Despite Phoenix temperatures nearing 100 degrees in the mid-afternoon heat of Sunday, October 2, 2022, the line of concert-goers wound all the way around Ak-Chin Pavilion, bustling with energy as they shuffled their feet and made friends with strangers, waiting in anticipation for Knotfest 2022.
The Pavilion was packed well before the bands took the stage. The crowd was rambunctious, excited, and buzzing with energy, so it was fitting that Crown the Empire’s Andrew “Andy Leo” Rockhold, the first opener of the night, thanked Phoenix for being their biggest crowd of the tour so far.
As for the large crowd they attracted, Crown the Empire did not disappoint. The four-piece metalcore band delivered a commanding and enthralling set that had the crowd moshing, cheering, and pumping their fists in the air. Their eight songs came from each of their four LPs – The Fallout, The Resistance, Retrograde, and Sudden Sky – and for the volume and power that backed each song, the band’s stage presence met it equally in part.
Stage presence was no small feat for the second band to take the stage: Ice Nine Kills. The well-known “theatricore” band from Boston, Massachusetts brought together theatrics, lighting, and metal in a horror-esque performance, which told a compelling story from their two most recent studio albums: The Silver Scream and The Silver Scream 2: Welcome to Horrorwood. By the time the two opening bands finished their sets, the audience was riled up, and every seat was taken; the Pavilion was completely sold out. Energy rose with the giant Slipknot flag that was raised over the stage, and everything came to a climax as the flag dropped and the venue was overtaken by the deafening roar of the audience.
Slipknot had taken the stage, and as they plunged headfirst into their own set, the cries of their fans carried them forward with years’ worth of emotion, intensity, and passion. It was evident from the start of the show that Slipknot – both as a band and a community – is tight-knit and fiercely devoted. In between almost every song, Corey Taylor (lead vocalist) would take a minute to address members of the band or the screaming crowd itself. Following Disasterpiece and Wait and Bleed, two songs from the band’s earliest albums, Taylor led the crowd in singing happy birthday to Jim Root (guitarist). Then once again, halfway through the set, Taylor introduced The Dying Song (Time to Sing) from their newest release, The End, So Far, by vehemently crushing rumors that the band was breaking up:
“The name of that album is, The End, So Far! And a lot of people want to run their mouths by saying, ‘this is it, they’re breaking up!’ … Those people are idiots! … Because this album simply means the end of a very important era of Slipknot lives, and a beginning to the next 10 to 20 fucking years of our career!”'
From the staged pyrotechnics to the fanatical “Jump the Fuck Up!”, Slipknot’s flare for the dramatic was perfectly executed, received, and matched by the audience they played for. Altogether, Knotfest made for an unforgettable experience, and set the stage for another few decades of successful career.
