confronting and expressing their angst of the generation.
On their second album, ‘Iowa’, Slipknot put the bar higher. Not only had they reached the mainstream level in the United States, but also, they assured the public why they became a well-known act. Darkness came to the members of the band and it was reflected in songs like ‘Left Behind’. This album is a benchmark on what each member of Slipknot was willing to give for their craft. Vocalist Corey Taylor performed naked, covered in his own vomit, and cut the title track for the album. Another one that sacrificed himself for the team was Ross Robinson who, after injuring his back in an accident, returned to the studio to record after only one day of recovering.
After the extensive touring, along the way came ‘Vol. 3: Subliminal Verses’. An album with a different tone than its predecessors, the third album of Slipknot reached new levels of popularity and acceptance. On the tour to promote this album Colombia had the pleasure of seeing the band headline. The show that this musical act brought to Colombia was unprecedented in this country. Most of us had never seen a nine-member act on stage, especially considering the level of energy and madness that goes around. It was that energy shared between the band and the audience that generated a sense of hope that the show would repeat itself soon. That was not the case.
For almost five years, Slipknot worked relentlessly, causing exhaustion between band members. And it is understandable; after all, bands are a multiple person relationship where from time to time, each piece of the machine needs its own time. In Slipknot’s case, each member literarily needed time to refill energy elsewhere outside the band for three years. Then it was time to make another album, ‘All Hope Is Gone’ in 2007. This album maintained the band’s status as a successful act. Then back on the road for most of 2008 and 2009. Then, tragedy struck.
In 2010, Paul Gray, one of the founding members and bassist died of an accidental overdose. It was a serious hit to the band’s moral and core. For those of you that followed the band at that moment, you must have seen the press conference held by the remaining member of Slipknot. You saw how grieving all the members were. For a band that relied so much on their emotions to create music, this moment was just too big to stand. The future of the band, this time, was at serious risk, for most of the members did not see themselves in it without Paul Gray. With time, Slipknot got back on their feet and took to the road again.
As homage to Paul Gray, Slipknot entered the studio once more to work on ‘.5: The Gray Chapter’. The entire process became a sort of therapy to grieve Paul Gray’s loss, which translated to a very dark tone. Also, the fifth album recording marked the sudden departure of drummer Joey Jordison, a decision that was made one-sided by the remaining members of Slipknot. It is the promotion of this album that will bring Slipknot back to Colombia.
As you can see, Slipknot has undergone serious changes. Perhaps it will be a different show than the one many witnessed almost 11 years ago. Both, the band and us, have gone through changes during this time. It is time to reunite with this beast of a band to see first-hand how these years have influenced the performance Slipknot put on stage. ‘Duality’, ‘Psychosocial’, ‘Dead Memories’, among other songs will be heard this coming October 22nd in Bogotá, at the old racetrack “Los Andes”. Ticket costs range between $333,000 Colombian Pesos (102$) and $192,000 Colombian Pesos (59$) and can be purchased at Tuboleta.
