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Slipknot (w/ Cypress Hill) Storms Cincinnati’s Heritage Bank Center on the Knotfest Roadshow [Photos]

Slipknot has been crisscrossing North America on the Knotfest Roadshow and recently stormed Cincinnati’s Heritage Bank Center with Cypress Hill. Coverage by Brandon Turner.

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The world is waiting on the 7th studio album from Slipknot. And we may be getting it sooner than we think. Until then the nine-member metal act has been crisscrossing North America on the Knotfest Roadshow. Accompanying them on the second leg of the tour was Ho99o9 (pronounced Horror) and Cypress Hill. Even though it has hit a couple of potholes along the way, the tour is still charging full steam ahead. The stop in Cincinnati, Ohio proved Slipknot still brings everything they have to the stage every night.

Fans only got to experience two acts of the three-act tour. Industrial punk/rap duo Ho99o9 was sidelined for a set of dates because of a COVID case in their camp. Their sophomore album, SKIN, was released earlier this year and features the single “Bite My Face” featuring Slipknot’s Corey Taylor.

“They are one of the best fucking bands out there right now,” Taylor told the crowd.

Cypress Hill’s DJ Lord gave fans an eclectic DJ set of heavy metal classics and old-school hip-hop anthems. West Coast hip-hop pioneers Cypress Hill then took the stage but they were a member short. Sen Dog was unable to join the tour due to a medical emergency. B-Real had everyone howl to the moon as a tribute to the recovering rapper. How does a legendary hip-hop group mesh with a metal crowd? The answer is…very well! Fans bounced, jumped, and even moshed with the group.  With plenty of artificial and “organic” smoke filling the stage to create the atmosphere.

Eric Bobo on drums and percussion had the bass knocking so hard that the video screens were rattling. The set ended strongly with back-to-back hits. Including “How I Could Just Kill A Man,” “(Rock) Superstar,” “Insane In The Brain,” and a cover of House of Pain’s “Jump Around.” Injecting fun through west coast rhythms before the chaos of Slipknot provided an energetic vibe.

Anticipation for the headliner continued to build but the crowd was ready when house lights went down. As the stage-wide banner disappeared it was off to the races. Slipknot opened with the ferocious “Disaterpiece” from their sophomore release IOWA. The blistering 17-song setlist included a balanced representation from every era of their 23-year career.

The stage show had all the stops including plenty of flames and pyrotechnics. Bassist Alessandro “Vman” Venturella could stand the heat as he walked the platform under the blasts of fire. He also strapped a flamethrower to his bass during “The Devil In I.” Igniting what looked to be 20 feet of flames over the stage.  Watching a band with nine members can be challenging on who to focus on. One member that always would catch your eye, though, was the new percussionist Michael Pfaff aka “Tortilla Man.” Whether it was running, jumping, swinging, diving, or falling. This man was completely unhinged on stage but also always in the right place at the right time.

It might be cliche to say but Slipknot, hasn’t lost a step in the live performance category. But it is true. You’re still getting their pedal to the metal sound at the same tempo as the records. They even managed to blow out part of the speaker system.

“There’s a risk that we could just blow all of the power but fuck it, we’re going to go as fucking hard as we can,” frontman Corey Taylor told the crowd.

During “Unsainted,” the show stopped on a dime to help a fan that needed medical attention on the floor. Once the fan was taken care of the band picked up where they left off with ease.

“I will be damned if I let anything, and I mean fucking anything happen to my family in this fucking room.” Taylor said after the song. “As soon as you join this family, it does not matter what color your skin is, what language you speak, who you love, what you believe, where you come from, you are fucking family for fucking life.”

Mixed with fans who have experienced Slipknot live before and first-timers; the Cincinnati crowd filled the floor and lower bowl of the arena. But regardless they gave their all while singing and chanting along, at times matching the volume of Taylor.

We got one hint as to when we will be getting new music from Slipknot. Taylor explained to the crowd that it would be, “Soon. Soon. Soon. Soon. Now we don’t have an exact date on it, but I am here to tell ya you’re not going to be waiting very, very fucking long.”

Slipknot still has a busy 2022 ahead of them with a run of European, American, and South American Festivals. Slipknot remains one of the biggest bands in the world with the live show and fanbase to prove it.

Remaining Knotfest Roadshow Dates:

June 07 — Bonner Springs, Kan. @ Azura Amphitheater
June 09 — Colorado Springs, Colo. @ The Broadmoor World Arena
June 11 — Nampa, Idaho @ Ford Idaho Center
June 13 — Seattle, Wash. @ Climate Pledge Arena
June 14 — Ridgefield, Wash. @ RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
June 17 — Las Vegas, Nev. @ MGM Garden Arena
June 18 — Chula Vista, Calif. @ North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

Summer European Dates and Festivals:

July 20 — Bucharest Romania Romexpo
July 21 — Plovdiv Bulgaria Hills Of Rock
July 23 — Athens Greece Release Festival
July 27 — Graz Austria Messe Open Air
July 28 — Prague Czech Republic O2 Arena
August 1 —  Geneva Switzerland Arena
August 3 — Bratislava Slovakia Nepela Arena
August 5 — Wacken Germany Wacken Open Air
August 7 — Gdansk Poland Ergo Arena
August 11 — Tallinn Estonia Saku Suurhall
August 15 — Malmö Sweden Arena

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