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Bonded by Blood - Kerrang! – 20 Oct 2001

Kerrang! magazine 20-Oct-01

Slipknot and System Of A Down’s Pledge of Allegiance tour rolls into the City Of Angels

The Forum,Los Angeles
Saturday, September 29, 2001

In a tour that has become much more political and nationalistic than the organisers could ever have foreseen, opening act No One take the stage and salute the heroes in New York City and Washington DC. Every other American band will make a similar statement later this evening, but this Chicago band make certain that they're not quickly forgotten and their bouncing metal noise gets the floor of this arena-sized event hopping like crickets. Mudvayne however, stop just short of being engaging. As guitarist Gurrg and bassist Ryknow stand atop huge white pillars while growler Kud sings also from a high pedestal, there's a sense of distance in their madness. No matter how hard they try, Mudvayne don't seem able to transcend the huge open spaces, and come off as remote. An off night for the usually dynamic quartet.

No such problems with Rammstein. Bombarding the crowd with metallic beats and more pyrotechnic displays than the eye can behold, the Berlin titans surmount any language barrier by simply being living cartoons. The audience gives songs from their latest album,'Mutter', as well as US radio hit ‘Du Hast', some of the loudest cheers of the night. And when singer Till Lindemann announces (in English), “We love you, LA. Thank you” it's clear by the rapturous applause that the feeling is mutual.

This is the first time that System OfA Down have played their hometown since their proposed free concert in Hollywood ended in a riot. Guitarist Daron Malakian wastes no time in making his feelings known: " I'd like to send a big f**k-you out to the people who stole our equipment in Hollywood!'. Mixing material from their debut as well as 'Toxicity', System's four members prove that they have the theatricality and musical ability to play to huge audiences without losing the force that set them apart on smaller stages. Opening with the whispering-to-screaming 'Prison Song', the band have the audience singing along to every word. The manic'Bounce', the chilling 'Mind' (with projected footage of Charles Manson on the screen behind the band), and the doomy ‘Aerials' are all highlights.
After System, it's up to Slipknot to reduce everything to a bloody pulp. The set-list isn't all that different from the one we last saw on the Ozzfest, but the slight adjustments have transformed the lowan killers into a dominating force. With Metallica's soundman Big Mick Hughes behind the mixing desk, the masked men's sonics have never been this clear and forceful and 'Purity', 'The Heretic Anthem' and 'Wait And Bleed' all tear out from the giant arena speakers like flying hatchets.
The star of the show, however, is Joey Jordison playing a huge drum kit that swivels and levitates and rivals the great Tommy Lee's drum sets of the'80s. The crowd are delighted, and soon those in the nosebleed seats are overwhelming the Forum's security guards and storming the arena's floor. From a distance, it looks like sand draining down through an hourglass. Singer CoreyTaylor is flabbergasted: 'Get me my video camera now! This shit's going on the DVD! ". Later, after the closing combo of 'Surfacing' and 'Sic’ Taylor proclaims the night as the best of the entire tour. We wouldn't dare disagree: Joey might set his drum kit on us...

JOSHUA SINDELL

© 2005 Sue Lindemann