LIVE REVIEWS
SLIPKNOT BLEED FROM WITHIN
O2 ARENA, LONDON
Iowa’s epoch-triggering nu metallers revisit their incendiary debut
Bleed From Within capitalise on their moment to shine
IT ALWAYS FEELS a bit weird to be watching a metal show in the pristine confines of London’s O2 Arena. Dark, angry, brutal, noisy music is not a natural bedfellow for scandalously expensive, processed cheeseburger meals and adverts for the upcoming Strictly Come Dancing tour. It feels even more odd tonight, as a sold-out arena congregates to celebrate one of the most important, intense and violent albums of the last 25 years.
Before that, there’s a real feelgood moment, as Scottish groove metallers BLEED FROM WITHIN get to perform on one of the biggest stages in the UK. Long-term fans can rightly feel great pride at seeing them scale such heights. They were once one of the best-kept secrets in British metal, constantly grafting in toilet venues, always improving album upon album. Now, two decades in, they can walk onstage and win over an arena of fans while barely breaking a sweat. Vocalist Scott Kennedy absolutely commands the crowd, as if BFW were headlining, and songs such as Sovereign sound perfect for this environment, all juddering grooves, massive riffs and Scott’s hulking screams. It’s all killer, but fantastic new single In Place of Your Halo steals the show. On this evidence, their upcoming Zenith album could be a classic.