Slipknot – “Day of the Gusano: Live in Mexico” [Blu-ray Review]

Let’s get the rating out of the way…If you are a long-time fan of Slipknot, this is a must-purchase item. Day of the Gusano features Slipknot performing live in Mexico in peak form. The crowd is very into it and the band has brought full concert production with them to this Knotfest gig; Megadeth, Cradle Of Filth and Lamb Of God were also on the bill. Gusano features at least eight cameras shooting Slipknot’s performance, which ensures that every angle of the stage is shown. Even if you were watching Slipknot from the front row or the side of the stage, you would not see a lot of the things which Gusano captures with full clarity.

The concert showcased within Day of the Gusano is mixed in with exclusive interview footage with the band’s various members. Directed by Slipknot percussionist Shawn “Clown” Crahan, Gusano effectively captures the members of Slipknot both in and out of character, as the masks — figuratively and literally speaking — are not always being worn. It is a rare look into a band that is known to be private, and Gusano holds extra significance in featuring Slipknot’s first-ever concert in Mexico City; Knotfest has since returned to Mexico several times.

If there is one short-coming for Day of the Gusano — or at least the advance copy of the Blu-ray that was given to me — it is the lack of bonus features. The disc I watched featured the full-length feature only, simply giving options to add subtitles and start during particular songs. As Gusano initially premiered as a special one-day cinema screening, die-hard Slipknot fans will undoubtedly want something extra from what they saw in the theater. Whether it’s extended interview footage, backstage B-Roll, soundcheck clips, music videos, additional live performances, or a band commentary track, the lack of bonus features is surprising for 2017.

Any way you slice it, it has been 18 years since Slipknot first impacted the charts with “Wait & Bleed,” and after watching Day of the Gusano, it is clear that the Iowa band remains popular as ever. According to Crahan in an interview from earlier this year, Slipknot has been working on material for its sixth full-length, so consider Gusano a good way for Slipknot die-hards hold themselves over in the meantime.

Run Time: 120 minutes
Release Date: October 27, 2017

Check out the live version of the song “Vermillion”