CONCERT REVIEW: Slipknot – Knocked Loose – Orbit Culture Live at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion

Here comes the pain, and Slipknot brings it with Orbit Culture And Released. The tour came to Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, NJ, and left everyone speechless.

The Freedom Mortgage Pavilion is a Live Nation The property is located in Camden, New Jersey, on the banks of the Delaware River. Across the river are great views of the Philadelphia skyline. There is seating for about 7,000 people, and another 18,500 seats on the lawn. Drinks of all kinds are available almost everywhere in the venue, but the food selection can be a bit limited, so it might not be a bad idea to grab a cheesesteak before the show.

After weeks of oppressively hot and humid weather, it finally cooled down, providing the perfect night for an open-air show, but things quickly got hot again at seven as Orbit Culture took the stage. As the lights dimmed, ominous tones blared from the PA system. Strobes joined in, and then a drummer placed high in the air on a platform to provide a great view of the crowd. Unfortunately, people were still cramming in, but those who were there were treated to an old-school metal performance.

Wikipedia describes Orbit Culture as a “Swedish melodic death metal band.” When they entered the stage, they began to twirl their heads full of long hair and looked very much like Metallica from the Master of the Puppets (Elektra Records) days. Brutally hard guitars and throat-sung lyrics allude to their Swedish roots and the slight hint of an accent when Niklas Karlsson Addresses to the crowd reinforce this. After a 30-minute set, these guys must be exhausted from the energy they have exuded. Those still trickling in have missed a stellar performance, but it's unlikely that we have heard the last of Orbit Culture, literally.

After a few minutes of frantic re-setting up the stage, the next act comes on, Knocked Loose from Kentucky. They are on tour to promote their incredible new album. You don't leave before you should (PureNoiseRecords, Read our review here). This album received rave reviews and was named Ghost Cult Album of the Month by a wide margin. They finished their headlining tour this spring and now we have to make do with a shortened set by a support act.

The set starts with a deep rumble and builds to a rhythmic clap as a glowing cross appears on stage and like a cannon shot it starts. “Blinding Faith” opens the set and it's a miracle that the rest of the band can keep up with the drumming. Kevin Kaine must have been supervised by Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Misfits, Mr. Bungle, Empire State Bastard) because it is just as fast and attacks the drums. Their sound is described as hardcore and thrash, but it is like the Beastie Boys went full deathcore. Lead singer Bryan Garris even resembles a little Adam Yauch on stage. The new album is well represented, with six of the fourteen songs coming from there. Fittingly, the last song of the set is “Everything Is Quiet Now” and it's a good thing Slipknot are up next, as not many acts could match that performance.

The anticipation is growing and the crowd is standing up long before the show starts. Everyone is ready and then… a song sounds over the loudspeaker system and it is… “Dream Weaver” by Gary Wright. Slowly, it turns into the twins from The Shining singing “Come and play with us.” That's more like it. The band comes out and everyone is wearing red overalls with a bar code on the back. Grotesque masks hide the faces of all nine band members and no one is sure who they all are. The name of one member has yet to be released. The lead singer, however, is unmistakable Cory Taylor with long dreadlocks coming out of his mask and of course singing. The crowd sings every word to every song and with so many people on stage it is a bit crowded. A DJ and sound engineer flank the drummer on his podium and on either side of the stage is a percussionist playing drums disguised as a barrel and cooler.

After a few songs, Taylor briefly explains that all the songs they play are from 1999 or earlier. His voice is a clear tenor and he speaks clearly. This is a dramatic contrast to the terrifying mask and costume he wears. We were promised some deep cuts and they delivered. Some songs like “Me Inside” and “No Life” were only played a couple of times. At some point the evening has to end and everyone has to return to their reality, but for a few hours Slipknot ruled the night.

The tour continues to Canada and the West Coast before heading to South America in October and November, before a series of dates in England and Europe in December. See how it all began.

Setlist:
(Sic)
Eyeless
Waiting and bleeding
Get this
Eeyore
Tattered & Torn (Remix by Sid Wilson)
I inside
Free
Kindergarten for weak limbs
purity
prosthetics
No life
Only one
Encore:
Spit it out
Surface treatment
Scissors

Tickets for the tour and the upcoming Knotfest are available here:

WRITTEN BY MATTHEW KOCHEK
PHOTOS BY KIM HANSEN @PHARMADIVER
Follow Kim’s work here