A double CD live offering from Iowa’s heaviest exports, Slipknot, showing just why they won ‘Best Live Act’ at this year’s Metal Hammer Awards.

Which means?

All those teenagers in Slipknot hoodies, affectionately referred to as ‘maggots’ by the band, will either be saving up their pocket money, or want this for Christmas in a few months’ time. And given that last year’s Volume 3 followed the Gold success of their UK no.1 Iowa, you’d have to think that’s a lot of people…

Is it much cop?

There’s no denying that Slipknot were a shot of something new to the metal scene back in 1999. With nine men on stage, they put on quite a show, and with three albums to draw from, and tracks here selected from various shows across the US and Far East, there’s plenty of good stuff to draw on. Almost two hours in total, it’s a formidable set.

How many good tracks?

All Slipknot’s hits – ‘Wait and Bleed’, ‘Surfacing’, ‘Left Behind’, ‘Duality’ and ‘Left Behind’ – are included, along with some slightly rarer tracks like ‘Purity’ (only on earlier copies of their debut). Perhaps the ‘drum solo’ doesn’t really count, but all these are good songs if you like the ‘knot.

And the worst?

Well, if you expect the songs to sound just like the albums, you may be disappointed – particularly by numbers like ‘Spit It Out’ – but then the whole point of playing live is to sound different...

Biggest disappointment?

The crowd working obviously doesn’t come across so well on CD, and the repeated use of f-words to exhort the audience can become a bit tiring, as well as making sure you can never play this record in front of your granny.

Verdict:

I haven’t seen Slipknot live. I imagine this pales in comparison, but nonetheless it’s still the nearest you’ll get. Well, perhaps second best to a DVD (which will surely come…), and a good collection of Slipknot’s most popular songs in one place. I’m sure many maggots will be wanting this for Christmas, and won’t be disappointed.

(4/5)

9.0: Live